Math Chat

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Are you building a thinking classroom? I know many teachers are thinking about sense making and helping their students think about math. Peter Liljedahl talks all about this in his book "Building Thinking Classrooms". You won't want to miss my chat with Peter!

In this episode we will chat about: 

• consolidation
• being a curator
• learn with your students

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

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

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

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Purposeful techniques are the key to getting every student describing their math thinking and learning from each other. 

Dr. Sztajn is the author of 📘 Activating Math Talk 11 Purposeful Techniques and the Dean of the College of Education at North Carolina State University.   She has published over 90 papers, an edited book with Teachers College Press in addition to the book she  authored for practitioners with Corwin Press. 

You are going to love our chat about purposeful techniques for math discussions!

In this episode we'll chat about:

• rehearsing in the math classroom
• having productive conversations every day
• empowering our students to participate

About our Guest Paola Sztajn:

• Biography
• Activating Math Talk: 11 Purposeful Techniques for your Elementary Students click HERE to purchase

Mentioned in this episode:

💻 Corwin Mathematics (Use code CORWIN25 to get 25% off and free shipping!)

🎙️ Episode 80 - Ambitious Teaching with Margaret "Peg" S. Smith 

 

I'm making updates to Honest Math Chat podcast for 2024! For almost 💯 episodes I've been sharing strategies and tips to get students engaged in learning math through student centered instruction.

✨I want to know what support & ideas YOU want and need!✨
👇🏾 Can you take 1 minute to answer this 2 question survey?
Click HERE for Survey!


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

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Building Math Thinking in 2024-- let's quickly get prepared for a new year, before winter break! 

Today is all about planning for the new year in your math classroom.

In this episode we'll chat about:

• establishing a classroom community that allows students to problem solve
• structures and routines to make the community feel predictable and safe, AND allow for deep thinking
• do more with less

Mentioned in this episode:

🔥 My favorite warm ups:

• Which One Doesn't Belong
• Number of the Day
• Decimal of the Day
• Alike & Different

✏️ Problem of the Day Bundle

✅  Thin Sliced Problems

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

📣 I'm making updates to Honest Math Chat podcast for 2024! For almost 💯 episodes I've been sharing strategies and tips to get students engaged in learning math through student centered instruction.
✨I want to know what support & ideas YOU want and need!✨
👇🏾 Can you take 1 minute to answer this 2 question survey?
Click HERE for Survey!

Leave a review!! If you love listening to Honest Math Chat, please take a few seconds to leave a review so other teachers know this is a valuable place to spend a few minutes each week.

Send us Fan Mail

What is your relationship with math? Math Trauma is real.
 
When I walked into my first ever classroom I brought with me a lot of math baggage I didn’t even know I had. I had been avoiding math for almost 2 decades at that point. As far back as I can remember I never enjoyed math...what I had was Math Trauma.

Join me today as I explain what Math Trauma is and what you can do to help your students in the math classroom.

In this episode we'll chat about:

• the definition of math trauma
• knowing our students and their traumas 
• re-define math culture

Mentioned in this episode:

📣 8 Ways to Address Math Trauma in your Classroom

📝 Math Survey

✅  Mathematician Posters
 

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

📣 I'm making updates to Honest Math Chat podcast for 2024! For almost 💯 episodes I've been sharing strategies and tips to get students engaged in learning math through student centered instruction.

✨I want to know what support & ideas YOU want and need!✨
👇🏾 Can you take 1 minute to answer this 2 question survey?
Click HERE for Survey!

Send us Fan Mail

December...is...a...lot!
✏️ Make your life easier by... Clicking HERE for FREE Winter Math Warm Ups

You are the expert of your classroom and community. You know what will get  your students excited and engaged. I encourage you to use this season of wild winter break build up to insert some play and fun because in the end it will infuse JOY and building your community with JOY is the best way!

In this episode we'll chat about:

• stick to routines in the classroom
• embrace the extra student energy
• add extra fun activities to your lesson plans

Mentioned in this episode:

🎲 Logic Games -  Mancala and Blokus

🎁 Math related gift ideas -  https://monamath.com/teacher-gift-ideas-for-christmas/

❄️ Snowflake Ornament Materials (Pipe Cleaners and Beads)

🎙️Episode 85 - Math problem solving with John SanGiovanni

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

📣 I'm making updates to Honest Math Chat podcast for 2024! For almost 💯 episodes I've been sharing strategies and tips to get students engaged in learning math through student centered instruction.

