Math Chat

Why Your Math Share Time Is Killing Student Engagement

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailIf your math share time feels disengaged, the issue might not be your students… it might be the structure. In this episode, we unpac...

207: You don’t need a new curriculum. You need a different structure.

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailHave you ever found yourself walking around during grapple time unsure of where to go or what to say? This episode taps into that exac...

206: What Actually Changed When One School Rethought Math Instruction

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailYou’ve likely felt this before—leaving a PD inspired, only to return to the same classroom routines the next day. This episode ope...

205: If You Feel Like Math Isn’t Working… It’s Not You

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailIn recent conversations, we’ve unpacked a common frustration: math instruction isn’t always producing the confident problem solver...

204: Why Math Class Isn’t Building Confident Problem Solvers (And It’s Not What You Think)

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailWhat if the reason students struggle with math problem solving has nothing to do with effort, curriculum, or ability? In this opening,...

203: Why Knowing What To Do Isn’t Changing Your Math Classroom

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailHave you ever walked out of professional development thinking, “That makes so much sense”… only to return to your classroom and ...

202: The Problem With Gamifying Math (And What Actually Helps Students Learn)

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailRight now, gamified math platforms are everywhere—and yes, they can feel like a lifesaver. Students are engaged, they’re excited, ...

201: Why Word Problems Feel Hard Even When Students Know the Math

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textMany teachers have experienced this exact moment. Students can add, subtract, and multiply during a lesson, but the moment they see a word ...

200: I Still Believe This after 200 episodes! & 🎁 a free Gift

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textReaching 200 episodes of the Math Chat is more than a milestone—it’s a movement. For two hundred conversations, we’ve challenged the ...

199: Instructional Nudges, Interview with Sam Otten

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textDr. Samuel Otten brings deep expertise and practical insight into helping teachers strengthen mathematical practices in math classrooms. Wi...

198: Why Math Coaches are the Key to Sustainable Change

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textIf sustainable change in math instruction were simply about trying harder, most teachers would already be there. In this episode, Mona name...

197: Math Is a Language of Power an Interview with Stephanie Marrero

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we explore what happens when math instruction moves beyond answers and procedures and into interpretation, questioning,...

196: A Classroom Moment That Changed How I Teach Problem Solving

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhen students were asked to solve independently, things quickly unraveled. Behaviors surfaced, lessons derailed, and reliance on the tea...

195: Readers Read and Mathers Math, Interview with Deborah Peart Crayton

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat if math classrooms were places where every child saw themselves as capable, curious, and confident? In this episode, we’re joined...

194: What If Students Don’t Know the Math Yet?

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat happens when students haven’t been taught the math yet—but the task is right there waiting? In this episode, I unpack the fear ...

193: Questions to Ask in Math Class

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat if the biggest shift in your math block didn’t come from a new curriculum or tool—but from the questions you ask? In this episo...

192: What Should Students Do, Say, and Think in Math Class & How We Get Them There.

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat should students actually be doing, saying, and thinking in math class? In this episode, I break down this essential question and sh...

191: When 1st Graders Tackle Multiplication Stories… Magic Happens

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday’s episode dives into a question many K–1 teachers ask: Why are we giving multiplication problem types when they’re nowhere i...

190: What Happens When Students Struggle? How We Can Help Without Taking Away the Opportunity to Think

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn today’s episode, we’re diving into what really happens when kids struggle—and how to support them without rescuing them from th...

189: My Kindergarten Lesson

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textI’ll start with a confession: I’ve never taught kindergarten. Honestly? I don’t think I could. Kindergarten teachers bring superhu...

188: "Let's Just See What They Can Do!"

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text💭 What “Let’s Just See What They Can Do” Really MeansThis phrase isn’t about tossing students into a problem they can’t han...

187: Anchor Moves to Coach in Chaos

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textCoaching often becomes hectic fast. Schedules shift, classrooms get noisy, and teachers feel stretched thin. While the instinct is to fi...

186: Learning Walks - Getting Better Together

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHey teacher friends, Mona here! Today we’re diving into one of my favorite ways to grow as a team and strengthen math instruction acro...

185: A Better Way to Use CUBES - Ditch Keyword in Math for Making Sense

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMany classrooms use the CUBES strategy for solving word problems. It's familiar, structured, and gives students a clear process. Ho...

