“My students can’t” sounds like a fact, but it usually hides something else: we don’t yet have a clear way to see what students can do, name it, and build on it. We dig into that problem with two of our favorite educators, John Hayes and Victoria Holt, who bring their conference session “CYA: Cover Your Assets” to the mic and make it immediately usable for teachers, coaches, and administrators.

Link to the article that John mentions in the conversation.

If you want practical inclusive math classroom ideas that respect students’ abilities and raise the level of mathematical practice, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more teachers can find it.

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The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
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Pink Flamingo Day kicks things off with a surprising bit of natural history, then we make a sharp turn into the question that matters for every math teacher: what actually gets students thinking. We sit down with Peter Liljedahl, author of Building Thinking Classrooms, for a practical conversation that goes past the headlines and into the moves that make the work real in K-12 classrooms. 

If you want better math tasks, stronger lesson launches, clearer closings, and a more realistic picture of how Building Thinking Classrooms lives day to day, press play. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more teachers can find the conversation.

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The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
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Donald Duck ... Love him? Find him annoying? Or do you want him banned? (That story is fake, by the way....)

Then we pick up part two of our conversation with Peter Carpenter to get clear about something schools confuse constantly: adult learning is not one thing. Peter breaks it down into three practical buckets: training, professional development, and professional learning. Listen to find out the difference for yourself!

Then our final installment of Join Them on Their Journey from Chi Lo in Alameda, California with a candid end-of-year reflection on classroom management, planning, and what changed when his team added weekly quizzes for more timely feedback and family engagement. 

Subscribe for more conversations like this, share this episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators can find the show.

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The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
X: @cpmmath
Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram
Email: [email protected]

Spelling “tuberculosis” on the spot is one thing, but designing learning that actually changes what adults do is a whole different challenge. We start season six on Scripps Spelling Bee Day with a fast, funny spelling run and then we’re joined by Peter Carpenter, a longtime public educator turned coach, principal, and district leader, to talk about adult learning theory and what strong professional development design really requires.  

We also hear our final post from Jessie in Astoria, Oregon, reflecting on end-of-year realities and the practical Building Thinking Classroom “micro changes” that made a difference: random daily groups, more whiteboard thinking, bell ringers instead of homework, better note-taking routines, and more intentional assessment design. 

Subscribe for part two with Peter, share this with a colleague who plans PD, and leave a review with the one adult-learning move you wish every workshop leader would use.

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The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
X: @cpmmath
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Email: [email protected]

National Odometer Day sounds like a joke until you follow the math hiding in plain sight. We kick things off by unpacking what an odometer actually measures, why it can help prevent mileage fraud, and how it connects to geometry you can feel in your hands.

From there, our conversation opens up with Rafael del Castillo, CPM's Executive Director, as we reflect on five years of the More Math for More People podcast, the guests who’ve shaped our thinking, and the kind of math education community that forms when people show up ready to share. We also get real about remote work versus in person time: some work can happen virtually, but values clarity, strategy, and deep listening often need space, presence, and patience. 

The heart of the episode is leadership and strategic planning through the lens of healthy tension. We talk about values that pull in different directions, why “both-and” thinking matters, and how leaders can listen to learn rather than listening to respond. 

If you enjoyed this, subscribe, share it with a colleague, leave a review, and tell us: what tension are you trying to navigate in your work right now?

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The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
X: @cpmmath
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Email: [email protected]

We start by honoring school bus drivers and sharing our memories of riding the school bus on School Bus Driver Appreciation Day. 

Then we all know that math class gets quieter when students are confused and louder when they’re thinking together. That’s why we invited Marjorie Kucich and Sarah McKittrick to talk about station rotation in middle school math and how a smart rotation can turn a lesson into a room full of visible problem solving.

We dig into what “stations” really means in this context, we talk through concrete classroom logistics, and how a small amount of movement can act like a reset button for attention and engagement. We also get specific about consolidation. If you’re looking for practical station rotation ideas, middle school math engagement strategies, and routines that strengthen math discourse and classroom culture, you’ll leave with steps you can try right away. 

Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review telling us what station routine you want to test next.

Send Joel and Misty a message!

The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
X: @cpmmath
Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram
Email: [email protected]

National Gardening Day starts with a surprisingly honest question: do you like gardening, or do you like having a garden? From urban farming stats to blueberry bushes that take care of themselves, we warm up with the kind of curious, low-stakes talk that makes real learning feel safe.

Then we sit down with Judy Hutchinson, a math teacher in Rockford School District, to talk about CPM’s Academy of Best Practices and why it’s one of the most meaningful professional development experiences a teacher can have. Judy shares what it felt like to hit a rut, realize her practice had gone a bit “lackluster,” and decide to do something about it by attending ABP. And now she's feeling inspired in her teaching again!

Applications are due at the end of April, and the next Academy of Best Practices runs July 20–24 in Salt Lake City, with 32 spots per cohort (veteran CPM teachers and new-to-the-profession teachers). You can find more information and a link to the application here. 

Subscribe, share this with a teacher who needs a spark, and leave a review so more educators can find us.

Send Joel and Misty a message!

The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
X: @cpmmath
Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram
Email: [email protected]

It's National Crayon Day! What are your favorite or least favorite memories about crayons? Do you still like to use crayons today? :wink

Then we talk with Jeremiah Morgan about the Site-Based Leadership (SBL) Program and their upcoming book study on April 8, 15, 22, and 29. The book study will be engaging with The Instructional Coaching Toolkit, which you can purchase through the link below. 

As Jeremiah points out, the SBL Program is for everyone! For more details check out the SBL website. You can join the SBL Program HERE.

Register for the Book Study

Buy The Instructional Coaching Toolkit

Send Joel and Misty a message!

The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
X: @cpmmath
Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram
Email: [email protected]

This episode opens with a lighthearted discussion about National 3D Day, where we joke about three-dimensional experiences like 3D movies, printing, and art. 

Then we have another installment of Conversaciónes con Rafael. Together we reflect on the pressures of constant busyness in education and life, emphasizing the importance of intentionally creating time for reflection, creativity, and human connection rather than always working toward deliverables. We also discuss how technology—especially phones and screens—shapes students’ attention, learning, and relationships, debating the balance between limiting distractions and teaching responsible use. 

The episode concludes with updates from our Join them On Their Journey teacher updates.

Send Joel and Misty a message!

The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
X: @cpmmath
Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram
Email: [email protected]

On this episode we share the Ignite talks from the 2026 CPM Teacher Conference. 

The room buzzed with that end-of-day, can’t-stop-thinking energy as teachers took the Ignite stage and proved how five-minute stories can shift an entire practice. 

Personal stories tie it all together: a quiet teen who returns years later to teach calculus, reminders to expect students to surprise us, and a joyful tour through primes, cryptography, and algebra tiles that rekindle why we teach math in the first place. Along the way, we touch leadership that centers wholeness, reading that fuels growth, and communities that make better math together.

If this sparked an idea or gave you courage to try something new, share the episode with a colleague, subscribe for more, and leave a quick review telling us the one change you’ll make next class.

Send Joel and Misty a message!

The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
X: @cpmmath
Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram
Email: [email protected]