Claim OwnershipMaking Math Moments That Matter
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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 student sense making?
Over the last 19 years, Kyle and Jon, the founders of MakeMathMoments.com have been engaging students, teachers, and district program leaders with effective mathematics pedagogy, accessible resources, and inspiring learning environments in K-12 math classrooms.
Now, in this podcast they coach you - K-12 classroom teachers and district leaders of mathematics through a 6 step plan that cultivates and fosters your mathematics program like a strong, healthy and balanced tree.
If you master the 6 parts of an effective mathematics program, the impact you have on students or teachers will grow and reach far and wide.
Every week, you’ll hear insight from practicing classroom teachers and leaders in math education so you’ll get the feedback, guidance, and fresh ideas you need to stop feeling overwhelmed, gain back your confidence, and inspire the students and fellow teachers you serve to enjoy the beauty of mathematics once again.
Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180
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You’re teaching math to 34 students. You slow math pacing to support the middle, but you can feel yourself losing students who are ready to move. A listener emailed us after our episode on rigorous Tier 1 math instruction: they don’t want to create opportunity gaps by slowing math down—but they also don’t know how to actually run small group math instruction after the main lesson. We also connect this to a real conversation with a district math team wrestling with Tier 2 math and Tier 3 math ...
Testing is around the corner—and teachers are asking: “Do I stop everything and switch into test prep mode?” Many teachers spend weeks reviewing, drilling, and assigning packets. But students don’t remember what was “taught” months ago, review feels like pulling teeth, and anxiety spikes. The firehose approach overwhelms students and often leaves teachers feeling like they have no choice but to cram harder. In This Episode, You’ll Learn Why end-of-year review can overwhelm students and raise ...
It’s March. The weather is shifting. Spring break is coming. And quietly, many math leaders have already started thinking about next year. Budgets. Staffing. PD planning. Testing season. Fatigue. It becomes easy to let this year wind down early—to shift staff meetings to logistics, to soften expectations, to delay the hard work until September. But when we ease off the gas in March, we slow the math improvement flywheel we’ve worked all year to build. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why March ...
If your students can calculate but collapse in math word problems, the issue often isn’t the numbers—it’s the structure. Many schools default to keyword hunts, graphic organizers, and “pick the operation” routines. But those tools can accidentally train students to guess instead of model what’s happening. The result: multi-step math problems feel like a maze. In This Episode, You’ll Learn Why “keywords/highlighters” often fail (and what they train students to do instead)How focusing on math p...
If you wait until every student has mastered a math concept, you might still be in Unit 1 in December. Many teachers feel they can’t move on until students demonstrate mastery—especially after recent learning gaps. But staying in one math unit for weeks or months often creates a different problem: reduced access to grade-level math, missed standards, and growing opportunity gaps for the entire class. In this episode, Jon Orr, Yvette Lehman, and Beth Curran explore the question teachers are as...
You know math fluency is more than timed tests… but what does that actually look like in your classroom tomorrow? Many teachers are at the awareness stage: they’ve read, listened, attended PD, and now understand fluency includes flexibility and strategy—not just accuracy and efficiency. But knowing that doesn’t automatically translate into action. Where do you start if you don’t yet know what to assess, what to look for, or what routines to run? In this episode, Jon Orr, Yvette Lehman, and Be...
Why does data always feel like the thing we don’t have time for in math? Teachers and leaders say they want students who can think critically, reason mathematically, and engage with real-world problems. But when time gets tight, data is often the first strand to go—seen as extra, wishy-washy, or disconnected from “real math.” In this episode, Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman challenge that thinking and argue that data isn’t competing with number sense—it’s one of the most powerful ways to build it. ...
If math learning goals are so important, why do they feel like a checkbox? Research tells us that learning goals are critical for effective math instruction—but in classrooms and professional learning, they’ve become compliance: restated math standards, chapter titles, or “I can” statements posted for visibility but disconnected from the mathematics of the lesson. The result? Task-based math lessons that feel unfocused, weak mathematical consolidation, and students who leave math class unsure...
