Shows / Making Math Moments That Matter
Making Math Moments That Matter
Helping you transform your K-12 math lesson plans by building confidence in effective teaching practices, guiding you to transform your math curriculum, and inspiring classroom strategies to engage all students.
As a teacher are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans where students don't want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings?
As a mathematics coordinator or leader are you wondering how to support teachers when implementing engaging math lessons that fuel…
Episodes
- Making Math Moments That Matter
What About the Students Who Already Get It? – Supporting Advanced Learners Without Accelerating
What do you do when students already know the math before you even teach it? This question came straight from a listener—and it’s one we don’t talk about…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
“Thanks, But No Thanks”: Coaching Math Teachers Who Don’t Want Help
What do you do when a teacher says, “I’m good—I don’t need help”? This real-life math coaching dilemma came straight from a listener. And if you’re a math…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How to Design a Math Improvement Plan That Has Coherence From The District Office to the Classroom
Is your math team using the same words—but interpreting them in totally different ways? In schools and districts across the country, math leaders are working…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
When Parents Push Back on “New Math”: Building Trust Through Clarity and Confidence
Have you heard a parent ask, “Why are we making math so complicated?” You're not alone. Many teachers want to move beyond rote procedures—but hit resistance…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
MTSS: Fixing the Disconnect Between Tier 1 and Tier 3 Student Support
Are your Tier 3 supports disconnected from Tier 1 math instruction? You’re not alone. Many schools implement math intervention with the best intentions—yet…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Teaching Resilience in 2026: What Teachers, Leaders & Coaches Can Do When Students Shut Down
Students quitting when the math gets hard? You're not alone. In math classrooms everywhere, teachers want to promote thinking, reasoning, and productive…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
When There’s Too Much Math to Cover: Why Teachers Need Permission & Support to Innovate
Ever feel like you’d love to try a new strategy—but you’re too afraid to fall behind? You’re not alone. Math teachers often want to innovate but feel stuck…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Lessons Teachers & Leaders Need To Learn About Coaching Math in 2026
You’ve spent thousands on high-quality math curriculum and inspiring PD — yet instructional practices barely shift. Why? In this episode, Jon Orr tackles the…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Tired of Calling on the Same Few Students in Your Math Classroom? Fixing Math Discourse Fatigue
Why is it so hard to get more students talking in math class? In this episode, the team digs into a common challenge: when just a few confident students…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How Do I Teach Grade-Level Math When My Students Are All Over the Map?
Struggling to meet the needs of every math learner in a single classroom? Many teachers feel overwhelmed when students show up with wildly different entry…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Avoid this Mistake When Teaching Multiplication: An Interview with Dr. Alex Lawson
In this eye-opening episode, math researcher and educator Dr. Alex Lawson challenges one of the most common approaches to teaching multiplication: introducing…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
The Most Critical Math Improvement Planning Insights for 2026
You’ve made big moves in your math program—but something still feels stuck. Why? After a full year of supporting school and district teams, we’re reflecting on…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Rest, Reflection & Math Leadership Wins – A Holiday Message from the MMM Team
Feeling behind? Tired? Wondering if your math improvement efforts are making a difference? In this episode released on Christmas Day, Jon Orr shares a message…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Why Students Still Hate Math—Even If They Are Scoring High
You’re seeing growth in the data. Students are performing well. But something feels… off. Maybe they’re disengaged. Maybe they’re saying they don’t like math…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
When Early Strategies Are No Longer Working: Helping Students & Teachers Move Toward Efficiency in Math
Ever watched a student solve 146 ÷ 12 by drawing 146 dots… one by one? In this episode, the MMM team dives into a common but frustrating classroom challenge…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
I Taught It… So Why Don’t They Remember?? Tackling Retention in Math From the District Office to the Classroom
You poured your heart into teaching a key math concept—and a student tells you they’ve never even heard of it. Sound familiar? In this episode, hosts Yvette…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Helping Teachers Move Beyond the Algorithm in Math Instruction: Resistance to Teaching Multiple Strategies in Math
Are your teachers reluctant to move beyond the standard algorithm—even when it clearly isn’t working for their students? In this episode, we explore a…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How Do We Help Our Multi-Language Learners Thrive in Math
Are your multi-language learners struggling to engage in math class? You’re not alone. Many teachers recognize the issue but feel unsure how to help—especially…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Essential Math Coaching: The Highest Leveraged Move You Can Make For Math Improvement
Why are so many districts pouring resources into math PD but seeing so little classroom change? It’s not because teachers aren’t trying. It’s not about…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Why “Fidelity” Might Be Hurting Your Momentum In Math Improvement
You're rolling out a math resource across your district—but you’re noticing that some classrooms feel scripted and disconnected from student thinking. What’s…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
From AI to Joyful Math Teaching: Ideas You Can Use Tomorrow
In this episode, we share our biggest insights from the 7th annual Make Math Moments Virtual Summit. We highlight powerful sessions that explored ethical AI…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
From Math Overload to Alignment: A Mentoring Moment for Leaders
Leading math professional learning in a large system is never simple — especially when every school wants something different. How do you support meaningful…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Inside One District’s Journey to Define Math Critical Thinking
Your math vision prioritizes critical thinking, but can everyone on your team describe what that actually looks like in classrooms? In this episode, you’ll sit…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Is Critical Thinking Just a Buzzword in Your Math Action Plans?
