Episodes
Jan. 27, 2026
154 Designing Lesson Plans for Productive Struggle
Productive Math Struggle Series — Action 4: Plan a Lesson with Productive Struggle In Part 4 of our Productive Math Struggle series, we dig into the HEART of rigorous math instruction: lesson planning that intentionally creates space for student thinking, sense-making, and meaningful struggle. If y…
Jan. 20, 2026
153 Building Classroom Community in Your Math Class
Productive Math Struggle Series — Action 3: Build Community for Productive Struggle In Part 3 of our Productive Math Struggle series, we’re diving into what may be the single most important ingredient of productive struggle: Community is not a “nice-to-have.” 👉 It’s the foundation that makes produc…
Jan. 13, 2026
152 Math Identity Matters: You ARE a Math Person
Productive Math Struggle Series — Action 2: Foster an Identity for Productive Struggle In Part 2 of our Productive Math Struggle series, we dive into one of the most powerful — and overlooked — components of rigorous math learning: math identity. This episode explores the roots of math identity, ho…
Jan. 6, 2026
151 Why Productive Struggle Matters
Part 1 of 6 in the Productive Math Struggle Series Today we kick off our 6-part series inspired by Productive Math Struggle by John SanGiovanni, Susie Katt, and Kevin Dykema. In this episode, we unpack Action 1: VALUE the Productive Struggle — and explore why getting stuck is one of the most powerf…
Dec. 30, 2025
Best of 2025: Boosting Student Discourse with Active Teaching
Ready to jump start classroom discourse in your math class in 2026? Get your students eagerly discussing math with these active teaching strategies! Enjoy this replay of: Episode #133 Active Teaching Strategies That Actually ...
Dec. 23, 2025
Best of 2025: Classroom Routines + Procedures
Middle and high school math classes benefit from classroom routines and procedures just as much as our elementary counterparts! Do your classroom routines need a reset as we head into the second half of the school year? Enjoy...
Dec. 16, 2025
Best of 2025: Student Centered Teaching Strategies
Making the shift from teacher-led to student-centered teaching practices doesn't have to be a struggle. And you don't have to make the change to your instructional strategies alone! Enjoy Episode 132:Student-Centered Teaching in Math Class-- your favorite episode this year on creating a student-cen…
Dec. 9, 2025
Best of 2025: The Best Student Engagement Strategies
What does student engagement really look like in a math classroom? Enjoy this replay of Episode 129: Student Engagement Strategies That Actually Work in Math Class-- your favorite episode on boosting student engagement this year! ✅ In this episode: Why boring math isn’t your fault—and why you’re no…
Dec. 2, 2025
Best of 2025: Making Math Relevant
Let's make math class relevant-- and spoiler alert it's more than just adding in a few real-world math problems to your worksheet or doing a once a year hands on math project. Enjoy this replay of Episode 126: What Makes Math Feel Relevant? Isn’t it just Practical Examples of Real World Math? It's …
Nov. 25, 2025
144- Low-Prep Math Activities to Survive the Holiday Chaos (Without Losing Rigor 🎄)
The holidays are hectic—but learning doesn’t have to be. Kristen shares six classroom-tested, low-prep activities that keep math engaging when attention spans are short. You’ll learn how to: ✅ Use real-world data in a Holiday...
Nov. 18, 2025
143- Rethinking Assessment: What Finals Prep Can Teach Us About What (and How) We Measure
Finals week doesn’t have to be a panic button. In this episode, Kristen redefines assessment as feedback, not judgment—and shares five active teaching strategies that make review week engaging, equitable, and meaningful. You’...
Nov. 11, 2025
142 My National Board Journey—Redefining What Effective Math Teaching Looks Like
In this episode, Kristen shares why she decided to pursue National Board Certification now—and how that lens is already reshaping daily teaching moves. You’ll hear concrete strategies you can use this week (with or without NB...
Nov. 4, 2025
141- 5 Easy Ways to Make Math Lessons Relevant (without a project!)
Tired of hearing “When am I ever gonna use this?” 😩 This week, Kristen shares easy, low-prep ways to make your math lessons feel relevant and real—without turning every unit into a full-blown project. You’ll learn how to: ✅ A...
Oct. 28, 2025
#140: Reclaim Confidence, Creativity, and Joy in Math Class with the Rockstar Mindset 🤘
Feeling stuck, bored, or burned out with traditional teaching? This episode will help you reclaim your spark with the PBL Rockstar Mindset—a powerful mindset shift that makes project based learning feel possible, empowering, ...
Oct. 21, 2025
#139: Tis the Season Real-World Math Students Actually Care About (Seasonal Edition 🍁❄️)
Want to boost engagement during the fall slump or pre-holiday chaos? This episode shares real world math activities and projects that actually grab student interest—including seasonal ideas for fall and winter. This episode d...
Oct. 14, 2025
#138: What Mastery Based Looks Like in a Modern Math Class
Want to try mastery based grading but stuck with a traditional grading scale? In this episode, Kristen breaks down how to bring mastery into your classroom without overhauling your entire system. You’ll learn: ✅ What mastery ...
Oct. 7, 2025
#137 AI Tools That Save Math Teachers 5+ Hours a Week (Especially During Progress Report Season)
Ready to reclaim your time and sanity this grading season? In this episode, Kristen shares her top AI tools for math teachers—including the ones she uses to write progress report comments, create rubrics, and plan faster. You...
Sept. 30, 2025
#136 AI Classroom Policy: Should You Create One for Your Math Class?
AI is already here—are your students using it responsibly? In this episode, Kristen breaks down how to write a simple but effective AI classroom policy that works in a secondary math setting. You’ll learn: ✅ What every policy...
Sept. 23, 2025
#135- Project-Based Learning Lesson Plan Ideas for Any Secondary Math Class
Want to bring more relevance into your math class without reinventing the wheel? This episode breaks down project-based learning lesson plan ideas you can use right now—aligned to standards and built for real-world engagement...
Sept. 16, 2025
#134 Real-World Math Applications: Make Math Feel Relevant Again
Listen in as we reveal the secret to using Real-World Math Applications to Make Core Content Feel Relevant Again. Let’s face it—students want to know when they’ll actually use the math they’re learning. In this episode, Krist...
Sept. 9, 2025
#133 Active Teaching Strategies That Actually Spark Student Discussion
Are you looking for active Teaching Strategies That Actually Spark Student Discussion in math class? Tired of asking a question and hearing crickets? In this episode, Kristen shares active teaching strategies that actually get students talking. Inside you'll learn: ✅ Why passive instruction is kill…
Sept. 2, 2025
#132 Student-Centered Teaching in Math Class
Let's dive into Student-Centered Teaching: How to Build Autonomy Without Losing Control in your Math Class! Ready to shift your math class from teacher-led to student-driven? In this episode, we’re breaking down exactly what student-centered teaching looks like—and how to create autonomy without ch…
Aug. 28, 2025
#131 Real-World Math Projects Your Students Will Actually Care About
Not all real-world math is created equal. In this episode, I’m breaking down what makes a math project actually relevant to your students—and how to make math feel meaningful without needing a full curriculum rewrite. You’ll learn what students really care about, how to design your first spark of e…
Aug. 26, 2025
#130- 3 Must-Have Classroom Routines That Actually Work in Secondary Math
Ready to stop managing behavior and start supporting student thinking? In this episode, we’re breaking down the three essential classroom routines every secondary math teacher needs—especially if you're trying to run a student-centered classroom without constant chaos. You’ll learn how to start cla…