Blue Glasses Math

In this episode of Blue Glasses Math,  I welcome Jen Dalton, Math Department Chair at New England Innovation Academy. We discuss the importance of building trust with students, and innovative teaching methods that integrate real-world applications and cross-disciplinary skills.

Takeways

• Building trust with students is crucial for a successful learning environment.

• Real-world applications make math more engaging for students.

• Competency-based education focuses on skills rather than content memorization.

• Encouraging students to take risks fosters a positive learning atmosphere.

• Integrating humanities and math can enhance student engagement.

• Listening to students helps tailor teaching methods to their needs.

• Creating a safe space for mistakes encourages learning.

  Check out New England Innovation Academy!

  https://neiacademy.org/

In this episode, I engage in a thought-provoking conversation with William Polan, an international school educator and math coach based in Thailand. We explore the transformative power of inquiry-based learning in math education, discussing how it fosters student confidence, creativity, and self-directed learning. William shares insights from his upcoming book, "The Inquiry Math Classroom," and highlights the importance of connecting with students through content to cultivate meaningful relationships and growth mindsets.

Check out the magic of Inquiry Math by connecting with William on IG and LinkedIn. He's got some great tunes on his post / reels too!

⁠@the_math_inquirer⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-polan-972b5b238/

In this episode of Blue Glasses Math, I sit down with four incredible math education leaders to explore the Math Narrative Project—a powerful initiative reshaping the way we think and talk about math teaching and learning. Please welcome  Dionne Aminata, Deborah Peart Crayton, Adrienne Baytops Paul and Nicole Joseph, PhD to the conversation. 

We center student voices, especially the voices of Black students, as a vital lens for understanding and transforming classroom experiences. The Math Narrative Project examines the assumptions teachers carry, the relationships we build, and the systemic shifts required to create classrooms where every student feels seen, heard, and mathematically capable.

This conversation is more than a dialogue—it’s a call to action. One that urges us to listen deeply, teach bravely, and lead with the belief that all students can thrive in math.

http://mathtrusted.com

https://www.mathersgonnamath.com/

Making Black Girls Count in Math Education https://www.amazon.com/Making-Black-Girls-Count-Education/dp/1682537749?

https://www.solutionspaces.online/

In this episode, I’m joined by Jennifer Lempp—math coach, author, and advocate for empowering students through the Math Workshop model. Jennifer opens up about her own struggles with math, and how those early experiences shaped her passion for helping every student see themselves as a math person.

We talk about what it really takes to create a classroom where students feel safe, seen, and supported. From slowing down instruction to allow deeper thinking, to prioritizing empathy in daily interactions, Jennifer shares powerful strategies that are both practical and transformative.

If you’re looking for ways to shift math class from performance to possibility—this one’s for you.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Jennifer Lempp’s personal journey from math anxiety to math leadership

• How the Math Workshop model transforms teaching and learning

• Why “Go slow to go fast” is essential advice for math educators

• The power of empathy in building student confidence

• Strategies to engage students in meaningful, reflective math experiences

• Professional development as a tool for transformation

• The value of teacher reflection and small, intentional shifts

• Creating classrooms where everyone feels like a math person
  

🔍 Keywords:

math education, Math Workshop, student engagement, Jennifer Lempp, math anxiety, empathy in teaching, student-centered learning, teacher reflection, professional development

🔊 Sound Bites:

• “Go slow to go fast.”

• “Math Workshop transforms learning.”

• “Supportive environments change everything.”

• “Empathy is key in teaching.”

⏱️ Chapters:

• 00:00 – Introduction and Jennifer’s Math Story

• 03:00 – What Is Math Workshop?