Do you say your math program prioritizes critical thinking, but struggle to see it in action across classrooms? Many districts include critical thinking as…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Why Your Math Goals Might Not Be Working — and What One Team Changed
Is your school or district chasing improvement—but feeling like nothing sticks? You're not alone. Fragmentation and unclear goals might be the reason you're…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Does Everyone Know What Fluency in Math Means? Understanding The Math Coherence Gap
Have you ever left a team meeting feeling confident everyone was working toward the same math goal, only to realize later that each person defined success in a…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How One School Used the Stages of Implementation to Drive Real Change
You’ve got a strong teacher, strong strategies—and still, the innovation stalls. What gives? In this episode, we tackle what’s really behind resistance in math…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Five Phases of Implementation Every Math Leader Needs To Know To Overcome Resistance
Still stuck “talking” about change, but not seeing it in action? The real roadblock to change in math may not be teacher resistance—it might be your system…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How to Build a Math Plan That Survives Leadership Changes
What happens to your math improvement efforts when you leave the role? Many school and district leaders assume that lack of time or teacher buy-in is the…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
The Biggest Threat To Sustainable Math Improvement - Your Guess Will Be Wrong!
Why does your math plan feel like it resets every time someone new steps in? You’ve seen it happen: a coordinator retires, a coach changes roles, or a…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Math Fluency in Action: Observing What Proficient Students Actually Do
What does it really mean to be fluent in math—and are we measuring the right things in our classrooms? Math fluency is often reduced to speed drills and…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Why Your Math Coaching Model Isn’t Working — Insights from Jim Strachan
How do you know if your district’s mentoring and coaching efforts are actually making a difference? Too often, system and instructional leaders focus on…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Making Durable Decisions in Math Leadership | A Sustainable Math Practice Case Study
Fidelity matters, yet rigidity can stall growth. In this follow-up episode, we revisit the balance between fidelity and flexibility in math improvement and…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
When Fidelity in Math Improvement Turns Into Rigidity & How To Avoid This Costly Mistake
Implementing with fidelity matters—whether it’s adopting a new math resource, embedding a routine like number talks, or structuring PLCs. But fidelity is not…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How to Sequence Math Tasks: Thin Slicing in Building Thinking Classrooms Explained by Peter Liljedahl and Kyle Webb
How do you move your students from confusion to confidence—one question at a time when Building Thinking Classrooms? If you've ever found yourself wondering…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
When Tools Steal Thinking: Rethinking Technology Use in Math
In this episode, we dig into the tricky question every math teacher faces: When is a calculator a helpful tool—and when does it actually rob students of…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Going Narrow in Math Improvement: A Practical Playbook from One District
Math improvement plans don’t gain traction just by naming priorities—they gain traction when districts commit to going narrow. For one small district, that…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Fear, Pressure, and the Struggle to Truly Commit to Math Priorities
District math improvement plans can’t succeed if we try to do everything at once. For meaningful change to happen, leaders need to go narrow. In this episode…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Beating Initiative Fatigue: How to Filter Math PD Opportunities without Overwhelm
Do you ever feel torn between staying laser-focused on your math goals and chasing all the new opportunities that come your way? Whether it’s a conference, a…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How AI Can Help Math Teachers Differentiate Instruction for Every Learner
How can math teachers harness AI to lighten their workload, differentiate with confidence, and boost student thinking—without losing the human touch? The AI…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Why Systemic Change in Math Fails Without the Right Bridges in Place
What does it look like to build Bridges in real time? In this episode, we highlight the story of a district leader who knows she can’t do the work of math…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Why Math Improvement Efforts Stall Without Clear Bridges
