✏️ Feeling Burnt Out from Planning Five Versions of the Same Lesson?
If you’re trying to reach every student by creating multiple versions of your math lesson—this episode is for you. Host Mona Iehl, math coach and creator of Word Problem Workshop, shows you how to differentiate effectively without doubling your workload. The secret? One well-chosen, open-ended problem—and the right mindset to support it.
👋 Meet Mona: Math Coach and Word Problem Advocate
With years of classroom experience and a passion for helping teachers shift toward student-centered math instruction, Mona is here to support your math block transformation. Through Word Problem Workshop, she helps teachers turn one problem into a powerful learning experience for every student—without creating five different worksheets.
📚 If you’re looking for ways to simplify your planning and maximize student engagement, you’re in the right place.
🧩 What Differentiation in Math Really Means
Many of us grew up believing that differentiation meant creating different work for different learners—and then spent hours doing just that. But Mona breaks down a more effective approach: planning for variation, not perfection. Differentiation happens when we vary the content, process, product, or learning environment—not when we run ourselves ragged with busywork.
🧠 Content, Process, Product, and Environment: A Fresh Framework
Let’s get specific. Mona walks you through the four core elements of differentiated instruction in math:
- Content: Vary numbers or contexts within the same task
- Process: Offer choices—tools, strategies, partners
- Product: Let students show thinking in multiple ways
- Environment: Build spaces that support focus and risk-taking
Whether it’s offering manipulatives, flexible seating, or celebration of “messy” math, these strategies help all learners thrive.
🎯 Why Differentiation in Math Matters
Differentiation isn’t just about helping struggling students—it’s about unlocking success and joy for every learner. Mona explores the “why” behind this work, reminding us that student identity, confidence, and agency are built when we meet kids where they are. Drawing from Carol Ann Tomlinson’s work, she frames differentiation as a mindset—not a checklist.
🔧 How to Differentiate—Without the Overwhelm
Mona shares three concrete steps to make differentiation part of your everyday instruction—no color-coded folders required:
1️⃣ Plan for an Open Task
Choose a rich word problem with multiple entry points. Forecast student strategies and plan supports in advance.
2️⃣ Make Manipulatives Available
Create space for students to choose tools that support their problem-solving—building both math understanding and self-advocacy.
3️⃣ Conferring During Grapple Time
Use real-time conversations to support, extend, and assess student thinking. (Want specific questions to ask? Check out Episode 150!)
🛑 Stop Creating 5 Lessons. Start Creating Entry Points.
The next time you’re tempted to make five different versions of your math lesson—pause. With one thoughtfully selected problem and the right supports, you can differentiate without doubling your workload. Mona’s approach helps every student enter the work at their level—and grow together.
🎉 Ready to take the next step? Word Problem Workshop is here to support you—whether through the self-paced course or the upcoming book (releasing October 2025).
📚 Learn more and enroll: monamath.com/wpwteacher
🎧 Listen, Subscribe, and Simplify Your Math Block
✅ Listen to the full episode to discover a better way to differentiate in math
✅ Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a strategy
✅ Leave a review to help more educators build flexible, inclusive math classrooms
Until next time, remember: one problem is all you need—when you teach it with purpose. Your students are ready. And so are you.