• 06:00 – Building Supportive Learning Environments

• 09:00 – Empathy and Engagement in the Classroom

• 12:00 – Strategies for Overcoming Math Anxiety

• 15:00 – Reflection and Professional Growth
  

📚 Resources & Links:

• 📖 Purchase Jennifer’s Book: [Math Workshop] (insert link)

• 🌐 jenniferlempp.com

• 📸 Instagram: @jennifer_lempp

• 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jennifer-lempp-ed-d-10603274

In this power-packed Pam² episode of Blue Glasses Math, I sit down with Pam Harris!!

Pam Harris is shifting the way we view and teach mathematics. She is a mom, former high school math teacher, university lecturer, author and the Founder of Math is Figureoutable. Math teachers around the world rave about her online Building Powerful Mathematics workshops. For over 20 years, Pam has been helping leaders and teachers reach more students in less time so that students math with confidence and success.

We dig into

• Pam Harris’ own math story—from feeling like she knew it all…realizing that she relied on waiting for someone to show her how to do math.  She tells the story about a conversation with her school-aged son that helped her to shift her perspective. 

• How teachers can use powerful moves to shift away from "fake math" to thinking mathematically.

• Why “mathematical authority” needs to shift away from the teacher and toward fostering student agency

• How problem strings are a game-changing routine that build numerical fluency through relationships, not rules.

• The importance of modeling mathematical thinking out loud and trusting kids to do the math.

This episode is for every teacher, coach, and leader who wants to equip students with strategic reasoning power—not just algorithms that easily get forgotten. Whether you’ve followed Pam Harris for years or you’re brand new to her work, this is a conversation that will leave you energized and ready to push your practice.

And yes—it’s a full Pam² moment. Two Pams. One mission: to help every student believe they are a math person.

🔗 Links & Resources:📚

Check out Pam's e-book https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/big

Get into the math with Pam at #mathstratchat

https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/mathstratchat

Follow Pam Harris on socials - join the conversation on FB

https://www.facebook.com/MathIsFigureOutAble/

What’s your math story? In this deeply inspiring episode of Blue Glasses Math, I sit down with the one and only Jo Boaler—mathematics education researcher, author of Math-ish, and founder of YouCubed. We talk about shifting math culture from correctness to curiosity, and from isolation to collaboration. Bentley, Jo’s adorable 14-week-old puppy, joins us too—snoozing peacefully in her lap as we talk about all things math and mindset.

We explore:

• Jo’s personal math story and the high school teacher who changed everything.

• What “math-ish” means and why asking for an “ish number” opens up number sense.

• What mathematical diversity looks like and how it challenges one-right-way math teaching.

• The emotional weight of mistakes in math class—and how mathematical diversity can help. 

• The real reason flip and multiply is so hard for students—and how visual models shift understanding.

• Advice for new (and experienced) teachers heading into a new school year.

This episode is for anyone—teachers, coaches, leaders, and parents—looking for new ways to help students see themselves as math people.

💡 Bonus: Jo shares her strategy for supporting teachers to let go of perfection and lean into curiosity—starting with just one question: "What do you think?"

• 📘 Math-ish by Jo Boaler
  

• 🌐 YouCubed.org
  

🔗 Links & Resources:🎥 Video of “ish numbers” in action

In this episode of Blue Glasses Math, I talk about the importance of understanding the beliefs we each carry about teaching and learning math—and how those beliefs impact both us as teachers and our students. I share why it’s so powerful to reflect on our own math stories, and how the stories our students bring into the classroom shape their learning.

We’ll explore the role emotions play in forming and reinforcing beliefs, and I’ll offer practical strategies you can use right away to create a positive learning environment. From giving students more autonomy, to validating their ideas, to encouraging meaningful discourse, I’ll walk through simple ways we can shift negative beliefs and help every student feel supported and capable in math class.

Takeaways

• You can always hit restart even in your classroom.

• Understanding your own math story is crucial.

• Students bring their own math stories into the classroom.

• Beliefs about math influence teaching decisions.

• Emotions play a significant role in learning math.

• Beliefs are shaped by repeated emotional experiences.

• Teachers can influence students' beliefs through interactions.

