The Mindful Math Podcast
How can I find time for myself as a math teacher or math coach? What does equitable instruction entail, and what mindsets, opportunities, strategies, and outcomes are necessary to achieve it? How can I teach in a way that reaches all students, including students who enter my class with a lot of unfinished learning? What are the most effective ways to increase access to grade-level math and help ‘bridge the gap’? Welcome to The Mindful Math Podcast where we will answer ALL of these questions and so much more! Week by week, host Chrissy Allison brings you the mindset tips, inst...
71 - Case Study: How One Chicago School Made Dramatic Gains In One Year - with Winnie Stevenson
Listen in to hear about my work with a K-8 elementary school in Chicago over the course of the 22-23 school year. Hear what it took to roll out a new curriculum successfully and increase math discourse in daily lessons / across the school.
70 - Why We Love "Building Thinking Classrooms" - with Tom Redmon
69 - 3 Math Improvement Mistakes You Don't Want to Make
Listen in to the recording of my latest and greatest free webinar: Math Improvement Mistakes You Don't Want to Make where I share 3 math improvement strategies that commonly fail and 3 alternatives to help you succeed.
This content is even better with the visuals! Get immediate access to this killer trainings here: 3 Math Improvement Mistakes You Don't Want to Make
68 - Just *Right* Leadership
67 - What Math Rigor Is -- And What It's Not
In this episode, Chrissy brings clarity to the elusive idea of Math Rigor, explaining what it is and dispelling common misunderstandings about what it’s NOT. Using non-math examples from our day-to-day lives, such as learning to ride a bike or tie your shoes, Chrissy illustrates how the nature of a skill or task influences our instructional approach as parents – and how that connects to math rigor. Listen to better understand the 3 aspects that comprise mathematical rigor and how they work together to prepare students for their futures, no matter what path they choose. Teachers, coaches, and instructional leaders will...
66 - What To Do When You’re Behind On Pacing
When was the last time you looked at your pacing guide? Did your stomach drop when you saw where you were “supposed” to be – and then compared that to where you actually ARE? I know, I know. You’ve been heads down teaching your students, taking it one day at a time, and moving on to the next lesson *only* when your students were ready. But as the end of the year draws closer, it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore the fact that you’re running out of time. You’re coming to terms with the reality that if you co...
65 - Balancing It All As A Busy Educator - with Sauda Porter
Sauda Porter is a master of time management. She’s a mom of 3, works full time, runs an online business – and yet she STILL finds time for dates with her husband, daily exercise, and 1-on-1 time with her daughters. (WHAT?!?!? Who IS this time magician?) Knowing how busy our lives are as teachers, coaches, and administrators, I brought Sauda onto the podcast to share her wisdom + systems and time hacks with us. Wish you had more strategies to prioritize personal relationships and carve out time for self care? I’ve got ‘em for you inside this episode – so hit play now.<...
64 - Real Life Problems Of Practice (from my mentorship clients)
How do your values influence your coaching style? In this episode, Chrissy shares her biggest values when it comes to supporting math coaches, school leaders, and district specialists – PLUS real-life examples of how they show up in 1-to-1 coaching conversations. Hear 3 problems of practice from Chrissy’s ACTUAL mentorship clients, along with her responses, insights, and suggestions. Curious about the work happening behind-the-scenes of Mindful Math Coach? Click play and start listening now.
Mindful Math Coach Website: www.mindfulmathcoach.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmathcoach/
LinkedIn: http...
63 - Preventing & Overcoming Math Trauma - with Dr. Kim Melgar
In this episode, Chrissy interviews Dr. Kim Melgar, department chair for mathematics at the Relay Graduate School of Education, to discuss two related topics – math trauma and math identity. Dr. Kim is on a mission to help educators first reflect on their own math experiences and then empower them to replace math trauma with positive math identities. Hear examples of traumatic math events and how they negatively impact students. Plus, gain insight into how you can stop math trauma and create students who see themselves as mathematicians – even if you experienced math trauma yourself.
