Advertise on podcast: More Math for More People

FIRST! 2027 CPM Teacher Conference registration is open! Register by Nov 15 for the biggest discounts. AND remember to book your room at the conference hotel for maximum fun and ease. cpm.org/teacher-conference National M&M Day sounds like a throwaway holiday until you notice what it reveals: people form opinions fast, hold onto myths, and stick with what feels familiar. That same dynamic shows up when schools adopt a new math curriculum. If we want better outcomes for students, we have to make it easier for teachers to learn, practice, and keep improving long after the first rollout excitement fades. We’re joined by Ryan Carle-Ogren from Sahuarita School District to talk about what sustained professional development actually looks like when you’re implementing CPM Educational Program. Ryan shares why teacher support has to be planned like a system. We dig into practical structures that build capacity over time: paid virtual foundations training, stronger new teacher induction, annual CPM follow-up days, instructional coaching resources, and the real-world puzzle of funding streams. If you get value from this conversation, subscribe, share it with a colleague who supports teachers, and leave a review so more educators can find the show. Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

Coffee is optional, curiosity is not. We start with a quick National Coffee Day riff, then move into a practical, teacher driven conversation with Lisa Amick, Director of Teacher Research and Teacher Educator Engagement at CPM, about the Teacher Research Community (TRC) and why practitioner research can be one of the most useful forms of professional learning for math educators. We talk about how TRC works and who it’s for. Lisa highlights findings from TRC 12.0, including student driven consolidation routines, clearer definitions of joy in math learning, and concrete ways to improve outside of class learning and homework completion with small moves like problem previews and student led symposiums. We also dig into bigger system questions like pathways to calculus, plus classroom strategies that move students from participation to ownership. Finally, we look at artificial intelligence in education. You can find more details about the TRC program at cpm.org/trc. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more teachers can find the show. Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

Change is easy to celebrate when it’s an abstract idea. It gets real when it asks us to shift our routines, our relationships, and the way we lead. We start with a lighter spark, Dot Day, and the message behind “The Dot” by Peter H Reynolds: begin with one small mark and see what becomes possible when you focus on process over product. That tiny dot turns into a bigger question for learning and life: what happens when we give ourselves permission to start before we feel ready?  From there, we dig into change in math education and within teams. We talk about authentic collaboration, why resistance to change is normal, and how “no resistance” can actually mean missing voices or unspoken concerns. We connect these ideas to the classroom, especially the first days of school, when students are carrying last year’s experiences, relationships, and fears into a new space. Building a culture where students talk, take risks, and think together doesn’t happen by accident, it happens by design.  Subscribe for more conversations on teaching, learning, and change, then share this episode with a colleague and leave a review so more educators can find us. What change are you trying to lead right now? Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

Orange. Month. Woman. Purple. We start with No Rhyme Nor Reason Day and tumble into a surprisingly useful question: why do some things resist neat rules, whether it’s language, poetry, or the way change happens in schools? (See what we did there?) It’s light, a little nerdy, and a reminder that sometimes doing something just for the joy of it is reason enough. Then we shift to the work that really matters for educators: instructional coaching that actually moves classroom practice and student learning. John Hayes and Tracy Talmage join us to share Leading Together: A Coaching And Leadership Collaborative, built as a connected, year-long professional learning pathway.  Check the link below for dates and registration, share this with a coach or leader who needs stronger support, and please subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what word you still cannot rhyme. Leading Together Collaborative Landing Page Some Coaching Research you might be interested in Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

Serendipity gets tossed around as a synonym for “surprise,” but we want the real thing: the unexpected moment that actually matters because you notice it, connect it, and do something with it. We kick off on Serendipity Day with stories, definitions, and the funny contradiction of trying to “plan” a happy accident.  That curiosity leads us straight into late summer and the start of the school year. We talk school start dates across the US, why some communities hold tight to a post Labor Day calendar, and why other places begin earlier based on climate, local norms, or logistics. From there we take on year-round school, not as 50 weeks of class, but as a different academic calendar with shorter, more frequent breaks. We also wrestle with a bigger idea: could more school days reduce stress if we stop packing every day like a sprint? The heart of the conversation is what a more human school day could look like.  If you enjoyed this kind of practical, reflective talk about teaching, learning, and school systems, subscribe, share the episode with an educator friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one change that would make school feel more human? Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

A circle of chairs can do what a stack of rules never will. We start with a quick National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day warm-up, then we get into a practical, teacher-tested approach to building real classroom community: community circles. We’re joined by Danielle Boggs and Laura Bain from our professional learning team to break down what community circles are and why they’re considered a restorative practice. We talk about the power of the physical circle for reducing classroom power dynamics, how a simple talking piece protects student voice, and why random seating can make circles feel more equitable. If you’ve been looking for social emotional learning routines that don’t feel forced, this conversation gives you clear moves you can try immediately. If you’re curious about improving classroom culture, strengthening relationships, and creating psychological safety that supports learning, press play. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review, then tell us: what question would you ask in your first community circle? Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

An AI voice answers the phone, sounds friendly, and almost passes as human. For a moment it feels convenient, even a little magical, and then something shifts and you realize you’re craving a real person. That tension, between efficiency and human connection, drives our conversation as we explore what AI tools can do well, what they cannot do at all, and why “human review” is quickly becoming a non-negotiable habit. What’s your personal “tell” that you’re talking to AI and not a human?  Also, it's Take a Monkey to Lunch Day!!! What in the world? We're very curious. If you imagine taking a monkey to lunch... Do it now... What do you imagine it would look like? Let us know! Subscribe for more conversations about math learning, teaching, and thoughtful technology, and if this one sparked a reaction, share it with a colleague and leave us a review.  Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