• Validating students' ideas is essential for engagement.

• Encouraging mathematical discourse helps shift beliefs.

• Respect in the classroom fosters a safe learning environment.

"What is your math story?"

"Beliefs are sticky, but they are not fixed."

"Every interaction is one drop in this jar."

00:00 Introduction and Restarting the Journey

01:01 Understanding Your Math Story

02:47 The Impact of Beliefs on Learning

06:13 Emotions and Their Role in Math Education

08:57 Shifting Student Beliefs and Behaviors

12:12 Practical Strategies for Teachers

21:09 Conclusion and Call to Action

In this episode of Blue Glasses Math, I talk about the importance of understanding the beliefs we each carry about teaching and learning math—and how those beliefs impact both us as teachers and our students. I share why it’s so powerful to reflect on our own math stories, and how the stories our students bring into the classroom shape their learning.

We’ll explore the role emotions play in forming and reinforcing beliefs, and I’ll offer practical strategies you can use right away to create a positive learning environment. From giving students more autonomy, to validating their ideas, to encouraging meaningful discourse, I’ll walk through simple ways we can shift negative beliefs and help every student feel supported and capable in math class.

Takeaways

• You can always hit restart even in your classroom.
• Understanding your own math story is crucial.
• Students bring their own math stories into the classroom.
• Beliefs about math influence teaching decisions.
• Emotions play a significant role in learning math.
• Beliefs are shaped by repeated emotional experiences.
• Teachers can influence students' beliefs through interactions.
• Validating students' ideas is essential for engagement.
• Encouraging mathematical discourse helps shift beliefs.
• Respect in the classroom fosters a safe learning environment.

"What is your math story?"

"Beliefs are sticky, but they are not fixed."

"Every interaction is one drop in this jar."

00:00 Introduction and Restarting the Journey

01:01 Understanding Your Math Story

02:47 The Impact of Beliefs on Learning

06:13 Emotions and Their Role in Math Education

08:57 Shifting Student Beliefs and Behaviors

12:12 Practical Strategies for Teachers

21:09 Conclusion and Call to Action

In this solo episode, I reconnect with the Blue Glasses Math community, reflecting on the deeper purpose of teaching mathematics. I emphasize the importance of humanizing math education, focusing on the emotional experiences of students, and the virtues that mathematics can cultivate. Through personal anecdotes and insights from educational research, I discuss the belief cycle in math education and the significance of embracing emotional discomfort as a pathway to growth and learning. Teachers: reflect on your own experiences with emotions+math.

Connect with me and let's start a conversation!

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-brett-23b56675/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/blueglassesmath/

What do you get when two deeply reflective educators who love math — and love teachers — show up with vulnerability, humor, and a whole lot of heart?

In this episode, Zak Champagne (Chief Content Officer at Flynn Education and co-author of enVision Mathematics) and Dr. Mike Flynn (former second-grade teacher and Director of Math Leadership Programs at Mount Holyoke College, and now CEO of Flynn Education) join Pam for a conversation that feels like a warm invitation into the kinds of spaces we wish every teacher had.

Together, they explore:

• The power of vulnerability in teaching and learning

• Why teachers need Math Playdates — and what happens when we do math together as adults

• How their own journeys (and mistakes) have reshaped their beliefs and perspectives

• The joy of learning from 7- and 8-year-olds

• What it means to build math spaces that are brave, not perfect

Whether you’ve been to a Math Playdate or you’re hearing about them for the first time, this episode will leave you feeling seen, inspired, and maybe a little more ready to take a math risk — alongside your students.

🎧 Listen in. Reflect. And maybe change your perspective on what it means to be a math person!

• Zak Champagne
  Twitter/X: @zakchamp
  Instagram: @zakchampagne

• Dr. Mike Flynn
  Twitter/X: @MikeFlynn55
  Instagram: @drmikeflynn
  Website: Flynn Education