Math on the Rocks

Here is a quick episode before the CMC-South Conference. We continue grappling with Direct Instruction and its role in math instruction.

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RESOURCES  mentioned in this episode:

✚  What does MTSS look like in mathematics?

       https://thecorecollaborative.com/what-does-mtss-in-math-look-like/ 

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✚  The Math PLC Tune Up

      https://www.mimitoddpress.com/math-plc-tune-up    

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✚  WORKING DRAFT - Comprehensive Improvement Plan

       https://tinyurl.com/Draft-CIP-2026   

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✚  Intervention Pactice Guide - What Works Clearinghouse

      https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j6Dkaq9k0gYXcN8Ytiftej6jC3M-jwug/view?usp=sharing      

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✚  Dylan Wiliam Website - assessment expert

      https://www.dylanwiliam.org/      

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REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  Palm Springs, November 5-7, 2026:

      https://web.cvent.com/event/01e30aa0-d335-45fd-9440-479ce07a9d0d/summary 

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✚  Asilomar, December 4-6, 2026:

 .     https://web.cvent.com/event/427dfc37-3823-4270-b3a9-afa8dedddda7/websitePage:fe9d9041-4a3e-4342-bb45-5bc56ae2e4d2  

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✚  Bakersfield, March 12-13, 2027:

      https://web.cvent.com/event/433b3402-a490-4713-bafe-9a55f7103bfc/summary  

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Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

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As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

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SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

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✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

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✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

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If we were given a magic wand to design an instructional system that actually worked for all students, what would our system look like?  In this episode, the guys talk about exactly this.

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RESOURCES  mentioned in this episode:

✚  What does MTSS look like in mathematics?

       https://thecorecollaborative.com/what-does-mtss-in-math-look-like/ 

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✚  The Math PLC Tune Up

      https://www.mimitoddpress.com/math-plc-tune-up    

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✚  WORKING DRAFT - Comprehensive Improvement Plan

       https://tinyurl.com/Draft-CIP-2026   

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✚  Intervention Pactice Guide - What Works Clearinghouse

      https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j6Dkaq9k0gYXcN8Ytiftej6jC3M-jwug/view?usp=sharing      

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✚  Dylan Wiliam Website - assessment expert

      https://www.dylanwiliam.org/      

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REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  Palm Springs, November 5-7, 2026:

      https://web.cvent.com/event/01e30aa0-d335-45fd-9440-479ce07a9d0d/summary 

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✚  Asilomar, December 4-6, 2026:

 .     https://web.cvent.com/event/427dfc37-3823-4270-b3a9-afa8dedddda7/websitePage:fe9d9041-4a3e-4342-bb45-5bc56ae2e4d2  

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✚  Bakersfield, March 12-13, 2027:

      https://web.cvent.com/event/433b3402-a490-4713-bafe-9a55f7103bfc/summary  

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.  

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Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

.

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

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SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

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✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

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✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

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Inserting inquiry into your teaching routine is HARD. Teachers know this. Unfortunately, inquiry-based instruction has been caricatured as NOT TEACHING. Sometimes teachers find themselves having to defend their use of inquiry because strategic use of productive failure can look messy to a person expecting “I do, We do, You do”. Cole, Scott, and Duane talk about inquiry-based instruction and how to equip teachers to defend their choice to insert inquiry into their instruction. 

RESOURCES  mentioned in this episode:

✚  CPM Curriculum

       https://cpm.org/ 

✚  I Do, We Do, You Do is baked into our DNA

      https://duanehabecker.substack.com/p/teaching-through-problem-solving   

✚  When Problem Solving  Followed by Instruction Works

       https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEVmPX15wYY9rbUmF4NzfkUAZmRf8zjm/view?usp=drive_link   

✚  Does Discovery-Based  Instruction Enhance Learning?

      https://drive.google.com/file/d/18bKs0IxrnlUdCu2Elg3Q0LbyNBNiScOG/view?usp=drive_link     