District math objectives can’t live on a slide deck. For change to happen, they need Bridges—the leaders who translate vision into action at the school and…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How Time Debt Is Derailing Your Math Leadership Goals
Are you letting daily emergencies steal time from what really matters in your role as a math leader? From a soaked teenager's phone to the all-too-common chaos…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How To Teach Multi-Digit Multiplication
In this episode, we explore why multi-digit multiplication continues to be the thorn in so many teachers’ sides. We talk about why sometimes we need to step…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Making Math Progress Visible: The B+ Approach to School Math Improvement
Are your district's math improvement plans stuck in “waiting for perfect”? What if aiming for B+ work could unlock real progress—right now? Too often in…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Rich Tasks vs. Gradual Release: Do We Have to Choose?
One of the most frequent questions we hear from district and school math leaders is: “How do I convince math educators to shift from always using the Gradual…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Why District Math Plans Fall Flat Without School-Level Action
Too often, district math improvement planning happens “up there,” with big visions and system-wide goals that don’t trickle down into meaningful change at the…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
It’s Not Either-Or: Building a Math Classroom That Has It All
A teacher asked us a fair question: “If direct instruction and practice are working, why change? While presenting at a recent conference, we were approached by…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
From Lofty to Laser-Focused: Unpacking One District’s Math Improvement Plan
In this episode, we share how one district is entering the new school year with a sharper focus in their Math District Improvement Plan. In the past, they…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Building a Math Culture with Board Games: Standards for Mathematical Practice in Action
Looking to build a positive math culture at the start of the school year? In this episode, we dive into why board games are more than just fun—they’re…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Building Coherence Between Math Coaches, Principals, and Teachers
This episode is a debrief of the article Coaching for Coherence: How Instructional Coaches Lead Change in the Evaluation Era by Woulfin & Rigby (2017). We…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Teaching Math with the Brain in Mind: Insights from Liesl McConchie
Are your students' math struggles rooted in what they know—or how they feel about math? If your math learners seem disengaged, anxious, or convinced they're…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
7 Math Coaching Questions That Transform Teacher Conversations
If you’ve ever walked out of a math coaching session wondering whether you made an impact, you’re not alone. Many instructional coaches step into the role…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Visual Patterns That Lead to Algebra: Designing Math Tasks That Surface Student Thinking
Are we underestimating what young math learners can do with algebra — just because they’re young? If you've ever watched a student skip the reasoning and jump…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How to Define The Right Milestones That Drive Math Improvement
In this episode, Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman unpack the difference between long-term objectives and short-term key results. Through a real coaching conversation…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
What If the Report Card Doesn’t Match the Math You’re Seeing?
It’s early in the school year. You’re reviewing student math work and noticing some red flags—math concepts that should be solid just aren’t there. But when…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
Turn Your Next Book Talk into a Book Do: The Shift That Changes Everything
Book talks have become a popular way to spark professional learning, but in many cases, they don’t go far enough to create real change—especially in math. In…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How To Help Students Choose the Right Math Operation
It’s a familiar challenge— when it comes to deciding which math operation to use, students get stuck. In this episode, we explore one of the often overlooked…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
How Impactful Is Math Coaching?
Is your math coaching program truly transforming classroom practice—or just treading water? Many districts wrestle with whether coaching is worth the…
- Making Math Moments That Matter
When Math Curriculum Alignment Feels Like a Threat to Your Autonomy
Is it possible for teachers to have both autonomy in their math classroom and alignment with district goals? In this episode, we challenge the idea that…