“My students can’t” sounds like a fact, but it usually hides something else: we don’t yet have a clear way to see what students can do, name it, and build on it. We dig into that problem with two of our favorite educators, John Hayes and Victoria Holt, who bring their conference session “CYA: Cover Your Assets” to the mic and make it immediately usable for teachers, coaches, and administrators. Link to the article that John mentions in the conversation. If you want practical inclusive math classroom ideas that respect students’ abilities and raise the level of mathematical practice, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more teachers can find it. Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

Pink Flamingo Day kicks things off with a surprising bit of natural history, then we make a sharp turn into the question that matters for every math teacher: what actually gets students thinking. We sit down with Peter Liljedahl, author of Building Thinking Classrooms, for a practical conversation that goes past the headlines and into the moves that make the work real in K-12 classrooms.  If you want better math tasks, stronger lesson launches, clearer closings, and a more realistic picture of how Building Thinking Classrooms lives day to day, press play. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more teachers can find the conversation. Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

Donald Duck ... Love him? Find him annoying? Or do you want him banned? (That story is fake, by the way....) Then we pick up part two of our conversation with Peter Carpenter to get clear about something schools confuse constantly: adult learning is not one thing. Peter breaks it down into three practical buckets: training, professional development, and professional learning. Listen to find out the difference for yourself! Then our final installment of Join Them on Their Journey from Chi Lo in Alameda, California with a candid end-of-year reflection on classroom management, planning, and what changed when his team added weekly quizzes for more timely feedback and family engagement.  Subscribe for more conversations like this, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators can find the show. Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

Spelling “tuberculosis” on the spot is one thing, but designing learning that actually changes what adults do is a whole different challenge. We start season six on Scripps Spelling Bee Day with a fast, funny spelling run and then we’re joined by Peter Carpenter, a longtime public educator turned coach, principal, and district leader, to talk about adult learning theory and what strong professional development design really requires.   We also hear our final post from Jessie in Astoria, Oregon, reflecting on end-of-year realities and the practical Building Thinking Classroom “micro changes” that made a difference: random daily groups, more whiteboard thinking, bell ringers instead of homework, better note-taking routines, and more intentional assessment design.  Subscribe for part two with Peter, share this with a colleague who plans PD, and leave a review with the one adult-learning move you wish every workshop leader would use. Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

National Odometer Day sounds like a joke until you follow the math hiding in plain sight. We kick things off by unpacking what an odometer actually measures, why it can help prevent mileage fraud, and how it connects to geometry you can feel in your hands. From there, our conversation opens up with Rafael del Castillo, CPM's Executive Director, as we reflect on five years of the More Math for More People podcast, the guests who’ve shaped our thinking, and the kind of math education community that forms when people show up ready to share. We also get real about remote work versus in person time: some work can happen virtually, but values clarity, strategy, and deep listening often need space, presence, and patience.  The heart of the episode is leadership and strategic planning through the lens of healthy tension. We talk about values that pull in different directions, why “both-and” thinking matters, and how leaders can listen to learn rather than listening to respond.  If you enjoyed this, subscribe, share it with a colleague, leave a review, and tell us: what tension are you trying to navigate in your work right now? Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

We start by honoring school bus drivers and sharing our memories of riding the school bus on School Bus Driver Appreciation Day.  Then we all know that math class gets quieter when students are confused and louder when they’re thinking together. That’s why we invited Marjorie Kucich and Sarah McKittrick to talk about station rotation in middle school math and how a smart rotation can turn a lesson into a room full of visible problem solving. We dig into what “stations” really means in this context, we talk through concrete classroom logistics, and how a small amount of movement can act like a reset button for attention and engagement. We also get specific about consolidation. If you’re looking for practical station rotation ideas, middle school math engagement strategies, and routines that strengthen math discourse and classroom culture, you’ll leave with steps you can try right away.  Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review telling us what station routine you want to test next. Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

National Gardening Day starts with a surprisingly honest question: do you like gardening, or do you like having a garden? From urban farming stats to blueberry bushes that take care of themselves, we warm up with the kind of curious, low-stakes talk that makes real learning feel safe. Then we sit down with Judy Hutchinson, a math teacher in Rockford School District, to talk about CPM’s Academy of Best Practices and why it’s one of the most meaningful professional development experiences a teacher can have. Judy shares what it felt like to hit a rut, realize her practice had gone a bit “lackluster,” and decide to do something about it by attending ABP. And now she's feeling inspired in her teaching again! Applications are due at the end of April, and the next Academy of Best Practices runs July 20–24 in Salt Lake City, with 32 spots per cohort (veteran CPM teachers and new-to-the-profession teachers). You can find more information and a link to the application here.  Subscribe, share this with a teacher who needs a spark, and leave a review so more educators can find us. Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]

It's National Crayon Day! What are your favorite or least favorite memories about crayons? Do you still like to use crayons today? :wink Then we talk with Jeremiah Morgan about the Site-Based Leadership (SBL) Program and their upcoming book study on April 8, 15, 22, and 29. The book study will be engaging with The Instructional Coaching Toolkit, which you can purchase through the link below.  As Jeremiah points out, the SBL Program is for everyone! For more details check out the SBL website. You can join the SBL Program HERE. Register for the Book Study Buy The Instructional Coaching Toolkit Send Joel and Misty a message! The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program. Learn more at CPM.org X: @cpmmath Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram Email: [email protected]