Every year, schools and districts roll out a new math improvement plan. The language sounds right: teacher voice, coherence, sustainability, research-based practice. But the results don’t change. New curriculum is dropped with little support. Big goals are set without the conditions to meet them. Top-down decisions are labeled collaboration. In this episode, Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman name the uncomfortable truth behind stalled improvement: when what leaders say doesn’t match what their system...
Ever felt like your math classroom is too noisy, too messy, or too chaotic when students are working on open-ended tasks? You're not alone. Many math teachers—and leaders—grapple with this tension: we want students to engage deeply, but we’re uncomfortable when that engagement doesn’t look like quiet order. In this episode, we unpack a listener's concern: “Open tasks feel chaotic. This isn’t what I thought good classroom management looked like.” Listeners Will Learn Why noise and movement are...
Have you ever left a math PD session thinking, “This all sounds great… but what does it actually mean for my class tomorrow?” Teachers are hungry for professional learning that respects their time and improves student learning—but too often, math PD stays stuck in big ideas, vague theory, and system messaging. When there’s no clear connection to curriculum, classrooms, or follow‑up support, trust erodes and implementation stalls. In this episode, we dig into why even well‑intentioned math PD ...
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 enough. While so much attention in education focuses on supporting students below grade level, we often miss a critical (and underserved) group: the students who already “get it.” Without meaningful mathematical thinking and cognitive challenge, these students may disengage, develop surface-level strategies, or come to see math as boring and...
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 coach or instructional leader, chances are you’ve been there too. Whether it's past initiative fatigue, fear of judgment, or a perceived mismatch between PD and practice—resistance is rarely about apathy. It’s about experience, belief, and trust. Listeners Will Learn: What might really be behind math teacher resistance (hint: it’s not lazin...
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 hard—but progress still feels fragile. Despite shared goals and common language, initiatives stall, teachers burn out, and PD efforts don’t translate into classrooms. Why? Because shared language doesn’t mean shared understanding. And without clarity, systems crumble under the weight of well-intentioned effort. That’s where the Math Cohe...
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 when families raise concerns about “new math.” From social media posts to parent-teacher conferences, the pressure to revert to traditional instruction is real. But the issue isn’t just parent perception. Often, teachers aren’t yet confident in conceptual models themselves. And without the right support, it’s easy to retreat back to what ...
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 students continue to miss critical Tier 1 instruction, feel left behind, and fail to make meaningful gains. The root issue? Most systems treat Tier 3 like a separate math program instead of a coordinated extension of Tier 1. When intervention is disconnected from core instruction, students don’t just struggle—they get further behind. This ...
Students quitting when the math gets hard? You're not alone. In math classrooms everywhere, teachers want to promote thinking, reasoning, and productive struggle—but are met with disengagement when tasks become challenging. In this episode, the Make Math Moments team explores the deep-rooted beliefs, structures, and messages that make resilience hard—and what we can do to change that. Listeners Will Learn: Why students shut down during struggle—and what messages fuel that behaviorHow to redef...
1Ever 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 between pacing pressure, new resources, and competing priorities. In this episode, the Make Math Moments team talks about what’s really holding math teachers back—and what school and district leaders can do to help. Listeners will: Understand why strong core resources reduce the fear of “getting off track”Learn how spiraling supports both ...
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 elephant in the room: why good PD still fails to create consistent math instruction. It’s not a teacher problem — it’s a system design problem. Backed by research and real district stories, Jon shows why instructional coaching is the missing link between professional learning and lasting classroom change. Listeners will learn: Why most m...
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 dominate math class discussions, while others stay silent. Drawing from personal experience and real classroom coaching, we explore how small, intentional shifts—like silent signals and think time—can completely transform math classroom discourse. Whether you’re a math teacher seeking practical moves or a coach supporting system-wide change, ...
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Have students address feedback before they see their score.
My favourite math PD podcast - Kyle and Jon helped me revolutionize my teaching approach and the show just keeps getting better!
This is great! Thank you for sharing your teaching philosophies