✚  TIMSS Video Study

      https://www.timssvideo.com/     

✚  Teaching Gap by Stigler and Hiebert

      https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED434102     

✚  National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)

      https://www.nctq.org/     

REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  Palm Springs, November 5-7, 2026:

      https://web.cvent.com/event/01e30aa0-d335-45fd-9440-479ce07a9d0d/summary 

✚  Asilomar, December 4-6, 2026:

      https://web.cvent.com/event/427dfc37-3823-4270-b3a9-afa8dedddda7/websitePage:fe9d9041-4a3e-4342-bb45-5bc56ae2e4d2  

✚  Bakersfield, March 12-13, 2027:

      https://web.cvent.com/event/433b3402-a490-4713-bafe-9a55f7103bfc/summary  

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

English Learner Success Forum invites us to look beyond simply adopting high-quality instructional materials and ask a more important question: are those materials actually meeting the needs of multilingual learners?

In this episode, Dr. Alma Castro, Dr. Renee Skarin, and Dr. Julianne Foxworthy Gonzalez share what they learned from a deep review of mathematics materials used across California. They highlight important strengths, including stronger language objectives, more opportunities for student collaboration, attention to mathematical language, and more diverse representation.    

They also identify key gaps that teachers and leaders will need to address through implementation and professional learning. You’ll hear why materials still need stronger language-development progressions, better assessment of mathematical language, deeper support for collaborative discourse, more meaningful connections to students’ lived experiences, and greater use of students’ home languages. The conversation is a reminder that strong materials matter, but thoughtful implementation is what ultimately brings them to life for students.   

Resources

High Quality Instructional Materials Learning Partners Coalition (HQIM-LPC):

https://west.edtrust.org/resource/defining-high-quality-instructional-materials-for-mathematics-centering-the-assets-and-needs-of-multilingual-learner-and-english-learner-students/

Defining High Quality Instructional Materials:

https://west.edtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Defining-High-Quality-Instructional-Materials-for-Mathematics.pdf

ELSF’s Math Must-Haves:

https://elsuccessforum.org/materials-must-haves/math-must-haves

Realizing California's Vision for Mathematics: The Role of Curriculum-Based Professional Learning:

https://west.edtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Realizing-Californias-Vision-for-Mathematics-The-Role-of-Curriculum-Based-Professional-Learning.pdf

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

While Scott is having fun on the gold course, Duane and Cole continue our conversation about Direct Instruction. We bounce around ideas of how inquiry, direct instruction, and learning math facts all can co-exist for the benefit of our students. 

RESOURCES  mentioned in this episode:

✚  Alabama Numeracy Act resources

       ⚫️  https://amte.net/connections/2025/08/navigating-alabama-numeracy-act-together-collaborative-efforts-support

      ⚫️   https://www.bhamcityschools.org/o/bes/page/what-is-the-alabama-numeracy-act/  

✚  PACE policy brief stating 1 in 5 districts provided ZERO professional learning in mathematics

      https://edpolicyinca.org/sites/default/files/2026-09/pb_towne-sep2026.pdf    

✚  Pathway to learning multiplication facts (VIDEO)

       https://youtu.be/WfWavldQCdE?si=q24UT4yDCnyhu3te  

✚  Duane’s blog post: The ‘Guide on the Side’ is a Lie

      https://duanehabecker.substack.com/p/the-guide-on-the-side-is-a-lie    

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

The recent Science of Reading movement has caused dozens of states to update their instructional practices with reading. Many states have gone so far as to legislate science of reading instruction. Duane is concerned that well-meaning politicians and school leaders will attempt to over-generalize the direct instruction that is an essential component to teaching young readers and apply it to mathematics. This episode is the start of an ongoing series of conversations about direct instruction in mathematics. 

RESOURCES  mentioned in this episode:

✚  Explicit Direct Instruction

     https://keystoliteracy.com/blog/what-is-direct-systematic-and-explicit-instruction/   

✚  5 Components of Equitable and Engaging Teaching for All (from the California Math Framework)

      https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LcGU4WCQgiGkoMfdQSir1Hh3VkfolHvj/view?usp=sharing   

✚  SB 1067 - Math Diagnostic Assessment

       https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1067 

✚  5 Strands of math proficiency (Adding It Up)

         https://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Advocacy/Advocacy_Toolkit/Mathematical_Proficiency_Five_Strands.pdf 

✚  Duane’s blog posts about ambitious instruction

      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1393yIcuKFyVyEC9si_cAVaHJ8BuhpNE9gMRdfV_f8ts/edit?usp=sharing    

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Mike Flynn invites us to rethink accessibility in mathematics by shifting the focus from fixing students to redesigning the learning environment. Drawing on Universal Design for Learning and his own experience as both an educator and parent, Mike shows how small instructional changes can dramatically change how students experience math.