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62 - The Biggest Barriers To Teacher Growth
Despite our best efforts as leaders, sometimes we don’t see the kind of change in teacher practice that we set out to achieve. Perhaps you’ve been coaching your heart out or spending late nights designing the most epic PDs, yet you STILL walk into classrooms and observe the same instructional practices you’ve been trying to shift. What’s going on? Why the lack of progress? In this episode, I’m sharing 3 common mistakes you may be making that keeps teacher growth stagnant.
Episode Show Notes: https://www.mindfulmathcoach.com/episode62
Br...
61 - New In Your Role? Two Things You Need
You deserve support. It’s as simple as that. Whether you’re a teacher or leader, new to your role or not, you should not have to go it alone! Listen in to this episode and hear two game-changing relationships you’ll want to get lined up for next year. Give yourself the gift of support so you can be at your best and go further faster – TOGETHER. I guarantee that having these two things in place will help you feel good and find even more success in your day to day work!
SURVEY LINK: Interested in joinin...
60 - 3 Things You (Probably) Don't Need To Improve Math Instruction At Your School
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to witness school improvement efforts in schools and districts across our country. Some have led to improved instructional practices and student growth, while others have made little (or no) impact. In this episode I’m sharing three common initiatives that by and large do NOT move the needle with student achievement (or teacher effectiveness) – and three that absolutely DO. Be forewarned… I’m not mincing words in this episode! Instead, I’m sharing my unfiltered viewpoint, based on 20 years working in math education.
Streamline Your Math Strategy: https://sym...
59 - A Conversation Around High School Math - with Barbara Beske
I’ve scoured the internet, and I know for a fact that there are WAY more resources for K-8 math teachers than for secondary. So, high school teachers – this one’s for you! If you’ve ever wondered what strong math instruction at the high school level entails or what *exactly* the mathematical modeling process looks like, you’re in the right place. In today’s episode, math consultant Barbara Beske, shares guidance, tips, and advice to help teachers develop true mathematicians in their classrooms. She also sheds light on the interplay between the instructional shifts of FOCUS and COHERENCE in...
58 - Pushing Past Perfectionism - with Lisa Westholder
Embracing mistakes isn’t just for students; we must adopt a growth mindset (ourselves!) in order to model mathematical mindsets for students. That’s the focus of this conversation between two recovering perfectionists, myself and experienced middle school math teacher, Lisa Westholder. Learn how perfectionism shows up in Lisa’s day to day as an educator and why she’s focused on “perfecting” not being perfect – anymore. Finally, hear changes Lisa’s making to prioritize her wellbeing, while remaining committed to her ultimate goal of positively impacting students.
Episode Show Notes: https://www.mindfulmathcoach.com/episode58...
57 - Behind The Scenes Of My Bridge To Grade-Level Math Series
Want to know a secret? I recorded this episode way back in November 2020 when I first decided to package my biggest tips and best tools on the topic of Unfinished Learning and share them with secondary math educators. I’d just overcome a challenging season in my business with the help of a coach and community of peers. That transformational experience provided a vision for the Bridge to Grade-Level Math Workshop Series – specifically how to create a multi-faceted program for secondary math educators, coaches, and leaders online. Learn why I waited until now to launch the founding cohort and how...
56 - Preventing Teacher Burnout - with Tim Schwarz
Did you know that between 40% and 50% of teachers leave the classroom within their first 5 years? Is this inevitable, or is there a way to prevent teacher burnout? Tim Schwarz, founder of Sustain Teachers, helps both teachers and leaders find the answer to the question, “What would it look like and feel like to work at your school in the exact role you have now but not feel stressed and tired?” You don’t need to quit teaching or work 60+ hours a week to be an effective educator and serve your students whole-heartedly. This episode is perfect if you are a: (1...