184: Building Joyful, Equitable Math Classrooms with Kendra

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat does it really look like when students thrive in math? In this inspiring episode, Kendra unpacks what it means to build thriving ma...

183: What if We’ve Been Telling the Wrong Math Story?

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThink about this: how often do you hear a student say, “I can’t do this”? You might wonder, why do they give up so easily? But her...

182: What Matters Most in Math Classrooms? With John SanGioVanni

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMath education is changing fast — and few people are leading that change more thoughtfully than John SanGiovanni, a math educator, dis...

181: Book Launch Day - A Classroom of Problem Solvers Starts Here

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt’s here — the Word Problem Workshop book is officially out in the world! Every teacher knows the struggle — students disengaged...

180: Kassia - Behind the Dedication - My Editor’s Behind-the-Scenes Thoughts at Shaping the Book

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this special episode of Math Chat, we sit down with Kassia, the brilliant editor who played an instrumental role in shaping the Word ...

179: Behind the Scenes of Writing Word Problem Workshop

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSo, I’m sitting here with my coffee, reflecting on how surreal it feels that Word Problem Workshop is finally a real book — somethin...

178: Mark Golden - Behind the Dedication - Hot Takes From a Teacher Who’s Lived WPW for Years

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textImagine walking into a classroom where math doesn’t just happen on the board, but is a lively conversation in every corner. Mark Golde...

177: Word Problem Workshop - Planning

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Math Chat, we dive deep into planning for Word Problem Workshop (WPW) and how to maximize your preparation time. Inst...

176: Amanda - Behind the Dedication - How Doing Hard Things Grows Math Understanding and Confidence

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of Math Chat, we welcome Amanda, a teacher who has completely transformed her math instruction through Word Problem Work...

175: Step 5 Word Problem Workshop - Reflect

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we dive into the power of reflection in the Word Problem Workshop (WPW). If you're an educator seeking to enhance ...

174: Meghan Princehorn - Behind the Dedication - The Gift of Building Classroom Communities Where Every Child Belongs

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we sit down with Meghan Princehorn, a school social worker, to talk about the powerful connection between social emotio...

173: Step 4 Word Problem Workshop - Discuss

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTalking is my thing—I love it! But in the classroom, I’ve learned it’s not just about giving students time to talk. It’s about t...

172: Ed Spicer - Behind the Dedication - How One Classroom Opened my Eyes to the Genius Children Carry

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat does it really take to create a classroom where students not only learn math but also trust themselves, their peers, and their teac...

171: Step 3 Word Problem Workshop - Share

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDoes your math class feel like only a handful of students ever raise their hands while the rest stay silent? Or maybe your students avoi...

170: Jimmy - Behind the Dedication - A Real Teacher’s Story of How WPW Shifted Learning in his Classroom

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat happens when we stop teaching math as a set of steps to memorize and instead create space for students to explore, question, and di...

169: Step 2 Word Problem Workshop - Grapple

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWe’ve all heard about the importance of productive struggle in math—but what does it actually look like in practice? In this episode...

168: Step 1 Word Problem Workshop - Launch

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt’s a common belief: “My students can’t read, so they need to master simple math first before tackling word problems.” But what...

167: Go Slow to Go Fast - How Word Problem Workshop Transforms Math Proficiency

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textYou’ve probably heard the saying “Go slow to go fast” — but what does that actually look like in a math classroom? In this episo...

166: Kickstarting Problem Solving from Day One

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt’s back-to-school season, and if you’re running on caffeine and sheer willpower, this episode is for you. The copy machine is acti...

165: Changing the ‘I’m Bad at Math’ Mindset—One Task at a Time

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIf you’ve ever had a student say, “I’m just not a math person”, you know how powerful that belief can be. Math identity—how st...

164: Classroom Routines Made Easy

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textStarting the school year can feel overwhelming—but what if teaching routines didn’t have to be boring? In this episode, I’m showin...

163: Student Led & Self–Regulated (3 Management Tips Inside)

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIf your math block feels more like crowd control than joyful problem solving, this episode is for you. We’re talking about how proacti...

162: More Isn’t the Answer

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHave you ever felt like every new math strategy or program is just more to juggle? From colorful problem-solving cards to trendy new res...

161: Vanessa - The Math GuRu

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat do horoscopes and homework have in common? More than you think—especially in the world of inclusive math education. In this episo...

