Modern Math Teacher- Teaching Strategies for High School and Middle School Math Teachers
The Modern Math Teacher helps you make math class the best part of your 6-12 students' day. Join Kristen Moore for quick, real-talk episodes on Project Based Learning, student-centered teaching strategies, AI and technology inspired lesson planning and boosting student engagement—without burning out.New episodes every Tuesday. 👉 Join the conversation inside ✨The Modern Math Teachers Community Facebook Group!
206 Math Practice Doesn’t Have to Feel Like Practice
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Students need practice. There, I said it. 😉
Meaningful math doesn’t mean eliminating repetition, worksheets, or good old-fashioned skill practice. Sometimes students just need to practice the darn equation.
But sometimes we can give that practice a little more purpose.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
What good math practice is actually forWhen straightforward practice is the best choiceHow practice can become part of a larger learning experienceUsing my Stained Glass Linear Equations Project as practice with a purposeP...
205 Teaching Statistics With Real Data Students Actually Care About
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Our students are surrounded by data—but are we teaching them how to actually think with it?
In this episode, we’re moving beyond “calculate the statistic” and talking about how real data can help students investigate, question, interpret and make predictions.
We’ll talk about:
Moving from calculating data to interpreting itWhy messy, real data creates richer thinkingHelping students ask, “What does this data NOT tell me?”Using timely election data to build mathematical literacyI’m also sharing how my Election Data + Statistics Project p...
204 Math Projects Don’t Have to Replace Your Curriculum
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You don’t need to find an empty week in your pacing guide to use a math project.
In this episode, we’re looking at three ways projects can fit into the mathematics you’re already teaching:
Investigate with math → Election Data + StatisticsMake a decision with math → Pitch ProfitPractice through a meaningful product → Stained GlassProjects don’t have to replace your instruction, practice, or curriculum. Sometimes they simply give students somewhere meaningful to use the math they’re already learning.
This week’s reflecti...
203 Real isn't Relevant: What Really Matters when Teaching Math
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We hear it all the time: Make math real-world.
But real-world doesn’t automatically mean relevant.
In this episode, I’m sharing how one of my favorite cell phone projects slowly lost its relevance—and what it taught me about choosing contexts that actually matter to the students sitting in front of us.
We’ll talk about:
The difference between real-world and relevant mathMy Spheres of Relevance: self, community, culture + the larger worldHow timeliness can create r...202 The Math Comes First: How to Keep PBL Rigorous
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“Projects sound great…but when are students actually learning the math?”
That’s a fair question—and the answer isn’t simply putting more calculations into the project.
In this episode, we’re talking about how to intentionally keep deep, rigorous mathematics at the center of PBL using one of my favorite project-design tools: milestones and milestone markers.
Using my Wasted Space Geometry Project as an example, we’ll explore how students can use surface area, volume, modeling, constraints, and optimization to rede...
201 No Time for PBL? How to Make Math Projects Fit Your Curriculum
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You Don’t Need Three Weeks for PBL
“I’d love to do more projects…but I just don’t have time.”
If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.
Because somewhere along the way, we started assuming that good project-based learning has to mean a massive, multi-week project complete with research, presentations, fancy final products, and approximately 47 things for the teacher to manage.
It doesn’t.
In this episode of The Modern Math Teacher, we’re talking about how to...
200 Episodes Later: I’m Not the Same Math Teacher
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Two hundred episodes ago, I thought I had a much clearer idea of what kind of math teacher I was.
I was a project-based learning teacher.
Since then, I’ve taught using the Modern Classrooms framework. I’ve embraced Building Thinking Classrooms. I’ve changed the way I think about mastery and assessment. Now I’m teaching with Illustrative Mathematics and falling in love with inquiry, mathematical discourse, and giving students more opportunities to make sense of mathematics together.
And somewhere along the way, I r...
199 Math Project or More Practice? Stop Making It an Either/Or
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When Should You Use Math Projects? 4 Signs a Topic Is Ready for PBL
Not every math standard needs a project.
Yep. I said it.
Sometimes students need an authentic problem to solve, decisions to make, and an opportunity to actually USE the mathematics they're learning.
And sometimes? They need practice.
In this episode of The Modern Math Teacher, we're talking about how I decide which parts of my curriculum have real...
198 You’re Probably Closer Than You Think
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What if creating more meaningful learning experiences in your math classroom didn’t require completely changing the way you teach?
Because when teachers hear “project-based learning,” it can feel like a complete classroom makeover.