55 - Designing Curriculum That Supports Culturally Responsive Pedagogy - with Dionne Aminata
Culturally responsive teaching is a hot topic in education these days… but maybe the concept is still a little fuzzy to you. (Raising my hand over here!) That’s exactly the reason I invited Dionne Aminata, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Illustrative Mathematics (IM), to break it all down for us in this episode. Dionne was a lead author on the Illustrative Mathematics K-5 curriculum Writing team, and in that role she led the team to deliberately design materials to support culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy. Listen to hear the 3 specific design choices they made and examples of each. This...
54 - Teaching With Humanity & Dignifying Students - with Jessica Marshall
If you are a white educator working with students of color, this episode is a must-listen. I only WISH it existed 20 years ago when I entered the classroom! In the episode, Jessica Marshall, a Ph.D. student at Northwestern University makes a compelling case for why teachers should spend more time getting to know students’ WHOLE selves – and less time trying to control or “fix” them. Listen to hear how Jessica’s personal experiences growing up in Chicago, coupled with 12 years as an educator, has led her to seek answers to how we can better attend to issues of race and eq...
53 - Sparking Curiosity & Fueling Sense-Making - with Jon Orr and Kyle Pearce
Ever wish your students were better problem solvers? My guests on this episode of podcast, Jon Orr and Kyle Pearce, wanted the same thing for their own math students. They realized their current instructional practices were preventing students from becoming more resilient problem solvers, so they made a significant change to their teaching methods. When they decided to stop spoon-feeding math to their students, and (instead) to focus on designing lessons that spark curiosity and fuel sense-making – everything changed. Now their students have “math epiphanies” on the regular, and they create opportunities for every student’s voice to be heard, a...
52 - Embracing a Pedagogy of Love - with Dr. Kimya Barden
Ever feel like the parents of your students don’t like math? Or had a negative experience as a student in math class? If so, they may be unintentionally passing their OWN math anxiety along to their KIDS. That was the case with podcast guest, Dr. Kimya Barden. But after making a few missteps with her first child, Dr. Barden made the conscious choice to change her language while supporting her youngest three kids with math. Now she wants to make sure other parents don't make the same mistake, and she has some great ideas about how teachers can he...
51 - Navigating Your Way Out Of The Drama Triangle - with Maggie Riley
In this episode, Maggie Riley explains the meaning of “drama consciousness,” how it commonly shows up in schools, and what we can do to navigate our way out of it. If your thoughts ever spiral downward, or if you work in a culture of complaining, this episode’s for you! It’s possible to find connection, healing, and growth in the hard moments – but we need support and a balance of compassion and accountability. Listen in to hear what collective drama consciousness can sound like in school teams and communities and why it’s so problematic for educators.
Episode...
50 - Switching Math Curricula: When, Why, & How - with Leanna Lantz
Is your school or district thinking about rolling out a new math curriculum? Or perhaps you adopted one this year, and it’s not going as smoothly as you had hoped? You’re in good company because today’s guest, Leanna Lantz, has been there. She describes her first round of curriculum implementation as “a dismal failure.” But luckily she reflected on that experience and is sharing her biggest lessons learned from those mistakes in this episode. Listen in to hear some of the promising practices she uses now to invest key stakeholders in the process to ensure all students h...
49 - Let’s Make Math Minimalism A Thing
There’s a reason that our society has embraced “minimalism” more and more in recent years. It’s a simple and appealing idea, and it yields greater clarity and joy for people who have adopted it in their lives. In this episode, I’m applying this less-is-more concept to math teaching and learning. Listen in to hear five areas you can apply “minimalism” in your classroom or school to decrease overwhelm while increasing focus, impact, and joy.
Episode Show Notes: https://www.mindfulmathcoach.com/episode49
Streamline Your Math Strategy: https://symmetrycircles.com/streamline-ord...
Bonus New Years Episode - My 2021 Takeaways
In this bonus New Year’s Episode, I'm sharing three of my biggest reflections from the past twelve months. 2021 was our second year of the pandemic – AND my second year building Mindful Math Coach. Both experiences taught me a lot! Listen in to hear 3 takeaways I have from 2021 and how I'm taking those lessons with me into 2022.
