As teachers, we are expected to wear many hats - content area expert, pedagogical master, mentor, coach, referee, janitor . . . just to name a few. What if it is possible, in the midst of trying to find the best teaching method or ways to hit all the standards, we miss what is truly important? I was reminded of this from my dear colleague, Angel Young. She reminded me that the power of student relationships and the development of young adults is what teaching is really all about. Enjoy this wonderful episode of Angel sharing her stories, words of wisdom, and passion for teaching. She is inspiring!

It's been a while, but I'm Beck! (Back, get it?) Glad to hop back on the podcast and share some life updates, as well as some encouragement to take some risks in teaching! Lots of wonderful things happening right now that I am so thankful for.

Here's a link to the task I talked about if interested. All about arithmetic and geometric sequences. Some of the questions I added for scaffolding, but I think the heart of the task is really questions 7-8.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vWVmdc8iHWhuniDSKsBnF1Nn_Iu8bKuDkc9TVlLJqgo/edit?usp=sharing

Logan Johnson just finished up his first year teaching Algebra 1 at Mountain View High School with yours truly. In this episode, Logan shares the highs, the lows, and everything between about his first year of teaching. He's got some great ideas to share, and some encouragement for those who found their first year of teaching to be difficult (aka everyone).

Check out Logan's awesome "Patient Zero" exponential activity below! There's a spreadsheet, student handout, and slides.

⁠https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/140zkzwBCUS4nGK5TtF_-QJHKPz6rK1EM/edit?gid=1273526271#gid=1273526271⁠

⁠https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b6bgpUIjQgLNDQwmBHdTgUxKpi4oZ099/view?usp=sharing⁠

⁠https://drive.google.com/file/d/13AjiTMvWK5BuI4_SYqEBPO9JyebJ5z6b/view?usp=sharing

Does technology help, or hinder, student learning? Come explore the nuances of this debate with my professor, Dr. Shannon Guerrero. We get into the ways of using technology that are most beneficial for student learning of mathematics, and how to take advantage of the AI boom that is upon us all.

Dr. Guerrero is a professor of Mathematics Education at Northern Arizona University with a special interest in helping teachers find ways of utilizing technology and AI programs for the benefit of all students.

This is a special episode where I interview a handful of students about the 2023-2024 school year. I hope to make this an annual tradition where students tell me what worked and offer ideas on how to improve my classroom. There's so many stakeholders in math education who want to improve it - let's hear from the students! Hearing the thoughtful responses from the students was the perfect way to end the year.

Dr. James Tanton is a mathematician dedicated to showing the world the beauty, wonder, and joy of mathematics. He and I discuss how mathematics truly is these things, the Quadrus Method for solving quadratic equations, and the role of AI in mathematics education. I hope you leave this podcast with a new sense of the transcendental nature of mathematics and the inspiration to try the Quadrus Method when teaching quadratic equations.

Dr. Tanton's website: https://gdaymath.com/

Twitter / X: @jamestanton

YouTube: @JamesTantonMath

In this episode, I interview my friend and colleague Lisa Federico. We talk all about helping students remain positive in math class and a collaborative poster project Lisa came up with. I really enjoyed this conversation, I hope you do too!

In this episode, I share an audio recording of one the assignments from my graduate program. I argued for the use of technology in the classroom because of how it enables learning. I also share some thoughts from the book Digital Liturgies by Samuel D. James. Technology use in education is such a fascinating and important topic to consider. Hope you enjoy!

Video of my argument:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZLL5LHsiwPqh0PUGdmnZun8CXpcMr-9A/view?usp=sharing

Digital Liturgies Book:

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Liturgies-Rediscovering-Christian-Wisdom/dp/1433587130/ref=asc_df_1433587130/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=647293210985&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15682159844426849966&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030263&hvtargid=pla-1958853086310&psc=1&mcid=020b12f50aca3d08a47eb43560a2eb33

Socratic Circle? In a math class? Even though this is an instructional technique that is mostly used by English teachers, I thought I'd share about one of my favorite lessons all year that incorporates Mathematical Modeling into a Socratic Circle. It is such a fun way to get students engaged and discussing rich mathematical topics. Below is a link to the handout that I give students for this assignment. Hope you enjoy this episode! If you liked it, please share with another teacher who you think may like it too.

Math Modeling Task:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HMYFKlPiPyrNV_eSwEuoUylfAS_RryYo0PBBLBp_hso/edit?usp=sharing.

Shoe size of lady liberty: https://teacher.desmos.com/activitybuilder/custom/633e1d22ebf860a4dc1dd00c?collections=62d58946ff1d24051c15e554

In this episode, Jennifer North-Morris and I discuss the power of graphing technology, various Building Thinking Classrooms strategies, and the overall excitement of teaching math. Check NoMo out on X at @jnomo and her website, north-morris.net. Hope you enjoyed this episode, share this episode with another teacher who you think may enjoy it as well!