Rewrite every unit. Redesign your curriculum. Stop giving direct instruction. Turn everything into a project.
Nope.
In this episode of The Modern Math Teacher, we’re talking about why meaningful change happens one intentional decision at a time—and why you’re probably...
197 Stop Planning Lessons. Start Designing Learning Experiences.
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What if the biggest shift you could make this school year wasn't changing your curriculum—but changing the way you think about planning?
In this episode, I share the mindset shift that has transformed my classroom. Instead of asking, "What activity should I do?" I now start with a much different question: "What experience do I want my students to have?"
We'll explore how this simple change impacts every instructional decision, why meaningful learning experiences don't have t...
196 So...What Is a Modern Math Teacher?
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Being a Modern Math Teacher isn't about using the newest technology or following every educational trend.
It's about intentionally designing learning experiences that help every student think deeply, feel like they belong, and see themselves as capable mathematicians.
In this episode, I reflect on five beliefs that have transformed my own classroom and explain why becoming a Modern Math Teacher isn't a destination—it's an ongoing journey of intentional growth.
In this episode you'll learn:
195 Your Curriculum Isn't the Problem
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Have you ever felt like your curriculum was holding you back?
You're not alone—but what if the curriculum isn't actually the problem?
In this episode, I share how my perspective on curriculum has evolved and why I no longer believe great teaching comes from finding the "perfect" textbook. Instead, I explain how small, intentional instructional decisions can transform the learning experience for your students.
Whether you teach Illustrative Mathematics, CPM, Reveal, Carnegie, Big Ideas, Eureka, or another curriculum entirely, this episode will h...
194 Stop Trying to Be the Pinterest Teacher
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Have you ever felt like every lesson has to be bigger, better, and more engaging than the last?
I know I have.
In this episode, I share how I fell into the trap of trying to create extraordinary lessons every day—and why shifting my focus to sustainable teaching practices completely changed my classroom.
We'll talk about routines, instructional systems, decision fatigue, and why consistency often has a greater impact on student learning than constant novelty.
In thi...
193 The Biggest Lie We've Been Told About Rigor
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For years, I believed rigorous math instruction meant harder problems, longer assignments, and more work.
I don't believe that anymore.
In this episode, I share how my definition of rigor has changed, why cognitive demand isn't the same thing as difficulty, and how I intentionally design lessons that promote deeper mathematical thinking without overwhelming students.
We'll also explore how routines like Math Wars can move beyond procedural practice by creating opportunities for students to justify, critique, compare, and defend mathematical reas...
192 Your First Five Days Matter More Than Your Next Five Months
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The first week of school isn't just about procedures, seating charts, and syllabus review. It's when students begin forming beliefs about what mathematics feels like—and who they believe they are as mathematicians.
In this episode, I share how my thinking about the first week has changed over the years, why students walk into our classrooms carrying mathematical identities, and how we can intentionally design experiences that foster confidence, curiosity, and belonging from day one.
In this episode you'll learn:
191 When My Favorite Math Project Stopped Working
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One of my favorite classroom projects completely stopped working—and it ended up becoming one of the most important lessons of my teaching career.
In this episode, I share the story of a once-successful cell phone plan project that unexpectedly fell flat and how it completely changed the way I think about designing meaningful mathematics.
We'll explore why real and relevant aren't always the same thing, how I adapt lessons from Illustrative Math without reinventing the curriculum, and why sometimes the most meaningful part of a l...
Just-in-Time Math Intervention with Juliana Tapper
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What if math intervention didn’t mean going back three grade levels and trying to fill every gap a student has before they’re allowed to move forward?
In this episode of The Modern Math Teacher, I’m joined by my friend and math intervention expert Juliana Tapper, author of Teaching 6–12 Math Intervention: A Practical Framework to Engage Students Who Struggle, to talk about a different approach: just-in-time intervention.
And selfishly? I had questions.
This year I’m teaching an Algebra 1 Pro Lab designed to help studen...
What Happens When the Math Teacher Needs Math Therapy? with Vanessa Vakharia
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We spent the summer reading Math Therapy together—and now we’re sitting down with the author herself, Vanessa Vakharia, to talk about what happens when we take these ideas off the page and into our classrooms.
And, apparently, what happens when the math teacher needs a little Math Therapy of her own.
In this conversation, Vanessa and I start by talking about how Math Therapy has almost become a co-creation. The book may be published, but the work keeps evolving as teachers take these ideas, adapt th...
188 You Don't Have to Become a Different Teacher
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After four weeks of reading Math Therapy together, we've reached the final chapter—and it ends with a powerful reminder.