Website: www.mindfulmathcoach.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmathcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mindful123Coach
2022 Support for Math Educators, Coaches & Leaders
Listen in to hear an overview of the Mindful Math Coach programs, services, and professional development opportunities available to math educators, coaches, and leaders in 2022. From low-priced, on-demand workshops to ongoing, high-touch coaching, there's something for everyone working to improve math teaching and learning. Click play for this quick rundown of 2022 support opportunities.
Website: www.mindfulmathcoach.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmathcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mindful123Coach
Welcome to The Mindful Math Podcast with Chrissy Allison
Welcome to The Mindful Math Podcast! Listen in to hear what this podcast is all about and how it can help YOU as a math educator or coach.
Website: www.mindfulmathcoach.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmathcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mindful123Coach
48 - Ditch I Do, We Do, You Do As Your Go-To - with Tom McDougal
Lesson study and problem-based learning have gained national attention over the past several years as promising solutions to American students’ lagging achievement in math. In this episode, you’ll hear from Tom McDougal, who’s at the heart of this work as the leader of Chicago’s renowned Lesson Study Alliance. Through his years of organizing public lessons and leading teachers through analysis of what did and didn’t work, he’s become an advocate of letting students do the real thinking in lessons - and he’ll show you how to do it. For more information, and to access...
Bonus Episode 4 - What It Looks Like To Make A Hard Edit
In this episode, Chrissy explains why she is making a hard edit in her business right now and how you can apply this idea to to your role in your school or district.
Website: www.mindfulmathcoach.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmathcoach/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mindful123Coach
47 - No Silver Bullets, But These 3 Things Make A Difference
When students enter our math classrooms several years behind, we tend to see THAT as the challenge that needs to be solved. However, in many schools, the question of how to catch kids up is ever present and something that needs to be addressed year after year after year. When more than 30% of your students need math intervention and Tier 2 and 3 support, unfinished learning isn't the root of the problem -- but rather a symptom of bigger issues your school team faces. Click play to hear how I helped teachers at my school narrow the opportunity gap and 3 areas y...
46 - Tackling The Tricky Topic Of Math Intervention - with Astrid Fossum
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to partner with Astrid Fossum, Senior Math Specialist at Student Achievement Partners, on a topic we’re both passionate about -- catching kids up in math. We were motivated to help middle and high school math teachers find practical and effective solutions to a challenge they face every day in the classroom: what to do when students have significant unfinished learning from previous grades. Based on our individual experiences, conversations with math teachers, and countless classroom observations, we knew teachers and leaders were seeking guidance about best-practices related to math interventions. Listen in...
45 - The Greatest Challenges Math Teachers Face - guest host Nathan Vann
Today, we’re flipping it around and switching it up. Instead of being the interview-er like I normally am, in this episode I’m the interview-ee. Several months ago, Nathan Vann, host of The Teacher’s Morning Prep Podcast, invited me to be a guest on his show -- and he’s agreed to share that episode with you here, on the Mindful Math Podcast. We discussed a variety of topics, and one overarching theme was the unique challenges math teachers face -- and what we can do about them. Whether you’ve already transitioned back to in-person learning, or if you’...
44 - The Art & Science Of Leadership - with Dr. Keonna White
Dr. Keonna White is a leader who walks the walk. She brings her whole self to her work, and her passion, authenticity, and vulnerability shine through. She tells it like it is while showing compassion and supporting others to be their best. In this episode, Dr. White explains what leadership at all levels looks like and how to use data, questions, and candid conversations to help members of your school community to see a different perspective. Listen in to hear how to tap into teachers’ strengths, leverage the power of the collective, and “keep it tight and keep it loos...