160: The Math Block — A Mindset Shift for Fitting It All In

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHave you ever stared at your lesson plans, pacing guide, and testing calendar and wondered: How am I supposed to fit all of this in? If ...

159: One Problem, Many Levels - How to Differentiate Without 5 Versions of the Lesson

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIf you're trying to reach every student by creating multiple versions of your math lesson—this episode is for you. Host Mona Iehl...

158: SEL in Math Can Boost Student Success

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn today’s episode, Mona welcomes special education teacher and SEL expert Allie Szczecinski to unpack a topic that’s often overlook...

157: Yes, It’ll Be Noisy—And That’s a Good Thing

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIs your math block filled with silence so thick you can hear pencils stretching? This episode is for you. Host Mona Lehl is flipping the...

156: What Great Math Teaching Looks Like—Even If You’re Just Getting Started

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIf you've ever scrolled past a flawless math lesson on Instagram and thought, “That could never be me,” this episode is for you...

155: You Already Have What You Need—Here’s How to Use It Differently

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHey teacher friend! Have you ever stared at your math curriculum thinking, “This is... fine, I guess?” You don’t hate it—but it’...

154: Leading a Successful Math Program with Katie Thomas

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we unpack a big question: What’s your vision for math classrooms? From years of visiting classrooms and leading profe...

153: What to Do When Kids Don’t Want to Think in Math Class

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEver poured your heart into a math lesson only to hear a groan or a “Can’t you just tell us how to do it?” from your students? You...

152: How to Extend Student Thinking (Without More Worksheets)

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEver looked at your stack of printed math worksheets and thought, “There’s got to be a better way”? You're not alone. In toda...

151: Shifting to Student Centered Math, with Dr. Pamela Seda

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIs your math classroom a space of empowerment—or quiet struggle? In this episode, we’re unpacking what it really means to teach math...

150: 35 Questions to Get Students Thinking in Math Class

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat if the questions you ask in math class could be the key to unlocking deeper thinking and real understanding? Today, we’re diving ...

149: Common Mistakes That Shut Down Math Discussions (And What to Do Instead)

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEver asked a math question and been met with total silence? Or felt like only a few kids are driving the whole conversation? You’re no...

148: Plucking Pebbles - Small Shifts That Transform Math Instruction with Jon Orr & Kyle Pearce

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textYou don’t need a full-on classroom overhaul to start seeing change. In this episode, we’re talking about the “pebbles” — those...

147: Beyond the Curriculum - SHAPE-ing Math Success at the School Level

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textStruggling to get your whole school on board with stronger math instruction? You’re not alone! In this episode, I’m sharing the fra...

146: Curriculum Selection - 3 Common mistakes to avoid

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIs your school choosing a new math curriculum? Before you dive into samples, demos, and committee meetings, listen in! I’m sharing the...

145: Number Sense with Christina Tondevold

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEver feel like your students don't have number sense? In this episode, we’re unpacking number sense with our guest, Christina Ton...

144 The Problem with "Yet"

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Problem with “Yet”We’ve all said it: “They just can’t do it… yet.” But what if that tiny word is quietly lowering the ...

143: Interview Christopher Danielson

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday’s episode is all about counting—but not just any kind of counting. We’re diving deep into how kids think about numbers, quan...

142: Hard Math Problems are Scary

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday, we’re diving into a tough but important topic: Why are we so afraid to give kids hard math problems? If we’re being honest, i...

141: 5 Quick Math Talk Strategies to Spark Classroom Conversations

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday, we're talking about 5 quick math talk strategies that will spark math conversations and increase engagement! As math teache...

140: Understanding Comparison Problems in Math

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn today’s episode, we’re talking about comparison problems: what they are, why they’re tricky, and how we can help students build...

139: Why Every Classroom Needs Productive Struggle in Math

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textImagine a student looking at you, frustrated, saying, 'I don’t get it.' It’s tempting to step in and rescue them, right?To...

138: Break Free from Script Planning a Math Lesson

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome back to Math Chat! Today’s episode is all about how we can break free from the script and let our students lead. Today’s ep...

137: Serving Up Problem Solving: A Slice of Math Joy

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIf you've ever seen the spark in a student's eyes when they really get the joy of solving a tough problem, you know what I mea...

136: You're not the only expert in the room (My NCTM session in podcast form!)

