Advertise on podcast: Math and Other Things

Basic fact fluency is a great big topic and I’m gearing up for a few episodes - or many, we’ll see -  to talk about it. I don’t have any documented evidence to support this, but in my 20 years of having a leadership role of some kind in schools the quote, “My kids don’t know their facts” is a statement I hear over and over again. When I ask what they’re doing to teach facts sometimes they answer that they are giving timed tests; other times, they say “well we aren’t allowed to give timed tests, so I don’t do anything.” Here’s the deal. A timed test doesn’t *teach* basic fact fluency. It assesses who can do facts fast. We need kids to know their facts and we need them to be able to know them without counting on fingers, etc - but to do so, we have to actually teach - not just have them memorize. And there are very specific reasons for that. In this episode, Ryan Flessner and I talk about our own personal stories with basic facts - both as students and as teachers. Our stories are really different and represent the two kinds of teachers we encounter in schools - and I love that, because we both ended up coming to the same understanding of how we should teach basic facts in our classrooms despite having two really different stories. There was a massive thunderstorm rolling through during this recording so there were a few technical difficulties that I tried to edit out and fix, but I’m a real amateur, so stick with me here as we venture into the hot topic of how to TEACH basic fact fluency. What if your schools could simplify access, automate the work behind the scenes, and use real data to understand what’s actually happening across your digital learning environment? ClassLink brings Access, Automation, and Analytics together, helping school systems securely connect users, streamline account management and rostering, and turn technology usage data into insights that can guide smarter decisions and eliminate unnecessary tools. Visit ClassLink.com to learn more about how ClassLink can help your school system run smoother, work smarter, and get more value from your technology.

This is a long overdue recording with Kristen Acosta about thinking about and planning for intervention in our math classrooms. I got the idea to record this episode after the first time we chatted a few years ago, and we finally did. I cannot tell you how many important reflections and ideas there are in this episode regarding how we think about the purpose of intervention, how we assess students, how we plan, and the tools we use. If you are someone thinking deeply about math intervention - and I know there are many out there who are, this is an episode for you. Special thanks to Kristen for being patient as I finally got this episode out. We recorded this past SPRING on a stormy evening in Indiana - the power even went out once during the recording but Kristen stayed on the Zoom and we persevered until we were finished talking. So grab whatever you use to take notes - you’re bound to hear something interesting in the next 54 minutes! KristenAcosta.com What Works Clearinghouse - Teacher- Delivered Behavioral Interventions in Grades K-5 https://kristenacosta.com/ten-percent-increase-pt-1/ https://kristenacosta.com/ten-percent-increase-pt-2/

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! Ryan Flessner joins me in this episode to talk about our favorite tools for math class. We had no idea what each of us was going to say, so this was a really fun conversation! Links to as many things as we can below - nothing is sponsored and no discounts, but we wanted to show you what’s out there! If you choose to purchase, please find the best and cheapest way to do so! BUT, you may also find, after this episode, that some of the best tools are completely free! Strengthening Research-informed Decision Making for Mathematics Education Making Sense (1997) Hiebert et al. Pattern Blocks (EAI Link - not sponsored - BUT WE ARE HERE FOR IT, EAI) 21st Century Pattern Blocks - Math for Love Base Ten Blocks (EAI Link - still not sponsored) Rekenreks and Bead Strings (still not sponsored)

It’s been a minute, but there are MANY things going on. Good things - but MANY things. I think about episodes and topics for this podcast all the time because there are always good math and other things to talk about! I also have two episodes I still need to produce, so I’m sorry to my guests that those aren’t out yet. Trust that they’ll be very good!  BUT today’s episode is a breaking news episode because of the response my friend Erin Wahler Cleveland received on a post she made on LinkedIn. As SOON as I saw the post and started reading through the comments, I knew we needed to talk about it immediately. The link to the post is in the show notes, along with a blog post Erin wrote about the topic. I highly recommend checking both out and engaging in the conversation. Erin is a wealth of knowledge, always seeking to learn more, and has been incredibly thoughtful and reflective about this particular topic. I created this podcast as another avenue for folks to learn and take time to process what they’re learning, and I LOVE this conversation. I also love the conversation happening in the comments of Erin’s post. Bottom line: these are important conversations for all of us to have so we can continue getting better at the craft of teaching math. So thank you to Erin for jumping in and helping make this happen quickly, and I hope everyone enjoys our chat and leaves thinking about a little something! https://www.rootsandwingsmath.com/blog/whatsright https://www.linkedin.com/posts/erin-wahler-cleveland-564b3392_my-first-grader-brought-home-a-worksheet-share-7467285534986399745-VghW/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABO-rlwBsfart9wCuNqlZFyQhlfukaymkJQ Roots and Wings Math Educator Newsletter Deborah Schifter - What’s Right About Looking at What’s Wrong? Grading for Equity - Joe Feldman Building Thinking Classrooms - Website Debate Math Episode 49 - Is Math Ed Broken?