You don't have to become a different teacher.
You simply have to become a more intentional version of the teacher you already are.
In this episode, I reflect on the biggest lessons from the book, how my own classroom plans have evolved, and why helping students build healthier relationships with mathematics is a journe...
187 Does Your Grading System Match Your Growth Mindset?
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We often tell students:
"Progress matters more than perfection."
But does our assessment system communicate the same message?
In this episode, we're continuing our Math Therapy summer book study with Chapter 7, where Vanessa Vakharia explores the connection between assessment, growth mindset, and mathematical identity.
This chapter challenged me to reflect on my own grading practices, my experience with competency-based learning, and the conversations my department is currently having as we c...
186 Rewrite the Story. Rewire the Brain.
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How do students begin to see themselves differently in mathematics?
In this episode, we're continuing our Math Therapy summer book study with Chapter 6: Makeover.
This chapter may be the most personal one yet. It challenged me to reflect on my own math story and reminded me that students don't simply need better grades—they need opportunities to build a healthier mathematical identity.
I also share one of my favorite implementation ideas from the book...
185 Students Aren't Asking "When Will I Use This?" They're Asking "Why Should I Care?"
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What if we've been answering one of our students' most common questions the wrong way?
When students ask:
"When am I ever going to use this?"
they're often not asking about future careers.
They're asking something much deeper:
"Why should I care?"
In this episode, we're continuing our summer Math Therapy book study with Chapter 5: Motivate, and exploring how relevance, purpose, and...
184 We Don't Need to Lower Expectations. We Need to Lower the Threat.
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How do we create a classroom where students feel safe enough to struggle?
In this episode, we're continuing our summer Math Therapy book study with Chapter 4: Moderate.
This chapter challenged me to rethink the difference between mathematical challenge and emotional threat. Productive struggle is an essential part of learning mathematics—but unnecessary fear, embarrassment, and fixed labels can prevent students from ever engaging in that struggle.
I also share some of my own math s...
183 Mythbusting the Biggest Lies Students Believe About Math
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What does it actually mean to be good at math?
If you asked your students that question, what would they say?
In this episode, we're continuing our summer book study of Math Therapy by Vanessa Vakharia and diving into Chapter 3: Mythbust.
While growth mindset may not be the educational buzzword it once was, the ideas behind it remain incredibly important. Students cannot build a healthier relationship with mathematics if they continue believing unhealthy myth...
182 What Is Math Therapy? (And Why You're Probably Already Doing It)
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Welcome back to our summer Math Therapy book study series!
This week we're discussing Chapter 2 and exploring a question many teachers may be asking:
What exactly is math therapy?
One of the biggest takeaways from this chapter is that math therapy isn't about becoming a licensed therapist. Instead, it's about becoming more intentional about the human side of mathematics.
As teachers, we already help students:
navigate frus...181 Math Trauma, Teen Talk Barbie, and the Myth of the "Math Person"
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This week, we're kicking off our summer book study of Math Therapy by Vanessa Vakharia.
Rather than providing a chapter-by-chapter summary, this series is designed as a conversation around the ideas that resonate most, the questions they raise, and how they might influence our classroom practices.
In Chapter 1, one idea kept surfacing again and again:
The stories we tell ourselves about mathematics matter.
From cultural stereotypes and family messaging to o...
180 Listener Q&A: PBL, Building Thinking Classrooms, Real-World Data & More!
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You asked, I answered!
In this special Listener Q&A episode of The Modern Math Teacher, I'm tackling some of your biggest questions about project-based learning, Building Thinking Classrooms, real-world math connections, and professional learning.
Whether you're just getting started with PBL or looking for new ways to make your math classroom more engaging, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can use right away.
💡 In This Episode:
179 Why Support Doesn't Lower Rigor in Math Class
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Struggle Is Learning. Drowning Is Not.
One of the biggest lessons I've learned this year is that not all struggle is productive.
As math teachers, we want students to wrestle with ideas, persevere through challenges, and make sense of mathematics. But there's a fine line between productive struggle and overwhelming frustration.
In this episode, we're exploring what productive struggle actually looks like, why support and rigor aren't opposites, and how to challenge students without leaving them...
178 Should Honors Math Be Different? Here's What I'm Wrestling With
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What I'm Still Figuring Out About Teaching Honors Math
After more than 15 years in the classroom, I'm about to do something new:
Teach Honors Algebra 2 and Grade-Level Algebra 2 at the same time.
