Math Chat

Send us Fan Mail

Are your students tired of mundane math worksheets? Do your students lose interest when you say "Time for math!"? 

Tune in to today's episode as we dive into the world of fun manipulatives with Kimberly Rimbey, in the math classroom!

Let's keep students engaged and excited about learning!

In this episode we will chat about: 

• keeping students engaged without math worksheets
• top 5 manipulatives to use in the math classroom
• practical ideas to use as a math teacher

About our guest, Kim Rimbey:

Kimberly Rimbey, Ph.D., is an entrepreneur, author, mentor, coach, teacher, and advocate for mathematics teaching and learning. She currently serves as the CEO and Chief Learning Officer at KP® Mathematics, a mathematics-focused education company she co-founded and co-owns. 

A life-long teacher and learner, Kim's heart’s work centers on equipping teachers and helping them fall in love with teaching and learning over and over again. Kim’s interests include high-quality professional learning models, building conceptual understanding through multiple representations and meaningful discourse, and building pedagogical content knowledge that goes beyond the theoretical and into the classroom. 

 
📣 Kim Rimbey contact: [email protected]

📕 Books (Use code CORWIN25 to get 25% off and free shipping!)

• Mastering Math Manipulatives, K-3: https://us.corwin.com/books/mastering-math-manips-k-3-273514
• Mastering Math Manipulatives, 4-8: https://us.corwin.com/books/mastering-math-manips-4-8-273592
• Meaningful Small Groups in Math: https://us.corwin.com/books/small-groups-math-278697

Links:

🔢 KP Mathematics, including KP Ten-Frame Tiles

✏️ Corwin Blog Posts 

• Managing Manipulatives During Math Class…From Playful to Purposeful: https://corwin-connect.com/author/kimberlyrimbey/
• Side-by-Side Math: https://corwin-connect.com/2023/09/helping-student-connect-manipulatives-to-paper-pencil-math/
• How Do We Use Manipulatives When Building a Thinking Classroom: https://corwin-connect.com/2023/10/how-do-we-use-manipulatives-when-building-a-thinking-classroom/

Have Questions? 📱 My DMs on IG are always open @hellomonamath

How to Increase Student Confidence in Math without Changing Your Curriculum

May 7, 2026 at 11:30 Central - Zoom 

Sign up NOW - monamath.com/leaderworkshop

Send us Fan Mail

Listen, I LOVE to talk. That’s why I have a podcast. I cannot function in my life without talking. I have to talk to work out my ideas, to understand, to fully experience life I have to talk. So, when I learned that maybe I didn’t need to talk quite so much in my classroom… it blew my mind. 

Why would you even want to talk less? The whole point of teaching is to help kids by showing and telling them what to do, right? 

Tune in to this week episode to learn the reason behind why talking less in your math classroom will help your students. 

In this episode we will chat about: 

• average attention span by age group
• what happens when students talk
• teaching students how to talk in a respectful way

Links: 

📘 Children’s Mathematics Cognitively Guided Instruction 

Have Questions? 📱 My DMs on IG are always open @hellomonamath

Send us Fan Mail

I first learned about Problem Types with Cognitively Guided Instruction in the book Children's Mathematics. The group of researchers studied children and found that when given open ended questions children move through a progression of understanding… when given no explicit instruction. 🤯

It blows teachers minds to think that children can develop understanding with no explicit instruction. However, when we think about how children learn it actually makes sense. 

You won't want to miss this episode all about Problem Types in your math classroom! 

In this episode we will chat about: 

• 3 types of joining problems
• 3 types of separating problems
• comparing problems

Links: 

📘 Children’s Mathematics Cognitively Guided Instruction 

👀 Look for more information coming soon about WPW Teacher Training!

Have Questions? 📱 My DMs on IG are always open @hellomonamath

Send us Fan Mail

I am passionate about teaching our students math in student centered ways that help them grow as human beings that are positioned to make a difference in the world. So that means, the work has to be real and relevant.

Today we’re going to talk about the power that math can have when you INTEGRATE math with social studies.

In this episode we will chat about: 

• bring in diverse mathematicians to your classroom
• solving real world math problems
• using timelines from social studies for math

Links: 

❤️ Black History Ideas & Resources

Have Questions? 📱 My DMs on IG are always open @hellomonamath

Send us Fan Mail

Thin sliced problems were coined by Peter Liljedahl in his book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics.

What are thin sliced problems & how can you use them to meet all the needs of your students? Be sure to listen as we go through the 9 simple steps to using thin sliced word problems in your math classroom. 
 