We’re trying a new podcast series called: Stories from the Field. This is where we highlight the work we are encountering in the field and share what we’re noticing, the conversations we can’t stop thinking about, and what it’s all teaching us about the teaching and learning of math - and of course, other things. In this episode, Ryan Flessner and I reflect on a quick story about how our daughter knew 3.01 was divisible by 7, and why it's important to give kids time to tinker with numbers. Next, I share the story about Super Smash Bros guy and my three encounters with him during this school year. I LOVE both of these stories and what we can learn from them. Enjoy the listen!

Today’s guest is Deborah Peart-Crayton. My apologies in advance (again!), but this is a longer episode because again, we are talking about things that are just so important for educators to know and every minute is well worth it! Deborah is a teacher, author, PhD candidate, and overall incredible contributor to the world of mathematics education. Her new book, Readers Read, Writers Write, Mathers Math is another MUST READ. In fact, Keep Indiana Learning and Mt. Holyoke’s Math Leadership program is co-hosting a book study starting on January 26. You can sign up at the link in the show notes - and join us for any and all of the sessions. If you can’t join us, the book study recordings will live on Keep Indiana Learning’s YouTube page. We want to support you in your learning on how to create an incredible culture of mathematics in your schools and classrooms!  This is my third episode around math identity, culture, and why math anxiety is a real thing in our classrooms. I cannot stress how important this part of math teaching is and Deborah, and her book, are crucial resources for our mathematics classrooms. My favorite quote from this episode is ​, "They’re capable if they're invested and they’re invested if they’re curious and interested.” So have a listen and find out HOW we can create invested, curious, and interested mathers in our classrooms! Places to find Deborah: www.mathersgonnamath.com Readers Read, Writers Write, Mathers Math! Mather Merch! Sign up for our Book Study! Deborah Peart Crayton is the founder and Queen Mather of My Mathematical Mind. She started the #MatherMovement to disrupt the idea that math is optional. Deborah is a sought-after keynote speaker and dynamic elementary education consultant. With over 30 years in the field of education, Deborah speaks on a variety of topics related to math identity, elementary math content and instructional practices, and literacy connections to mathematics. She has shared her message at the local, regional, and national levels at state, district, and community events, and educational conferences. Deborah is an expert at creating invitational and nurturing environments to cultivate positive mathematical identities, and has served in that capacity as a mentor and coach for elementary educators for over 20 years. She has had success with adapting instruction while maintaining grade-level expectations and possesses a deep knowledge of instructional practices and frameworks to engage all learners, including Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI), Math Recovery, the Orton-Gillingham Approach, and Mathematical Language Routines (MLR). Deborah holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communications and early childhood education, a master’s degree in educational studies with a concentration in literacy, graduate endorsements in elementary mathematics and teacher development, and is pursuing a doctorate degree in education program development and innovation. Her research interests are focused on the connections between math anxiety and math teaching efficacy and effective practices for developing high-quality professional learning. Deborah has dedicated her career and doctoral studies to supporting educators with innovative teaching strategies that allow students to see themselves as assets to the learning community and curious problem-solvers. Deborah believes that all children deserve high-quality instruction and the opportunity to become competent readers, writers, and mathers.

Today’s guest is Liesl McConchie. This is a little bit longer of an episode for two reasons. One, I couldn’t stop asking questions and making connections to my own evolution of teaching math and two, Liesl is simply amazing. She is a teacher, author, mom, international speaker, and who we should all be reading and listening to if we are thinking we need to transform the way we think about the teaching and learning of mathematics. If you need to, listen in sections, because this entire interview is well worth your time. If you are looking for people to learn from regarding brain research and mathematics, Liesl is who you should be learning from. While you may hear from people in the world who believe math is just about right answers and all you need to do is follow directions to find those right answers, Liesl will help you understand why math identity matters. If you find yourself questioning why one quote she says that really stands out is, “A student's emotional relationship with math is foundational to their cognitive relationship with math. You just can’t argue with that, folks. So sit back and relax. But maybe put your finger on the rewind button, because I promise, there are going to be things you hear that you want to make sure you heard just right. Places to find Liesl: https://lieslmcconchie.com/ Building a Positive Math Identity: A Brain Science Approach Brain-Based Learning: Teaching the Way Students Really Lear