✨I want to know what support & ideas YOU want and need!✨
👇🏾 Can you take 1 minute to answer this 2 question survey? 
Click HERE for Survey!

Leave a review!! If you love listening to Honest Math Chat, please take a few seconds to leave a review so other teachers know this is a valuable place to spend a few minutes each week.

Send us Fan Mail

Math is about more than filling in worksheets. Math is about finding patterns, reasoning, justifying your reasoning and making sense of the world with math. 

Join me today as I discuss Quick Math Warm Ups and how to use them in your math classroom.

In this episode we'll chat about:

• set your intention for math warm ups
• hold a quick debrief after the math warm up
• use math warm up skills to teach SEL skills 

Mentioned in this episode:

✏️ Word Problem Workshop Teacher Training - Sign Up

🎙️Episode 87 - Why you need SEL in Math Problem Solving...Now!

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

Leave a review!! If you love listening to Honest Math Chat, please take a few seconds to leave a review so other teachers know this is a valuable place to spend a few minutes each week.

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Were not just making kids better at math, were making sure our kids can tackle ANY problem… we’re making better people. Am I right?

Problem Solving is the key to integrating SEL into our math lessons. Problem solving gives our students the opportunity to practice the skills like- decision making, self awareness & self management while also interacting with peers through collaborative problem solving and building their social awareness and relationship skills.

Let's jump in and learn more about SEL in the math classroom!

In this episode we'll chat about:

• empowering students in the math classroom
• a realistic plan for teaching social emotional learning in math
• practical application in the classroom

Mentioned in this episode:

✏️ Word Problem Workshop Teacher Training - Sign Up

🎙️Episode 86 - Math Problem Solving with John SanGiovanni

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

Leave a review!! If you love listening to Honest Math Chat, please take a few seconds to leave a review so other teachers know this is a valuable place to spend a few minutes each week.

Support the show

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Are you using tasks with your students to promote mathematical thinking, but it often feels like something is missing?

Let's delve into what might be happening and find ways to enhance the effectiveness of your mathematical teaching methods!

In this episode we'll chat about:

• defining math tasks 
• getting students to think 
• mistakes to avoid when debriefing 

Mentioned in this episode:

📕 5 Practices for Orchestrating Math Discussions

🎙️Episode 84 - Productive Struggle: Building Confident Problem Solvers

🎙️Episode 80 - Ambitious Teaching with Margaret "Peg" S. Smith

🆓 Guide to Engaging Math Discussion MonaMath.com/Discussions

📱 Sign up for Math Insiders HERE.  

Leave a review!! 

If you love listening to Honest Math Chat, please take a few seconds to leave a review so other teachers know this is a valuable place to spend a few minutes each week.

Send us Fan Mail

Math problem solving is John SanGiovanni's thing... let's just say he is THE expert. On this interview we cover it all: tinkering, getting dirty, and balance... in MATH CLASS! You're going to love this fun chat with John SanGiovanni all about math problem solving.

In this episode we will chat about: 

• problem solving 
• many challenges in teaching math
• getting through math curriculum

Mentioned in this episode: 

📣 John SanGiovanni - Use code CORWIN25 for 25% off and Free Shipping!

ATTN: ✨Announcement 👏🏽 If your students struggle to solve word problems independently then you gotta attend my BRAND NEW Masterclass on Nov. 15th
MonaMath.com/class to sign up! 

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

Leave a review!! If you love listening to Honest Math Chat, please take a few seconds to leave a review so other teachers know this is a valuable place to spend a few minutes each week.

Support the show

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

Productive Struggle is a hot topic in lots of math teacher circles. Do you use it with your students? In this episode we'll cover what research says about productive struggle- why it is important to building confident problem solvers & deep mathematical thinkers!

In this episode we'll chat about:

• how research defines productive struggle 
• our role in productive struggle 
• building students confidence in math using productive struggle 
• proven framework for our PATH to productive struggle in our classrooms! 

Mentioned in this episode: 

🆓 Guide to Engaging Math Discussion MonaMath.com/Discussions

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

Leave a review!! 

If you love listening to Honest Math Chat, please take a few seconds to leave a review so other teachers know this is a valuable place to spend a few minutes each week.