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Proficiency in math is something we talk a lot about in education, but do we actually know what it means? In the report Adding It Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics the authors offer up a definition of Math Proficiency called "The 5 Strands of Math Proficiency". It is depicted as a rope with 5 strands. In this episode we will break down what math proficiency is and how we can help our students be proficient in math. 

In this episode we will honestly chat about:

• The problem in America with Math Proficiency
• A definition of Proficiency in Math 
• The 5 Strands of Math Proficiency

Continue the learning at monamath.com/community monamath.com/ebook monamath.com/discussion to grab your free guide. 

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

Links Mentioned in the Episode: 

🤍 Adding it Up  (BOOK)

🤍Guide to Engaging Math Discussions 

Let’s Connect on Instagram @HelloMonaMath I LOVE chatting with listeners. Send me a DM and let me know you’re listening. 

Looking for a community of like minded math educators? Join The Math Teacher Collaborative Facebook Group! 

Send us Fan Mail

Black Mathematicians can be rolemodels for our students. Do you have a plan to celebrate Black Mathematicians in Math Class as a part of Black History Month? On this episode I'll help you create a plan for honoring and elevating the voices of Black Mathematicians in your Math Class.

In this episode we will honestly chat about:

• how representation can help students feel more connected to your community
• a sense of belonging and safety is essential to math class
• a plan for honor Black Mathematicians this month & every month

Continue the learning at monamath.com/community monamath.com/ebook monamath.com/discussion to grab your free guide. 

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

Resources Mentioned in the Episode: 

🤍Swoosh (Story of Lonnie Johnson) 

🤍The Girl with the Mind for Math (Story of Raye Montague) 

🤍Guide to Engaging Math Discussions 

Let’s Connect on Instagram @HelloMonaMath I LOVE chatting with listeners. Send me a DM and let me know you’re listening. 

Looking for a community of like minded math educators? Join The Math Teacher Collaborative Facebook Group! 

Send us Fan Mail

Let's Talk Math Talks. This is a How to Guide for Math Talks in the classroom. Let's Talk Math Talks includes what a math talk is, what a problem string is, and how to structure a math talk in your classroom. 

In this episode we will honestly chat about:

• Math Talk Routine- a complete how to 
• What a Math Talk is & What a Problem String is 
• You'll leave ready to lead a Math Talk with your students 

Continue the learning how to engage students in math discussions with this Engaging Math Discussions Guide Get it here  👉🏾monamath.com/discussion 

Links Mentioned in the Episode: 

🤍Guide to Engaging Math Discussions 

🤍 Number Talks by Kathy Richardson 

🤍 Pam Harris Problem Strings 

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

Let’s Connect on Instagram @HelloMonaMath I LOVE chatting with listeners. Send me a DM and let me know you’re listening. 

Looking for a community of like minded math educators? Join The Math Teacher Collaborative Facebook Group! 

Send us Fan Mail

Mini Math Chats: David Blackwell, Famous Black Mathematician 

Read this biography aloud to your class and share David Blackwell's story! 

Purchase the printed version of this biography (along with a lesson plan, graphic organizer, and more) at MonaMath.com/shop (search David Blackwell) or click here https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-History-Month-Leaders-Mathematician-David-Blackwell-Biography-6425040

Get ready for Black History Month in math class with these Black Famous Mathematicians Posters 

Use them year round to build an awareness of what real life mathematicians do and say! 

Let me know if you're loving these QUICK & ACTIONABLE Mini Math Chats 

👉🏾 Send me a DM on instagram @HelloMonaMath 

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👉🏾 Share with a friend who might need this math inspo in their life! 

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Brining important Black History Leaders to life in your classroom during Black History Month and beyond is essential to developing a classroom community. By introducing your students to important black history leaders you'll help them see themselves in the classroom. As Desiree says, you'll help them see what is possible... even in the difficult times! 

In this episode we will honestly chat about:

• What Black History Month can mean to your students 
• How to plan a memorable event- like a skit 
• The first step to take to develop ideas about a Black History Month event 

Building a classroom community is essential to helping ALL your students feel a sense of belonging. Learn more ways to develop your classroom community at monamath.com/community monamath.com/ebook monamath.com/discussion to grab your free guide. 

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

Links Mentioned in the Episode: 

www.desireemcgeegreene.com/read (BLOG) 

www.desireemcgeegreene.com/ideas (Video series with planning ideas!) 

MonaMath Black History Resources 

Find Desiree on Instagram @DesireeMcGeeGreene 

Let’s Connect on Instagram @HelloMonaMath I LOVE chatting with listeners. Send me a DM and let me know you’re listening. 

Looking for a community of like minded math educators? Join The Math Teacher Collaborative Facebook Group! 

Send us Fan Mail

Happy Classrooms are so needed in this post-pandemic education space. I recently saw Dr. Gholdy Muhammad speak as a keynote at ELeducation National Conference. She shared about infusing JOY in our classrooms... make Happy Classrooms to help our students engage and connect with the content. 