Today’s guest is Vanessa Vakharia - also known as The Math Guru. She is the author of the book (and narrator of the audio book) Math Therapy, the host of the Math Therapy Podcast and overall badass advocate of building positive math identities in our students, the schools in which they learn, and society in general.  Something about Vanessa is that she is fiercely committed to what she is doing - even when it seems like people will do anything to try to bring her down or prove her wrong. Asked once why a pretty girl like her was teaching math, she clapped back by receiving a Masters Degree in Math Education and Feminist Theory writing a thesis called “Imagining a World Where Paris Hilton Loves Math.” The world where people believing they aren’t math people, it is acceptable to hate math and numbers, or folks  write movies where the pretty cheerleader is making over the nerdy math girl is an unacceptable world and Vanessa is here to combat that - no matter what. I am enormously grateful to Vanessa for the work she is doing in our schools. I am enormously grateful for the conversation and the opportunity to think about her work and how it applies to so many things in our lives (we talk about this in the episode!). So sit back, relax, and put your finger on the rewind button. I promise there are nuggets in here you’re going to want to listen to more than once! Places to find Vanessa: Instagram: @themathguru      www.maththerapy.com www.maththerapypodcast.com Math Therapy - the book

In this episode, Ryan Flessner joins me in welcoming Chris Luzniak and Rob Baier, hosts of the DebateMath podcast (and so much more) to talk about Hot Topics in Math Education. Although we recorded this over Labor Day weekend, I wanted to wait until before the annual NCSM/NCTM conferences to release as I thought the timing would be perfect for those attending and thinking about what sessions they might want to seek out to learn more - and the session choices are so good this year! Hot topics include, but are not limited to homework policies, grading, rethinking high school math, the Science of Math, and so much more. This is a long one, so I’m not going to say a lot of words here, but boy there are a lot of great hot topics and I found myself wanting to talk more and more about each one as I was editing! AND, even if you need to fast forward to the end, you’re going to want to hear what everyone says during the consolidation because these are some thoughtful math educators inspiring you with all their words throughout the whole episode, but I was so proud to know them while listening to the consolidation! So sit back and relax, but also get ready for your head to start spinning while thinking about these hot topics in math education! Places to find everyone: https://debatemath.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@debatemathpodcast4564 https://www.linkedin.com/company/debatmath-llc http://luzniak.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-luzniak-8613bbb6/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-baier-math/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-flessner-a08182a9/ Also check them out on X (formerly known as Twitter) and BlueSky!

Today, not but 3 days after I uploaded the last episode, I have pulled Ryan Flessner from dealing with the incredibly aggravating thistle in our front yard to discuss a breaking news item from a LinkedIN post I shared on Thursday. There is a lot of conversation happening in the comments and rather than respond to every single comment and risk being misunderstood or having a tone I actually do not have, I asked Ryan to record with me for a little bit to talk about some of the common themes we were seeing in the comments. It’s so important to me for all to know I am constantly thinking about this stuff and how to help teachers truly know how to work with students in the most impactful ways. I am not in your shoes. I am not on your journey. But I do want to offer all I can for educators to think about as they are on their own journey - that’s one reason why I resurrected this podcast. I do not have all the answers to all the things, and don’t plan on ever having them. Even when I think I’m right, I have a tiny voice in my head asking me, “Are you really? Have you thought this through enough? Is there more you should read or more people you should reach out to to ask questions?”  So before you start listening, pause and ask yourself, how would you solve 1,000 - 999? And then have a listen! Thanks for being here and thank you to Ryan for taking the time to think with me. Resources mentioned (but there are so many more!) Dump the Algorithms? Debate Math Podcast Episode 37 (or find wherever you listen to podcasts!)Developing Mathematical Reasoning: Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms by Pam Harris Developing Mathematical Reasoning: The Strategies, Models, and Lessons to Teach the Big Ideas in Grades K-2 (Pre-order)

Welcome back! I haven’t recorded since October of 2024 for a variety of reasons including but not limited to moving into the position of Director at Keep Indiana Learning, being fully immersed in work in schools and my own learning, continuing to battle getting my PhD completed,  and facilitating two teenagers in their final years of high school. It’s all been very busy, but I don’t have a single thing to complain about. Over the summer, I was immersed in my own professional learning, working with new school districts, planning some research projects, and having many conversations with school and district leaders about the math teaching they see and hear. There are just so many questions about what we should be doing in math class; so, I’m working on creating a math resource page on our KINL website and am bringing back the podcast to try to provide answers to the many questions I see, create some clarity around many misconceptions I hear about the teaching and learning of mathematics, and bust some myths. All in doing so, I want educators to feel inspired to go out and do the good work all our students need us to be doing. I asked my favorite thinking partner and colleague, Ryan Flessner to help kick off this new era of Math and Other Things, so hopefully you’ll learn a thing or two and enjoy!

