Transform Math Class into a Community of Problem Solvers
Let’s build problem solvers, not calculators. Word Problem Workshop book coming October 2025
Are you choosing a math curriculum for your school next year? Whether you’re mid-process or just starting out, this episode of Math Chat is your guide to making smarter curriculum decisions that truly support teachers and students. Join Mona as she breaks down three common mistakes schools make during curriculum selection—and how to avoid them. […]
Ever feel like your students don’t have number sense? In this episode, we’re unpacking number sense with our guest, Christina Tondevold. Let’s dig in—it’s about to get good. 🎙️ Episode Overview In this episode, Christina dives into Number Sense. You’ll learn: …so you can feel confident in teaching number sense to your students. Whether you’re a […]
We’ve all said it: “They just can’t do it… yet.”But what if that tiny word is quietly lowering the bar? In this episode, Mona shares her 🔥hot take and breaks down why “yet” isn’t always as empowering as we think and how it can unintentionally mask low expectations. You’ll hear stories from Mona’s own classroom, what […]
Today’s episode is all about counting—but not just any kind of counting. We’re diving deep into how kids think about numbers, quantity, and patterns… and we’ve got the perfect guest to guide us. I’m thrilled to welcome Christopher Danielson to the show. If you’ve ever stumbled across Which One Doesn’t Belong or How Many?, you already know Christopher’s work gets […]
Introduction Welcome back to Math Chat! Today, we’re diving into a tough but important topic: Why are we so afraid to give kids hard math problems? If we’re being honest, it can feel uncomfortable to watch students struggle. We want them to feel successful, and sometimes it’s tempting to step in and help too soon. […]
Introduction Today, we’re talking about 5 quick math talk strategies that will spark math conversations and increase engagement! As math teachers, we often feel like we’re talking at our students. As you know it is easy to fall into the cycle of telling students what to do and how to do it in math. But, deep down […]
Introduction: In today’s episode, we’re talking about comparison problems: what they are, why they’re tricky, and how we can help students build strategies to solve them. We’re gonna start today’s episode with a problem. Omar made 22 baskets during practice. He made 9 more baskets than Eli. How many baskets did Eli make? This is […]
Introduction Today, we’re talking about productive struggle—why it’s a game-changer for math classrooms and how to make it happen without letting kids flounder. Imagine a student looking at you, frustrated, saying, ‘I don’t get it.’ It’s tempting to step in and rescue them, right? What is Productive Struggle? Productive struggle happens when students work through […]