In this episode we will honestly chat about:

• Lessons of Joy from Dr. Gholdy Muhammad
• Easy to implement ideas for a Happy Classroom today! 

Continue the learning at monamath.com/community monamath.com/ebook monamath.com/discussion to grab your free guide. 

Find Dr. Gholdy Muhammad's new book Unearthing Joy 

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

Links Mentioned in the Episode: 

🤍Guide to Engaging Math Discussions 

Let’s Connect on Instagram @HelloMonaMath I LOVE chatting with listeners. Send me a DM and let me know you’re listening. 

Looking for a community of like minded math educators? Join The Math Teacher Collaborative Facebook Group! 

Send us Fan Mail

Math questioning strategies you can use in conferencing to help students develop confidence and understanding. Math conferences and discussions can be hard to keep everyone engaged, but these math questioning strategies can help! In this co-hosted episode with Johanna Kuiper @MissKupier 

In this episode we will honestly chat about:

• strategies you can use to help students maintain the cognitive load
• math questioning moves to ensure students learn to try 
• how math questioning leads to greater math confidence! 

Continue the learning at monamath.com/discussion to grab your free guide. 

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

Links Mentioned in the Episode: 

🤍 Book: Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics 

🤍 Book: In the Moment Confering in the Elementary Math Classroom 

🤍Guide to Engaging Math Discussions 

Let’s Connect on Instagram @HelloMonaMath I LOVE chatting with listeners. Send me a DM and let me know you’re listening. 

Looking for a community of like minded math educators? Join The Math Teacher Collaborative Facebook Group! 

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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How to Build a Community in a Classroom is not simple, but today I have 3 simple steps that can help you get started building your student centered math community. 
A place where students will not only feel like a member, but a founder of the community. 

In this episode we will honestly chat about:

• The common mistakes with most classroom community building activities
• How to help students deeply engage in building realtionships 
• Simple ways to center students voice in your classroom as a means to building a community 

Continue the learning at monamath.com/community to grab 7 more tips on how to develop a community in the math classroom. 

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

Links Mentioned in the Episode: 

🤍Guide to Engaging Math Discussions 

Let’s Connect on Instagram @HelloMonaMath I LOVE chatting with listeners. Send me a DM and let me know you’re listening. 

Looking for a community of like minded math educators? Join The Math Teacher Collaborative Facebook Group! 

Send us Fan Mail

Teachers as a leader of a strong math culture is something that can and should really happen in every school. If you are feeling undersupported, burnt out, and ready for a change... I think transitioning into a teacher leader position makes sense. Without this position our math culture will never fully come to life and teachers will continue to feel unsupported in bringing to life. However, when we empower a teacher as a leader of the math vision teachers can get the support they need to truly transform their classrooms into places where students are motivated to participate & engage in challenging math work! 

**I kept calling this episode 33... it's not it's 34. If you caught that and you're reading this DM on Instagram so I can send you a coffee. We all need more coffee.🤪

In this episode we will honestly chat about: 

• What a Teacher as a Leader of Math Culture looks like 
• The job description of a Math Culture Lead (as described by ELeducation.org) 
• How you can get a teacher leader position at your school 
  
  

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

Links Mentioned in the Episode: 

🤍 8 Ways to Transform Your Math Classroom Community 👉🏾 monamath.com/community

🤍 ELeducation Math Framework found here 👉🏾  www.eleducation.com

🤍 Math Vision monamath.com/blog/math-vision

Related Blog Posts: 

👉🏾Math Vision 

👉🏾Math Mindset Matters 

👉🏾Math Stories 

 Send me a DM on Instagram I LOVE chatting with people, so send me all your questions, comments and feedback! 

Tag me on Instagram @HelloMonaMath and let me know you're listening! I love seeing what parts are resonating with you. 

Send us Fan Mail

Math culture starts with building a guiding math vision. The math vision will help your team develop common language and in turn work toward building a math culture in your school or classroom. Math culture can feel overwhelming, but with a clear math vision you'll be well on your way to developing math culture to help your students achieve more than they thought possible. 

In this episode we will chat about: 

• what is math culture 
• what is a math vision
  
• how a math vision can be the first step toward building math culture
  
• 8 steps to developing math vision with your team 

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

Links Mentioned in the Episode: 

🤍Guide to Engaging Math Discussions 

Related Blog Posts: 

👉🏾Math Vision  monamath.com/blog/math-vision

👉🏾Math Mindset Matters 

👉🏾Math Stories 

Related Resources: 

🤍 Math Affirmations 

🤍 Math Classroom Norms 

🤍 Classroom Community Resource Bundle 

🤍 Math Stories Autobiography Writing Project

Send me a DM on Instagram I LOVE chatting with people, so send me all your questions, comments and feedback! 

Tag me on Instagram @HelloMonaMath and let me know you're listening! I love seeing what parts are resonating with you. 

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