Math Chat

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Shifting pedagogy is one way you can achieve the ever present pressures of math achievement.
Have you noticed your students are required to not only know the math, but think critically about it, problem solve, and possess a deeper understanding of the concepts? Our eve changing is demanding a shift in pedagogy. One where we depart from traditional, teacher-centered approaches and embracing student-centered methods, might be just what you need!

In this episode we will chat about: 

• what shifting pedagogy means for you & your students 
• why change is so dang hard 
• 3 steps to begin shifting pedagogy 

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.

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Have you heard this from parents (or even your friends), "Why are they teaching this 'new math'?" To be honest, it's frustrating because it feels like a loose- loose situation. Like, what can I say that will convince you that it's not actually "new math".  In this episode we will go into why people say this and a few ideas for how to respond

In this episode we'll chat about: 

• What is new math? 
• Why is this even a thing people think and say? 
• How you can respond when someone asks you why you're teaching new math

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.

Send us Fan Mail

Do your math discussions sometimes feel like too much work to make it really WORTH IT? Join us in this episode as we unlock the secrets to making math discussions both engaging and effective. With a simple routine you can transform your classroom discussions and boost your students' math understanding.

In this episode:

• Explore why math discussions are a game-changer in education and how they foster deep understanding.
• Learn about the essential steps to plan and execute successful math discussions
• Find out why daily math discussions are the key to confident, independent learners and how to establish a consistent routine in your classroom.
  
  

Mentioned in this episode:
✨ Word Problem Workshop Teacher Training! Details here MonaMath.com/WPW

🆓 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Ambitious Teacher herself, Margaret "Peg" S. Smith, joins us today to reveal what ambitious teaching can look like in your classroom. Inside this conversation with Peg we're breaking down the elements of an equitable, inclusive, and ambitious mathematics class.

It was a complete honor to have this conversation with Peg where I felt like I was not only talking to the math expert I've long admired, but also talking to a warm and welcoming coach. Don't miss this chat! 

In this episode we'll chat about: 

• ambitious teaching in mathematics classrooms 
• establishing a learning goal 
• equitable teaching practices in the math classroom 
• what an ambitious teachers do and say in their math classroom! 
• the value of anticipating for planning & facilitating math

Mentioned in this episode:
Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All {Get your Copy Here}

5 Practices to Orchestrating Productive Math Discussions {Get your copy here}  

Taking Action Books {k-5 here} {6-8 here}

Redefining Success in Mathematics Teaching and Learning {Find article here}

More of Peg's Books:
5 Practices in Practice {Get your copy here}   

Mona's Contact Info:
🆓 Guide to Engaging Math Discussion MonaMath.com/Discussions
👏🏽 Word Problem Workshop Teacher Training 👉🏾 MonaMath.com/WPW
📱 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

OMG 😱 👀Do you love our weekly chats, but wish there was more? 👇🏾✨
Become an Insider of Honest Math Chat. Get exclusive episodes, freebies, and interviews. Insider only Q&As and Happy Hours with Mona each month! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2243739/supporters/new

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

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Have you considered anticipating student strategies when planning for math? In this episode I'm going to convince you that it is WELL worth your time!

In this episode we'll chat about: 

• How anticipating can help you steer the ship while students row! 
• Where anticipating fits into our math planning process 
• Anticipating as a way to assess and understand your students even better!

Mentioned in this episode:
🆓 Guide to Engaging Math Discussion MonaMath.com/Discussions
👏🏽 Word Problem Workshop Teacher Training 👉🏾 MonaMath.com/WPW
📱 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.

Do you love our weekly chats, but wish there was more?
Become an Insider of Honest Math Chat. Get exclusive episodes, freebies, and interviews. Insider only Q&As and Happy Hours with Mona each month! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2243739/supporters/new

Send us Fan Mail

Math Differentiate: Open tasks really can naturally differentiate. I know differentiation seems like there's a lot required of you-- planning, color coded copies, small groups... but what if I told you that one task can be differentiated easily by implementing these 4 steps!

In this episode we'll chat about: 

• What math differentiate is 
• 4 steps to differentiate math tasks 
• How having high expectations can change it all for our students 

Mentioned in this episode: 

🆓 Guide to Engaging Math Discussion MonaMath.com/Discussions

📚 My favorite books:  5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Math Discussions, Principles to Action, Taking Action 

📱 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.

Do you love our weekly chats, but wish there was more?
Become an Insider of Honest Math Chat. Get exclusive episodes, freebies, and interviews. Insider only Q&As and Happy Hours with Mona each month! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2243739/supporters/new

Send us Fan Mail

You want to build community & students confidence, but there just ⏰ is NOT time for all that. In this episode I'll show you how to build community & student confidence with a simple lesson plan straight from my favorite research based instructional practice... Word Problem Workshop!

In this episode we'll chat about: 

• What is a math community & why it matters 
• The elements of the lesson plan 
• How each element builds an essential skill for our students' Social Emotional Development! 
  
  

Mentioned in this episode:
🆓 Guide to Engaging Math Discussion MonaMath.com/Discussions
The Lesson Plan 👉🏾 MonaMath.com/Podcast/77
Learn more about Word Problem Workshop 

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Do you know what Beyonce's Birthday & being good at math have in common??
While it migh tbe Beyonce's birthday, it's also my brithday AND my friends Juliana & Kristen's Birthday too! 
So, we're getting together to chat about our favorite thing... helping students be GREAT at math! 

In this episode we'll chat about: 

• What does it mean to be good at math?

• How do we help students develop as mathematicians 

• Fostering Risk Taking in Math

• One thing we wish we saw more of in math classrooms 
  
  

You're not going to want to miss this ✨birthday chat ✨

Connect with my friends: 
Juliana: 
@Collaborated.With.Juliana
https://www.collaboratedconsulting.org/ 

Kristen:
@MoorethanjustX
www.MooreThanJustX.com

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.

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

Proactive classroom management means you have a plan and you're ready to take action when those inevidable behaviors occur. In order to create a strong math community, you'll need some proactive classroom management strategies. 

Today we'll chat about: 

• 4 agreements we need to make about proactive classroom management 
• general guidelines for classroom management in math 
• scenerios and how to deal with them in 4 steps! 

Mentioned in this episode: 

🆓 Guide to Engaging Math Discussion MonaMath.com/Discussions

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

Books I love & mentioned often: 

📗Adding it Up https://amzn.to/3FzM4as 

📘Children’s Mathematics Cognitively Guided Instruction  https://amzn.to/3FzLMQU 

📙Principles to Action: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All https://amzn.to/42o816h 

📕5 Practices for Orchestrating Math Discussions https://amzn.to/3zagEEl 

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.

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

Do you experience homework stress? Maybe with giving? grading? helping your own kids? Today I might ruffle some feathers with my opinion about homework, but I hope you stick with me because... 
Today we'll chat about: 

• why we give homework 
• why students don't do homework 
• what might happen if we just stop giving homework this year. 

It's okay if we disagree, I would love to brainstorm ways we can reduce homework stress & make math more equitable. If you're up to chat send me at DM on IG @HelloMonaMath

Mentioned in this episode: 

🆓 Guide to Engaging Math Discussion MonaMath.com/Discussions

📱 Go to my instagram @hellomonamath & share your definition of math on the post! 

Books I love & mentioned often: 

📗Adding it Up https://amzn.to/3FzM4as 

📘Children’s Mathematics Cognitively Guided Instruction  https://amzn.to/3FzLMQU 

📙Principles to Action: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All https://amzn.to/42o816h 

📕5 Practices for Orchestrating Math Discussions https://amzn.to/3zagEEl 

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.