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As long as Charizma Laughton can remember, her entire life was defined by a singular identity: she's bad at math, because she's not smart.  This self-image was rooted in deeply traumatic math class experiences that completely dismantled her self-confidence and made her feel like she was simply not capable of ... anything.

BUT THEN: she and Vanessa met after a yoga class in Bali recently, and after a mere two weeks of math therapy sessions together, Charizma had done a complete 180 (see what we did there?) and now has an entirely new outlook on not just math but on her entire life!  And she was brave and courageous enough to come on the podcast to tell the whole story.

Charizma's turbulent relationship with math will sound familiar, but what makes this episode one of a kind is her openness to rewriting her narratives, her commitment to confronting her fears, and the joy in her voice as she triumphantly declares herself not just a math person but a full-on mathematician!

Send this episode to the anyone in your life that recoils in fear at the word "math" - if Charizma can rewrite her story, anyone can.

• Connect with Vanessa: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)

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First of all, big news: as of this fall, Math Therapy will be a weekly podcast!  This has long been a goal, so after 6 glorious 10-episode seasons and a bunch of bonus eps along the way, we'll be hitting your feed every single Thursday starting September.

For now, we are back this month with 2 special interviews we recorded earlier in the year with some friends we made in Bali, Indonesia. (Next week's episode will legit blow your mind!!) 

Today, Vanessa explores the power of intuition and its role in math education with Rebecca McLeod, an artist/designer, yogi/meditator, and all around chill vibe.  Rebecca shares how discovering sacred geometry as an adult led her to reconnect with math and examine the idea of a deep and inner sense of knowing.  They discuss how this kind of intuitive thinking can help students engage with math on a more personal (and, dare we say, spiritual!) level, and how that can help them build real confidence in their learning. They also share practical tips for both teachers and students to tap into their intuition, and highlight the importance of creating a loving and curiosity-driven math classroom.

If you've ever struggled with math anxiety or felt disconnected from math, this episode offers a fresh, grounded, and empowering outlook.

Show notes:

• The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life, Vol 1 by Drunvalo Melchizedek
• The Flower of Life (google image search)
• Wikipedia article on Sacred Geometry
• Connect with Rebecca on Instagram @rebxxart
• Connect with Vanessa: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)

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Given how much Vanessa talks about astrology on the podcast, what do you think her success rate was for guessing the star signs of all the guests last season?  Today's episode (guest "hosted" by producer David) reveals all ... and also drops some hints about what to expect from this podcast in the coming months!

Show notes:

• Math Therapy the book - buy from Corwin Press or Amazon
• S5 outtakes: The Awkward Goodbye

Connect with Vanessa:

• @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)

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If you're a fan of the podcast, you've often heard Vanessa mention our producer "David" in reference to him getting mad at her for yelling into the mic or hitting the mic or generally doing things that impact the quality of this AUDIO medium.  And if it isn't apparent, this is actually David typing, because I also handle publishing the episodes, so I'll stop referring to myself in the 3rd person because it's weird!

In September we released an episode in which I interviewed Vanessa about her career and about her new book Math Therapy, a resource for teachers to bring strategies in the classroom to help students build a better relationship with math.  (After a little digitial mix-up, it is now shipping on Amazon/Kindle so go grab it!)

Afterwards, she decided to interview me about my own math journey, what I enjoy about working on the pod, and what I really think as an outsider about how intense the "math wars" debate has gotten.

About David:
In addition to producing/editing this podcast, I work as a mechanical engineer (3D CAD modelling and drafting) and play guitar & sing in the band Vanessa and I started in 2011, Goodnight Sunrise.  I don't have any personal social media links but I'm usually the snarky one behind our Twitter, so connect with Vanessa at the usual places below!

• Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)
• Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)
• Math Therapy the book is out now - buy from Corwin Press or Amazon
• David interviews Vanessa (from September 2024)

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Having attended and presented at the annual NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) conference, Vanessa reached out to "famously nice guy" Kevin Dykema, the organization's President, to learn more about his journey to the top.  Along the way she was surprised to learn that even he battles imposter syndrome, and the way he's learned to deal with it is by "learning what he doesn't know" and not being afraid to reach out for help.

Today's conversation covered the pros and cons of professional development, advice on how teachers can adapt to changing education systems, and how perspectives on math anxiety have shifted in recent years.  Kevin has an incredibly inspiring and optimistic outlook on education and you're going to love this convo!

About Kevin: (Twitter)
Kevin Dykema is President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), an international mathematics education organization with more than 30,000 members.  He has taught 8th grade mathematics for over 25 years and is currently at Mattawan Middle School in southwest Michigan. Kevin is a frequent speaker before mathematics education audiences and has co-authored Productive Math Struggle. 

