Today we speak with University Professor, author and former Making Math Moments That Matter Online Workshop participant, Elana Reise. Elana joins us today to chat about how we can leverage curiosity to engage students in solving abstract mathematics – in particular, mathematical proofs!

Join us for a great conversation with Elana where we discuss her initial hesitation to get into mathematics education and where it has taken her to advocate for the inclusion of a course on mathematical proofs which has now grown to be a compulsory credit for all math students!

Today we speak with Sarah Stecher from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Sarah has experience teaching courses from Geometry all the way through to AP Calculus in the most diverse public high school in Michigan. She is now the chief lesson designer at Math Medic, a website that provides free lesson plans for teachers, covering the entire high school math curriculum.

The discussion today will focus around the teaching model developed for Math Medic — Experience First, Formalize Later (or EFFL for short!). In this teaching model, students interact in small groups on an activity before the teachers formalize the learning with a whole group discussion. Sarah has found that this teaching model promotes curiosity and engagement, opens up access to a wider variety of students, and produces confident learners capable of flexible thinking.

In this episode, we’re eager to dive into a discussion about the beginning of each and every math class… you got it: Warm-Ups!

Stick around and you’ll hear how the Math Moment Maker Community defines and implements warm-ups, why different approaches to implementing warm-ups can be helpful and how you can be a little more choosy with your next math class warm-up in this jam packed episode.

In this “where are they now” episode, we speak with Caitlyn Sloan, a high school math teacher from Georgia is back to update us on how she has managed since sharing struggles to bring a problem based approach to her support students.

After sharing the changes she’s made in her approach, we then dig into her most recent focus for her math classroom: communication. How can we emphasize communication so we can build 21st century mathematicians? Listen in to hear some of the ideas and strategies!

This is another Math Mentoring Moment episode where we talk with a member of the Math Moment Maker Community who is working through problems of practice and together we brainstorm possible next steps and strategies to overcome them.

In this episode, Kyle & Jon address a few common misconceptions from the Math Moment Maker community around teaching problem-based lessons and units. 

Stick around and you’ll hear how to find the right balance between what students know and what they need to learn in your lesson; when we should be assessing for learning; how to consolidate a problem-based lesson; and how to manage the flow of the class when some students complete work quicker than others. 

Today you’ll hear from Yvette Lehman, an elementary educator from Windsor, Ontario. Yvette is a Primary and Junior Division Teacher Consultant for the Greater Essex County Board of Education and if the name seems familiar then you’re right, we have referenced Yvette’s work numerous times here on the podcast as she’s also a colleague of Kyle’s and a fantastic part of the Make Math Moments curriculum writing team!

During this session from the 2021 Make Math Moments Virtual Summit, you’ll hear about Yvette’s early experiences and struggles with mathematics which inspired her to dive deep into key elementary concepts to better conceptualize what was once only introduced to her procedurally. In particular, you’ll be taken on a journey through division from early fair sharing to proportional reasoning and solving two-step algebraic equations using context, strategies and models.

Today we speak with Janelle Fortmuller, a grade 5/6 teacher from Alberta. Janelle shares insights, key learnings she had around lesson design and planning in her math class. 

Janelle shares her transformation from a teacher who pre-taught all the strategies and algorithms to a confident, flexible teacher who engages her students in problem solving every day. 

This is another Math Mentoring Moment episode where we talk with a member of the Math Moment Maker Community who is working through problems of practice and together we brainstorm possible next steps and strategies to overcome them. 

Today the tables have turned! In this episode Jon & Kyle switch over to the other side of the interview and are put on the hot seat!

Jess Michalchuk, a Grade 7 educator from Foam Lake, Saskatchewan working towards a Masters of Education, interviews Jon & Kyle about memorable math moments from their teaching experience, their thoughts on leadership and innovation in mathematics and much more!

Stick around and you’ll hear stories from Kyle and Jon’s classrooms, how they got started on changing their pedagogy, and what it means to become a math moment maker.

In this compilation episode of the podcast in honour of Black History Month, Kyle & Jon highlight six educators of colour that have had a significant impact on their pedagogical practices as they continue their journey to craft a more culturally responsive classroom experience for all students.

You’ll hear from Rafranz Davis speak about diversity, Lauren Baucom’s passion towards de-tracking; Mindfulness and identity in the classroom from Christina Lincoln-Moore; the importance of catalyzing change from Robert Q. Berry; Kris Childs shares insights on access and equity in task selection; and, Jose Vilson’s ideas on the importance of teacher voice in the education system.

In this episode, Kyle and Jon speak with James Tanton, Mathematician-at-Large for the Mathematical Association of America and Founder of the Global Math Project and Ted Coe, NWEA’s Director of Content Advocacy and Design.

James and Ted hop on the show today to dig into the collective work of a group of mathematics education leaders involving one of the most important yet misunderstood concepts in mathematics: Proportional Relationships.

Stick around as we dig into ideas around proportionality and what we can do to help declutter this crucial middle school math concept.