In today's episode, we sit down with STEM Coordinator, and veteran educator, Karen Gauthier to unpack how a problem-based curriculum turns learners into mathematicians who reason, justify, and connect strategies with confidence.

Karen traces her 37-year journey from classroom teacher to district leader and explains why shifting to a problem-based math curriculum changed everything. We examine the Try-Discuss Connect routine, showing how rich tasks with multiple entry points invite diverse strategies and deeper understanding. You’ll hear what can look like in real classrooms: students choosing tools that make sense to them, partners explaining their thinking before whole-group share-outs, and teachers curating student work to highlight mathematical structure rather than a single “right way.” Karen also shares routines that guarantee equitable discourse, such as structured partnerships with clear roles and timing, so 100% of students answer 100% of the questions. 

If you want to build student agency, improve transfer, and foster a classroom culture where ideas matter more than steps, this conversation offers concrete moves you can use today.

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