In this episode we will chat about: 

• thin sliced problems naturally differentiate
• using thin sliced problems in your math classroom
• making sure every student is learning

Links: 

🎙️Ep 93: Strategies for Consolidation with Peter Liljedahl

🎙️Ep 96: Building Thick Understanding in Consolidation with Peter Liljedahl

✏️ Thin Sliced Problems - 

• ALL
• 2nd→ Valentines Day Themed, Black History Month Problems
• 3rd→ Bundle , Valentine’s Day Themed, Black History Month Problems
• 4th→ Area & perimeter with fractions, Valentines Day Themed , Black History Month Problems
• 5th→ Bundle, Black History Month Problems, Valentines Day Themed, Bundle with Biographies for BHM
• 6th→ Black History Month Problems, Bundle with Biographies for Black History Month 

📣 If you don't see the grade level you need, email me at [email protected]!

Have Questions? 📱 My DMs on IG are always open @hellomonamath

Send us Fan Mail

Help students see their whole selves in the math they're learning with culturally responsive teaching. What is your students relationship to math? 

Join me as I interview the authors of Cultivating Mathematical Hearts, you won't want to miss it!

In this episode we will chat about: 

• culturally relevant math
• eliciting student thinking
• math modeling

About our guests Maria del Rosario Zavala  and Julia Marai Aguirre:
📕 Cultivating Mathematical Hearts: Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching in Elementary Classrooms 

• Amazon  
• Corwin - 25% off and Free Shipping

💻  Julia Maria Aguirre Website

Links: 

✏️ Mathematician Posters   

✅ Black Mathematician Posters 

❤️ Math Tasks that allow for deep thinking & learning about  mathematicians

How to Increase Student Confidence in Math without Changing Your Curriculum

May 7, 2026 at 11:30 Central - Zoom 

Sign up NOW - monamath.com/leaderworkshop

Send us Fan Mail

In my 3rd year of teaching, I taught first and second grade. There were so many behavior problems such as kids rolling on the carpet, having fits, peeing their pants, asking to get water or go to the bathroom just to get out of the classroom, yelling out, refusing to do their work…. NO ONE was having fun, myself included, and they were barely learning.

What I know now… I’d do almost everything differently.

Join me for 6 ways to love teaching math– even if you’ve NEVER liked math in your entire life (because that was me)!

In this episode we'll chat about:

• the freedom to get creative
• providing the time for students to explore
• real world experiences in math

Mentioned in the Episode: 

❤️ 6 Ways to Teach Math Like You Love It!

📱 Go to my instagram @hellomonamath & share with me how you're listening!

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to Part 2 of my interview with Peter Liljedahl. If you missed Part 1 go listen to Episode 93, all about breaking down the 2 ways to consolidate. 

In this episode, Peter and I talk about concepts that will likely come up in your consolidating. This episode is jam packed with goodness! 

In this episode we will chat about: 

• thick understanding
• moving from simple understanding to sophisticated understanding
• building a thinking classroom

About our guest Peter Liljedahl:

💻 Peter's website: https://www.peterliljedahl.com/
🛜 Facebook Group - Building Thinking Classrooms
📝 Building a Thinking Classroom in Math (Article on Edutopia by Peter)

Mentioned in this episode: 

📘 Building Thinking Classrooms
📕 Modify your Building Thinking Classroom

Send us Fan Mail

We work tirelessly to ensure our students feel safe to take risks in our math classroom communities.

But to achieve that safety, our students need to be fully seen for who they truly are. By using the words of Black Mathematicians and other diverse math leaders we can empower and inspire our students to feel like they belong in our math classrooms.

In this episode we'll chat about:

• who we are teaching
• listening to student conversations
• doing the “get to know you” community building once a year

Mentioned in the Episode: 

🤍 Guide to Engaging Math Discussions

❤️ Mathematician Posters 

Month’s to be aware of: 

✨Black History Month- February
✨Asian Pacific American Month- May
✨Hispanic Heritage Month- Sept 15-Oct 15
✨Indigenous People’s Month- November
✨PRIDE- June

🚃 Fun fact!! I live in Chicago, right next to the train. You'll hear it a few times in the recording 🚂

RELATED RESOURCES:

🤍 Math Affirmations 

🤍 Math Classroom Norms 

🤍 Classroom Community Resource Bundle

Send us Fan Mail

Are you ready to start 2024 as the year to bring THINKING and sense making to your math classroom? Building a community is essential for building thinking classrooms. Let’s discuss the 3 mistakes I want you to avoid in 2024 as you build your thinking classroom.

In this episode we'll chat about:

• who we are teaching
• listening to student conversations
• doing the “get to know you” community building once a year

Mentioned in this episode:

🎙️ Ep 93: Building Thinking Classrooms Professional Development with Peter Liljedahl

✏️  Math Survey

✅ Math Coach Huddle

📣 Training: Every Student Access to Word Problems

📱 Go to my instagram @hellomonamath & share with me how you're listening!