43 - Using Visual Patterns for Sense-Making - with Fawn Nguyen
Fawn Nguyen LOVES teaching with visual patterns - and, after hearing why, you will too. She shares hundreds of them on her website, visualpatterns.org for FREE! As an experienced educator and veteran middle school teacher, she’s spent years finely honing the craft of using this warm up routine to help students make sense of math. In this episode, Fawn explains how there’s so much more to patterns than input-output tables, including seeing structure, algebraic thinking, and the opportunity to engage in mathematical modeling. Students receive rich benefits when teachers incorporate them in math lessons all year long...
42 - Putting Students In The Driver’s Seat - with Karla Morris
We all WANT our students doing the heavy thinking during math lessons… so why is it so hard to IMPLEMENT? How can we stop “teacher-splaining” and instead, provide opportunities for our students to problem solve, ask and answer questions, and explore concepts? In this episode, Math and Science Instructional Coach, Karla Morris, shares two obstacles teachers face as they work to engage students in deep learning. Listen in to hear what it means to shift the cognitive lift to students and the four phases teachers can work through to make it happen. For more information, and to access...
41 - 5 Reasons To Know & Love Your Strengths
In recent years, educators have worked to replace deficit-based thinking with a more asset-based approach -- as it relates to students. But have we given the same attention to using a strengths-based approach with adults in the building? In this episode, I’m sharing how knowing and using your innate gifts can help you be at your best, improve interpersonal relationships, and find more joy and ease in your work. Listen in to hear 5 benefits you’ll gain from identifying your strengths (and others’ strengths) and leaning into them in your work. Whether you’re a teacher, coach, or school l...
40 - Redefining Mathematical Success - with Rolanda Baldwin
We’re all familiar with the terms “culturally relevant instruction” and “culturally responsive teaching,” -- but what does it REALLY entail? In this episode, Rolanda Baldwin, Vice President of Mathematics at UnboundEd, unpacks the idea, orienting teachers to four essential components they can use to create meaningful learning experiences that honor all students in the math classroom. Listen in to hear why talking about standards isn’t enough to change disparate outcomes and how aligned curricula can serve as a springboard for strong teaching and learning. For more information, and to access show notes and related resource links for this episode...
39 - Focus + Progress = Momentum + Success
As important and ambitious as their goals for student achievement might be, many schools struggle to make effective progress on them. Listen in to learn a 4-step process you can use to separate the factors that actually drive instructional change from those that merely measure it. Then, create an accountability structure to ensure follow-through, build momentum, and celebrate wins on the way to achieving your goal. For more information, and to access show notes and related resource links for this episode, go to www.mindfulmathcoach.com/episode39
Website: www.mindfulmathcoach.com<...
38 - Lessons Learned In Classroom Management - with Nathan Vann
Is your classroom management style leading to the outcomes you’d hope for, or is it getting in the way? Nathan Vann tells the story of his hard-won lessons from his early years in the classroom, including tips for building strong relationships with students and modeling the behaviors you’d like to see. He reflects on how un-learning his “white savior” mentality helped him better support his students and fully understand their gifts. For more information, and to access show notes and related resource links for this episode, go to www.mindfulmathcoach.com/episode38
Websit...
37 - The Emotional Side Of Academic Struggle
Long before everyone’s attention suddenly turned to learning loss this year, Chrissy worked for years on pioneering approaches to address multi-year gaps in math understanding within the context of grade-level work. Now, she’s distilled what she’s learned into a powerful yet simple 5-step process that any educator can use tomorrow. And, she shares how her potty-training journey with her son showed her the importance of stepping into students’ shoes to understand what their blockers might be - what feels discouraging and demotivating to them - and address them with compassion. For more information, and to access show not...
36 - Conscious Math Practices That Promote Equity - with Megan Morin
In Episode 30, Adrienne Williams described the pillars of white supremacy culture and how they present themselves in schools. In this episode, Math Specialist, Megan Morin, builds on that conversation by sharing how the pillars show up specifically in mathematics teaching and learning -- and how consciousness is necessary to achieve equity in math class. Whether you are a teacher, coach, or school leader, this one’s a can’t-miss. For more information, and to access show notes and related resource links for this episode, go to www.mindfulmathcoach.com/episode36
Website: www.mind...
