The Mindful Math Podcast

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.

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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...

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.

Streamline Your Math Strategy: https://symmetrycircles.com/streamline-orderform

Mindful Math Coach Website: www.mindfulmathcoach.com

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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.

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.

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...

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.

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 a...

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...

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’...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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

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...

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

Rashaan Davis and his colleagues have turned their high school into a place where students of color see advocates no matter where they turn on campus. In this episode, he explains how he structured the careful, reflective, and ongoing equity work that has led to this transformation. Listen to learn how to experience school through a student’s eyes -- and how to address the inequities that matter most to them. For more information, and to access show notes and related resource links for this episode, go to www.mindfulmathcoach.com/episode35

If someone asked what math you teach in your grade, what would you say? Would you give a long-winded list of topics that all seem equally important -- or do you clearly see through to the heart of your students’ learning? In this episode, math content expert, Becca Varon, explains how understanding the major work of your grade enables you to teach math with meaning -- no matter how compressed your timeframe. Listen to learn why it’s OK to let some topics go this year -- and to come away equipped with the resources to make smart decisions as y...

Have you wanted to start a reward system in your classroom, but didn’t know where to start? Or did you abandon this classroom management technique because it was too much work (and MONEY) to keep up with? Either way, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to worry! In this episode, Joy Blake, an experienced educator, shares her best tips, ideas, and lessons learned about how to run an effective - and SIMPLE - incentive system with your students. Listen to hear why focusing on positive behaviors is key, the four “student types” and how they respond di...

Do you know the math, or do you KNOW the math? That’s the question we’ll help you answer in this episode. My guest, Katy Buckland, is a teacher, coach, and school leader who knows the importance of strong content knowledge -- and also the challenges teachers face as they build it. Listen to learn how deepening YOUR knowledge will deepen your STUDENTS’ understanding. Plus, get practical tips to help you prioritize growing your content knowledge given your already busy schedule. For more information, and to access show notes and related resource links for this episode, go to www...