And honestly?
I'm still figuring out what that should look like.
In this episode, I'm sharing the questions I've been wrestling with as I prepare for next year—from rigor and procedural fluency to pacing...
177 The Best Technology in Math Class Isn't Always New Technology
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Are we using technology because it improves learning—or because it's available?
After reflecting on student engagement, Chromebook fatigue, and intentional lesson design, I've been rethinking how technology fits into my math classroom.
And the more I think about it, the more I realize:
👉 The goal isn't more technology.
👉 The goal is better technology.
In this episode, I'm sharing how my thinking has evolved, the tools I'm keeping, the tools I'm re...
176 The Digital Delusion: Why I'm Rethinking Technology in Math Class
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Technology isn't going away.
But that doesn't mean we should use it for everything.
After years of integrating digital tools into my math classroom, I've found myself asking a different question:
👉 Not "Should we use technology?"
👉 But "When should we use technology?"
In this episode, I'm reflecting on student device use, Chromebook fatigue, productive struggle, and why I'm becoming more intentional about when—and how—technology sho...
175 Why Every Math Teacher Should Study Above and Below Their Grade Level
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One of the best things that ever happened to me as a math teacher was teaching multiple grade levels.
Because the more I taught Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and intervention classes together… the more I realized:
👉 Math is one connected story.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
mathematical coherenceconceptual progressionactivating prior knowledgeand why understanding where students are coming from and where they’re headed changes your instruction completely.
💡 In This Episode:
174 The Math Concepts I Finally Understand More Deeply as a Teacher
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Can I admit something?
There are math concepts I taught for years that I didn’t fully understand conceptually myself.
I could teach the procedure.
I could explain the steps.
But true sense-making? That took time.
In this episode, I’m reflecting on the math ideas I’ve come to understand more deeply as a teacher—and how that deeper understanding has completely changed my instruction.
💡 In This Episode:
173 Why Teaching the Same Lesson Five Times Never Actually Works
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Ever had one class LOVE a lesson… and another class completely flop with the exact same activity?
Same teacher.
Same lesson.
Same day.
This year completely changed the way I think about differentiation, responsiveness, and what intentional teaching actually looks like in a real math classroom.
In this episode, we’re talking about:
class-to-class differentiationresponsive teachingstudent dynamicsand why consistency does not mean every class should look identical
💡 In This Episode:
172 Why I Stopped Winging It as a Math Teacher This Year
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This year changed the way I think about teaching math.
Between piloting a new curriculum, beginning National Board Certification, and teaching students with very different needs, I realized something important:
👉 Knowing math content is not the same thing as intentionally designing mathematical experiences.
In this episode, I’m reflecting on the instructional shifts that made the biggest difference in my classroom this year—and why becoming more intentional transformed the way I teach.
💡 In This Episode:
171 Turn Any Math Lesson Into a Real-World Experience (In About 15 Minutes)
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Ever feel like your math lessons are… fine, but not really connecting?
You’re covering the content, following the curriculum—but students aren’t fully engaged.
In this episode, we walk through a simple, repeatable process to turn any math lesson into a real-world experience—without starting from scratch or spending hours planning.
💡 In This Episode:
170 You Don’t Have Time for This… Or Do You? (3 Biggest Myths About Real-World Math)
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Think you don’t have time for projects?
Feel stuck with your curriculum?
Worried your students can’t handle it?
Let’s talk about it.
In this episode, we’re breaking down the 3 biggest myths about real-world math and project-based learning—and why they might be the exact things holding you back.
💡 In This Episode:
169 You Don’t Need a Full PBL Unit—Start With This Instead
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Think you need a full project-based learning unit to bring real-world math into your classroom?
You don’t.
In this episode, we’re breaking down how to start with smaller, meaningful project experiences—without overhauling your entire curriculum or spending hours planning.
💡 In This Episode:
168 Why Most Math Projects Don’t Work (And How to Fix Them
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Ever tried a math project that should have worked… but didn’t?
Maybe students were off task, confused, or the math just didn’t stick.
👉 You’re not alone.
In this episode, we’re breaking down why many math projects fall flat—and what actually makes them work in a real classroom.
💡 In This Episode:
What Actually Makes a Math Lesson “Real-World”? (It’s Not What You Think)
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Most “real-world math” problems don’t actually feel real to students.
In this episode, we break down what real-world math really means—and how to make small shifts that help students actually connect to what they’re learning.
In This Episode:
✨ Key Takeaway: Real-world math isn’t about the story—it’s about the connection.
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