Transform Math Class into a Community of Problem Solvers
Some conversations stay with you long after you hit “stop recording.”My chat with Deborah Peart Crayton is one of those. This episode of Math Chat is really a conversation about math identity for teachers and the powerful idea that you don’t have to be a mathematician to belong in math. You don’t have to love […]
(and why this question might be holding learning back) What if students don’t know the math yet? That question shows up quietly, but persistently, in classrooms. It surfaces right before a lesson begins. You’re holding the task. You’re scanning the room. You’re thinking about the students who struggle, the ones who shut down quickly, the […]
Questions to Ask in Math Class to Get Students Thinking (And why talking less matters more than we realize) If you have ever wondered which questions to ask in math class to get students thinking, you are not alone. Most teachers I work with are not trying to control the room or rush through the […]
At some point, every math teacher asks this question: What should students actually be doing, saying, and thinking in math class? Not what the lesson plan says, the pacing guide demands or what the test will eventually assess. But rather, what students should be doing with their hands, what they should be saying out loud […]
Why We Use Multiplication Problems in Kindergarten and First Grade There’s a quiet moment that happens in a lot of K–1 classrooms. A student looks at a problem with groups. Bags, shelves, pairs. And they start counting in ways that feel a little “ahead.” Not wrong. Just unexpected. And immediately, the adult brain kicks in. […]
How to Support Students Who Struggle in Math There’s a moment in every classroom that still makes my shoulders tense. A student pauses.Their pencil hovers.They look up at you… not for an answer, but for permission. You planned carefully. You anticipated misconceptions. You broke the work down in ways that felt supportive and responsible. And […]
Why Word Problem Workshop in Kindergarten Matters More Than Ever I’ll start with a confession: I’ve never taught kindergarten. And honestly? I don’t think I could. Kindergarten teachers bring superhuman levels of patience, compassion, and organizational magic. They’re teaching kids how to be at school while supporting families at the same time. But I do […]
Let’s Just See What They Can Do If you’ve ever stood next to a teacher holding a word problem like it might burst into flames, you know this moment: “My kids can’t do this yet… the numbers are too big… they don’t regroup…” I hear this all the time, and honestly, I get it. When […]