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HUGE news - Math Therapy is now a book!  Vanessa has taken everything she's learned in her career helping students overcome math trauma, and all the insights from the 6 seasons of this podcast, and formulated a 5-step process to bring math therapy into classrooms and help all students develop a better relationship with math.

To celebrate, Math Therapy producer David Kochberg turned the mic around and interviewed Vanessa about how Math Therapy started in the first place, what gives her hope about the future of math education, and how she really feels about the provocative term "edu celeb"...

Show notes:

• Math Therapy the book is out now - buy from Corwin Press or Amazon
• S3E09: I’m not a math person, don’t @ me w/ Bex
• Vanessa's master's thesis "Imagining a World Where Paris Hilton Loves Math"

Connect with us:

• Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)
• Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)

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Dan Finkel is an author/educator who believes that humans are wired to be curious from birth, and that play is the secret to maintaining that joy of learning throughout childhood.  On today’s season 6 finale, he and Vanessa discuss how teaching kids about math can be so much more fun than we think; it can mean playing board games, counting on their fingers, anything that helps them develop an intuitive sense that there are patterns and structures in the world for them to discover. They also discuss how play-based approaches can even help grown-ups heal from math trauma!

About Dan (Website, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn)
Dan Finkel is the Founder and Director of Operations of Math for Love, a Seattle-based organization devoted to transforming how math is taught and learned. Dan is an author and game designer, develops curriculum, leads teacher workshops, and gives talks on mathematics and education. He contributes regularly to the New York Times Numberplay blog and hosts Seattle’s Julia Robinson Math Festival annually.

Show notes:

• Dan’s TED Talk: Five Principles of Extraordinary Math Teaching
• Martin Gardner’s “Mathematical Games” column in Scientific American
• earlyfamilymath.org
• Dan’s book: Pattern Breakers
• Upscale pattern blocks

Connect with us:

• Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)
• Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)

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Dr. India White learned grit and resilience the hard way: facing down obstacles throughout her life and deciding she wouldn’t back down.  Now she coaches teachers and students on developing their own gritty superpowers, and she joins Vanessa today for wide-ranging and inspiring conversation. They discuss her journey from a homeless shelter to a college dorm, how equity is about so much more than just race, and the power of lifting each other up as an antidote to fear.

About India
(Website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn)
As a TEDx speaker, I motivate students who are disadvantaged and at-risk of dropping out! As an educational consultant,  I help teachers understand equity and grit in a math classroom! As a speaker coach, I help leaders grow their speaking business! As a co-author for Big Ideas Learning, I provide a diverse lens on teaching math for all learners! As a #1 best-selling Published Author, I help aspiring authors thrive and finish writing their book!

Show notes:

• India’s TEDx Talk “The Power of Grit”

Connect with us:

• Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)
• Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)

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What if the secret to winning a debate was actually listening to your opponent? What if you could build confidence and overcome anxiety through the practice of public speaking?  And HOW does someone go from dreams of Broadway fame to teaching debate in math class?!  Find out today as Vanessa chats with math educator/coach Chris Luzniak, host of The DebateMath Podcast!

About Chris (Website, Twitter, Instagram)
Chris Luzniak is an international math consultant and instructional coach. While teaching in New York City public schools he founded the Speech and Debate team, and through this combination of teaching and coaching Chris has developed debate routines that bring student voice and discussion into the math classroom. He coaches teachers in both math and science to develop real-world debate activities for students, hosts The DebateMath Podcast (Subscribe, Twitter, YouTube), and explores these themes further in his book Up for Debate!

Connect with us:

• Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)
• Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)

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When Vanessa saw today’s guest deliver a deeply personal talk at a recent math conference, she was left with more questions than answers; all she knew for certain was she had to get him on the podcast.  Sean Nank is a math educator who believes that the power of our students' stories is the most valuable tool we can harness in our math classrooms, and he illustrates this by sharing his own journey of growing up in an abusive environment, learning to understand and embrace his OCD, and the fateful day that math, for real, saved his own life.

On that note, a heads up that today’s episode involves a brief discussion early on about abuse and suicide.

About Sean (Website, Twitter)
Sean Nank, PhD, is an award-winning math educator and author.  He has worked in various positions with the United States Department of Education, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Science Foundation, and the California Department of Education.  Sean currently serves on the Executive Board at the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM) and is the Associate Editor of their Journal of Mathematics Education Leadership (JMEL), and works at Amplify as a math content designer.

Show notes:

• Sean’s 2022 ShadowCon talk: “Mathematics saved my life”

Connect with us:

• Vanessa Vakharia: @themathguru (Insta, Twitter, TikTok)
• Math Therapy: @maththerapy (Twitter)