In this episode, Mike shares practical “micro moves” teachers can use with the curriculum they already have, including adding visuals, slowly revealing information, temporarily removing formal mathematics, offering multiple input choices, approximating quantities, and allowing students to represent their thinking in different ways.

You’ll also experience what it feels like to encounter a math task without full access and see how thoughtful teacher moves can open the door without lowering the rigor. Mike reminds us that accessibility and challenge are not opposites, and that sometimes a small change in how we launch or structure a task can completely change who gets to see themselves as a capable mathematician.

Resources

• Slides: bit.ly/MikeFlynnSlides

• Friends of Flynn: https://flynneducation.com/resources/

• Email [email protected]

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Joanie Funderburk challenges us to think about who is doing the mathematical thinking in our classrooms. Even when we believe students should make sense of mathematics for themselves, our instinct to help can sometimes lead us to take over the very thinking we want students to do.

In this episode, Joanie shares three practical ways to shift the cognitive lift to students: start with a quick win that gives every learner an entry point, get students talking so they can practice being mathematical thinkers, and choose cognitively demanding tasks while protecting that demand throughout the lesson.

You’ll hear classroom-ready ideas for opening routines, mathematical discourse, sentence frames, productive struggle, and responding when students get stuck without rescuing them. Joanie reminds us that every student deserves an opportunity to be heard doing mathematics and, ultimately, mathematics worth thinking about.

Resources

• Resources for follow up

• Session feedback

• Email: [email protected]

  
  

  Register for our conferences:

  ✚  Check out our conferences here:

        https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

  Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

       https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

  As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

       https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

  SUBSCRIBE!

  ✚  YouTube (video & audio):

       https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

  ✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

       https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

  ✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

       https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089

  
  

Heather Price invites us to look beyond what students learn in mathematics and consider how they experience the classroom. Drawing from research conducted in California middle schools, she explains how students’ feelings about math can shape their engagement, confidence, and achievement.

In this episode, Heather explores four interconnected conditions that help students thrive: positive relationships, a sense of belonging, growth-oriented mindsets, and high-quality instruction. You’ll hear concrete examples of teachers creating emotionally safe classrooms, recognizing students’ mathematical competence, normalizing mistakes, and providing meaningful opportunities for collaboration.

Heather also discusses the difference between social belonging and mathematics belonging, the value of specific and genuine praise, and why strong relationships cannot be separated from rigorous instruction. This conversation offers practical guidance for teachers, coaches, and leaders working to create classrooms where every student can feel like a capable mathematician.

CONTACT / RESOURCES

Heather Price

• Heather Price at the Learning Policy Institute

• Cultivating Math Mindsets: Full Report

• Math for Every Student: Research Brief

• Positive Conditions for Mathematics Learning: Full Report

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Ashley Powell invites us to rethink what it means to teach mathematics through problem solving. Rather than treating problem solving as something students do after they have learned a set of procedures, Ashley frames it as a powerful way students build understanding in the first place.

In this episode, Ashley shares practical ways to get started with problem-based instruction, including how to adapt simple tasks, create multiple entry points, and focus on the mathematics students are actually making sense of. She highlights three key features of strong tasks: the math must be problematic, the task must be accessible, and students must be asked to justify and explain their thinking.

You’ll hear classroom-ready ideas like broken-key tasks, cluster problems, proportional reasoning contexts, and prompts that help students move beyond “number plucking” toward reasoning. Ashley also reminds us to “be less helpful,” listen carefully to student thinking, and tell the right things at the right time. This conversation is a practical and encouraging starting point for teachers, coaches, and leaders who want to make problem solving central to how students experience mathematics.

CONTACT / RESOURCES

Ashley Powell

Ashley on LinkedIn

Teaching Mathematics through Problem Solving K-8, Expanded Edition

Register for our conferences:

✚  Check out our conferences here:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089