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow do we create classroom communities that includes and values each member's expertise? In this episode, I'm sharing my NCTM ...

135: How to get students to SHOW their reasoning

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow do we get students to show their reasoning in our math classroom community? On today's episode, I'm sharing about a simple...

134: Are your students thinking? How do you know?

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre your students thinking deeply about math concepts? Today we are talking about having research-based instructional strategies for mat...

133: 3 Reasons Why Math Intervention Programs Don't Work, with Juliana Tapper

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat math intervention curriculums actually work? This is one of the questions I get asked the most and today I'm excited to chat a...

132: Math Grades: What should I grade?

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDo math grades stress you out? If you are needing to get some grades in the grade book for progress reports, this episode will help you ...

131: Counting in Math with Collections: Interview with Kathy Minas

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDo you use counting collections in your classroom? I have the expert you need to hear from on the show today!Kathy shares practical tips...

130: 3 Things You’re Missing in Math Community

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat does it take to build a math community?On this episode, we're talking about 3 things I don’t want you to miss in math class ...

129: Start the School Year with High Math Engagement

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textYou’re starting the school year and it’s time to set the bar high. Let’s talk about how you can get every child engaged now so tha...

128: What are the 5 strands of math proficiency?

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat does it actually look like for our students to be proficient in math? In this episode, we are talking about the 5 strands of math p...

127: Classroom Management, an Interview with Jenna from That Strong Teacher

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you thinking through your classroom management strategies for the new school year? I have the expert you need to hear from on the sh...

126: The only classroom "rule" you need for classroom management in Math Class

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHave you been thinking about how to establish clear expectations and a strong foundation for classroom management this school year? I’...

125: 3 Mistakes to Avoid when Planning for the Year

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you thinking about planning out your school year? On this episode, we’re going to talk about how to plan for your year that inclu...

124: Word Problem Workshop - What is it & Why you need it this school year

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you looking for a way to support your students in building problem solving skills, a deep understanding of math and a positive math ...

123: Curriculum vs. Teacher Created - The Pros & Cons

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDo you struggle with not having the time to create every math task yourself but knowing that what your curriculum has to offer just isn’...

122: Schoolwide math norms you need!

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat are schoolwide math norms and why are they important?In this episode, we’re breaking down schoolwide math norms because they are ...

121: What is student-centered learning?

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat is student-centered learning and why should we use it in math? A student-centered math classroom has students doing the work – th...

120: Want a math coach or Math PD but can't afford it? Do this!

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you looking for a math coach or to grow as a math teacher? In this episode, we are talking about resources for teachers to use to gr...

119: Math Teacher Power Moves to Empower Mathematicians

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMath teacher friend, you are powerful. I’m here to remind you of the 6 best teacher moves you can make in the math classroom in this u...

118: The Opposite of I Do, We Do, You Do in Math Class

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDoes the gradual release model belong in math class? In this episode, I'm going to argue that we do the opposite of the "I Do,...

117: Collaborative Math Coaching with Nicora Placa

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you a math coach or looking to step into a coaching role? If so, learning from other math coaches is a great way to build your skill...

116: Simple Steps to Help Students Access the Math Word Problem

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDo you have students who struggle to access word problems in math? The truth is our students struggle to get started on word problems be...

115: Trigger Warning for People Entering My Thinking Classroom

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you looking to create a math classroom that allows students to lead even as visitors come in?  In this episode, we are talking abou...

114: Practical Teaching Ideas for Teaching Black History 365, an Interview with Dawnavyn James of @QueendomTeaching

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you looking for practical ideas for teaching Black history in your classroom? I have the perfect interview for you about how to inco...

113: The Only 3 Questions You Need to Ask

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat questions do you need to ask during math? And no, you don't need a long list of questions to have great math discussions in yo...

112: Do Less to Let Kids Lead

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDo you want to do LESS as a teacher? This episode is about how doing less as a teacher can help our students to do more - while using o...

111: Effective Math Conferences

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHave you ever had a math conference with a student when you ask them to describe their thinking and you are met with a blank stare?This ...

110: Building Thinking Classroom with Maegan Giroux

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAre you a primary teacher implementing Building Thinking Classrooms? I have the expert you want to know on the show today!! Maegan Girou...

109: New Math: How to Get Everyone On Board

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDo you hear people talking about "New Math," but you're at a loss for how to convince them it's not so bad? This ep...