Episodes

Aug. 21, 2025

#129- Student Engagement Strategies That Actually Work in Math Class

What does student engagement really look like in a math classroom? Spoiler: it’s not quiet rows, silent worksheets, or step-by-step compliance. In this episode, I’m sharing the story of my Holt student teaching placement—the moment I realized math class could be so much more—and walking through rea…
Aug. 19, 2025

#128 My First Real-World Math Project Was a Mess—What I’d Do Differently Now (with AI Support)

Ever launch a project you were sure would be a hit… only for it to totally flop? In this episode, I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes of my first real-world math project—a polished, professionally-designed activity that completely fell apart in the classroom. But that failure? It led to one of my mos…
Aug. 14, 2025

#127 The First 5 Minutes Can Transform Student Engagement in Your Math Class

What if the most powerful way to shift your math class didn’t take a new curriculum—just the first 5 minutes? In this episode, we’re exploring how to kick off your class period with warm-ups that build relevance, confidence, ...
Aug. 12, 2025

#126 What Makes Math Feel Relevant? Isn’t it just Practical Examples of Real World Math?

We all want our students to feel like math matters—but what does “relevant” even mean in the classroom? Is it just practical math examples? Spoiler: It’s not just about adding real-world word math problems to a worksheet or d...
Aug. 7, 2025

#125 Start Small, Finish Strong: The Power of a Mini Real World Math Project

Big shifts don’t require big overhauls. If you’ve been craving a way to make math more meaningful without throwing out your whole curriculum, this episode is for you. ✅ Whether you joined the Bootcamp or not, this is your rem...
Aug. 5, 2025

#124 You’re Not Boring, But Your Math Curriculum Might Be

If you’ve ever walked out of your math classroom thinking, “Why don’t they care? What am I doing wrong?”—this episode is for you. Spoiler alert: You’re not the problem. The system is. In this episode, we’re digging into: ✅ Wh...
July 31, 2025

#123 – 3 Quick Wins You’ll Walk Away With at Bootcamp

Wondering if the Back to School Bootcamp is for you? You don’t need a 180-day curriculum plan. You just need 3 small wins to start the year strong. In this episode, I walk you through what you’ll ACTUALLY build inside the Create a Kickass Math Class Bootcamp: ✅ Day 1: One first-week spark that sets…
July 29, 2025

#122: Get Ready for the Back To School Bootcamp —Creating a KickAss Math Class

Build Your Dream Math Class in Just 3 Days (Without the Overwhelm) Want a math class that feels more real, relevant, and engaging—but not sure where to start? The (FREE) Create a Kickass Math Class Bootcamp is your answer. If you’re ready to build a math class that feels real, relevant, and rigorou…
July 24, 2025

#121: How to Get Started As a Modern Math Teacher (Even If You’re Not “Techy”)

Worried you’re not “techy” enough to transform your teaching with real-world, project-based math? You’re not alone—and the good news is: you don’t need to be. You don’t need to be a tech expert to run engaging, real-world mat...
July 22, 2025

#120: Still Planning Lessons Alone? Let’s Fix That

Trying to make your math class more engaging, more real, and more relevant—completely alone? Are you still lesson planning alone at your kitchen table? You’re not lazy. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re just trying to do too much without a support system. You were never meant to do this work in iso…
July 17, 2025

#119 BTS— What’s Inside the Modern Math Teacher Membership

If you're tired of buying resources that don't solve your classroom struggles, this episode is for you. I’m giving you a full behind-the-scenes tour of the Modern Math Teacher Membership—and sharing you why it’s so much more than just a library of lessons. 💡 Inside This Episode: ✅ Why most resource…
July 15, 2025

#118: The Truth About Teaching Real-World Math

There are so many myths out there about teaching real-world math: 👉 It’s too hard to plan 👉 Students can’t handle it 👉 You have to sacrifice rigor None of it is true. In this episode, I’m breaking down the real story—and show...
July 10, 2025

#117 Why Your Students Deserve This Kind of Math Class

Let’s put aside standards and curriculum for a moment. Let’s talk about the actual humans in your classroom. Because chances are, you’ve felt it too: “They deserve more than just what the textbook gives them.” ✅ They deserve to see math as meaningful. ✅ They deserve to feel confident and curious — …
July 8, 2025

#116 Done-For-You Projects Are Not Enough

We’ve all been there: 📥 You download a promising project. 📄 The instructions look solid. ✅ The math checks out. But once it hits your classroom? Something’s missing. The truth is: done-for-you isn’t the same as done-right. In...
July 3, 2025

#115: The 3 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make When Trying to Teach Real-World Math

You’ve seen all the cool Pinterest projects and Instagram reels that make real-world math look effortless. But when you try it in your classroom? 🙄 The kids don’t care. 🌀 The lesson falls flat. 😤 Or worse—it turns into total ...
July 1, 2025

#114 The 5-Stage Path to a Kickass Math Class

What if transforming your math classroom didn’t require a complete overhaul—just a roadmap? In today’s episode, I’m walking you through the 5-stage success path at the heart of the Modern Math Teacher Membership. Whether you're stuck in survival mode or starting to explore project-based learning an…
June 26, 2025

#113 From Survival to Success: A Summer Reset Plan

What if summer wasn’t just a break… but a bold reset? In this episode of The Modern Math Teacher Podcast , we’re ditching the survival mindset and using summer as a launchpad for a lighter, more aligned school year. Whether y...
June 24, 2025

#112 – You’re Not the Only One Doing This Alone

Feel like you’re the only one in your school trying to make math meaningful? In this episode, I’m getting real about what it’s like to teach differently—and the loneliness that can come with it. From being the only math teacher at a brand-new charter school to building a classroom from scratch, I’v…
June 19, 2025

#111 – The Lesson Design Hack That Saves Time and Increases Engagement

Ever feel like lesson planning takes forever—and still falls flat with students? In this episode, I’m sharing the Reality Check, my go-to lesson design framework that helps you quickly build lessons that are real, relevant, and rigorous. Whether you’re designing a warm-up, full lesson, or project m…
June 17, 2025

#110: The #1 Shift That Changes Everything (and It’s Not More Work)

What if your classroom didn’t need more resources—but a better rhythm? In this episode, I’m sharing the one shift that changed everything for me as a math teacher: designing with rhythm. From launching units with anchor activities to structuring daily warm-ups and routines, I’ll show you how simple…
June 15, 2025

🤩 BONUS: What’s Coming in the Modern Math Teacher Membership

Have you been listening to these episodes thinking, “Yes! This is the kind of math class I want—but I can’t do it alone”? Then this episode is for you. Today I’m giving you an inside look at the Modern Math Teacher Membership...
June 12, 2025

#109: PBL Without the Chaos: Yes, It’s Possible

You want to do PBL, but every time you think about it… you panic. What if it flops? What if it’s chaos? Been there. Done that. In this episode, I’m sharing how I went from panicked to confidently using project-based learning ...
June 10, 2025

#108: Signs You’re Ready to Teach Differently

Ever feel like your class is full of students… but no one is really there with you? The crickets. The side conversations. The phone scrolling. If that sounds familiar, you’re not failing—you’re ready. Inside this episode: ✔ 3...
June 5, 2025

#107: Why “Real, Relevant, and Rigorous” Is the Future of Math

Let’s talk. Send me a message with your email and I’ll get back to you! If you’re tired of hearing your students ask, “When are we ever gonna use this?”—this episode is for you. Today I’m breaking down the 3 R’s that have reshaped my math class: Real, Relevant, and Rigorous. And no, these aren’t ju…