In this episode Ryan Flessner and I recap our favorite math (and other things) moments of 2023. We talk about people who inspired us, products that inspired us, and it was a lovely time to sit and reflect about our year and realize how incredibly grateful we are to do the work we do and continue to learn side by side with so many different educators. It was a really good year. Tons of math and tons of other things in this jam packed episode! Special thank you to all those listed below who contributed to our incredible year! @KristenMAcosta @gfletchy @drnickimath @lynseymathed @TracyZager @ZanerBloser @JLMillerIC @MakeMathMoments @Mr.Orr_geek @MathletePearce @4ryandent @CFLM_math @rickwormeli2 @fawnpnguyen @TammyMcMorrow @pgliljedahl @SteveWyborney @PiBaker18 @KnappMelinda @MandyMathEd @SueO’ConnellMath @JBayWilliams @MagmaMath  @MagmaMathLeslie @CELLuindy @EducateIN @ButlerCOE @LauraandKarina @bscribb @mccainm @CloverParkSD @MathEdLeaders @NCTM @IndianaCTM @pwharris

In this episode, I interview Laura Tomas, an instructional coach from south Florida who I originally met at the Building Thinking Classrooms Conference in June 2023. Laura was one of the facilitators and a volunteer at the conference.  She’s been in education for 32 years and simply embraces all she can about the teaching and learning of mathematics and talks to anyone she can to learn more. Her podcast, Learning Through Math  is a favorite of mine to listen to. She and her co-host, Karina, interview guests and host a virtual book club. Even after 32 years, Laura realizes she still has so much to learn and jumps at the opportunity to do so. This episode is a little bit more about the other things in the teaching and learning of mathematics. She tells me three things that stood out to her from the NCTM and NCSM conferences in Washington D.C. this fall, and we talk about how we,  as instructional leaders, better understand our roles as coaches and consultants and how we transfer what we learn at conferences to the schools and classrooms for which we are serving. Laura does an awesome job at summarizing her three standout sessions and thinking hard about three specific takeaways from those sessions. We talk about how we are both still learning (or should I say re-learning) math, the importance of developing math identity of ourselves and our students, the fact it is ok to change your answer, the fact we can relate all things math to Ted Lasso, Friends, and Seinfeld, and so much more. Ted Lasso dart scene @_CrystalMWatson @LBrookePowers @MakeMathMoments @JohnSanGiovanni @mathcoachrivera @JBayWilliams @joboaler @SkipFennell

Show Notes: Live in Washington D.C. where I’m so lucky to have Brendan Scribner joining me for a recap of the first 1.25 days of NCSM 2023.  NCSM stands for National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and you can find everything about them at https://www.mathedleadership.org/. This is an organization that is committed to understanding the role of math leaders, finding ways to connect those who guide teachers through the teaching of mathematics, and this conference is one that I try really hard not to ever miss. This is Brendan’s first NCSM, and he has a lot of thoughtful insight for someone who has just begun providing professional development for teachers, and I enjoyed hearing his take and reflecting on my takeaways, as one who has been working with teachers, coaches, and administrators for several years, while listening to him.  The math in this episode is limited - really we tried to reason why NCTM does not offer lunch options but NCSM does and that has to be because of size. But let’s face it, we are talking about math all the time. Tiles in the bathroom in the shape of a cool parallelogram? We’re talking about it! The other things are thinking about how we are preparing coaches beyond training in formal coaching models (e.g. Jim Knight), what it means to humanize mathematics and teachers of mathematics, planning meaningful professional development, thinking about how we can connect how kids learn and what kids need to be successful to how teachers learn and what teachers need to be successful, and so much more! @bscribb @dh11235 @lynseymathed @ryanflessner  @mccainm @MandyMathEd @LieslMcconchie

Live in Washington D.C. where I’m so lucky to have Brendan Scribner, Melisa McCain, and Ryan Flessner joining me to talk about what we are learning, what’s standing out, what we’re thinking about, and all the things math and the teaching and learning of math. We talk about all the people who are inspiring us, do some very rough draft math, and have a lot of laughs.  The math in this episode is figuring out how long we’ve been at NCTM (hence the title). This is classic rough draft math that includes complex fractions, number lines, unitizing and all the things. The other things are thinking about who the instructional leaders are, what exactly is research, the role of a math specialist, positioning yourself as a learner EVEN when you are the presenter, and so much more! Enjoy! @mccain  @bscribb @MandyMathEd @TimBrzezinski @SteveWyborney @pgliljedahl @themathguru @maththerapy @PiBaker18 @KnappMelinda @Jeffharker314 @mathgeek76 @jennalaib @kassiaowedekind @JLMillerIC @SkipFennell