Making Math Moments That Matter
Helping you transform your K-12 math lesson plans by building confidence in effective teaching practices, guiding you to transform your math curriculum, and inspiring classroom strategies to engage all students.
As a teacher are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans where students don't want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings?
As a mathematics coordinator or leader are you wondering how to support teachers when implementing engaging math lessons that fuel student sense making?
Over the last 19 years, Kyle and Jon, the founders of MakeMathMoments.com have been engaging students, teachers, and district program leaders with effective mathematics pedagogy, accessible resources, and inspiring learning environments in K-12 math classrooms.
Now, in this podcast they coach you - K-12 classroom teachers and district leaders of mathematics through a 6 step plan that cultivates and fosters your mathematics program like a strong, healthy and balanced tree.
If you master the 6 parts of an effective mathematics program, the impact you have on students or teachers will grow and reach far and wide.
Every week, you’ll hear insight from practicing classroom teachers and leaders in math education so you’ll get the feedback, guidance, and fresh ideas you need to stop feeling overwhelmed, gain back your confidence, and inspire the students and fellow teachers you serve to enjoy the beauty of mathematics once again.
Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180
Episodes
441 episodes
Tired of Calling on the Same Few Students in Your Math Classroom? Fixing Math Discourse Fatigue
Why is it so hard to get more students talking in math class? In this episode, the team digs into a common challenge: when just a few confident students dominate math class discussions, while others stay silent. Drawing from personal experi...
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Episode 440
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18:41
How Do I Teach Grade-Level Math When My Students Are All Over the Map?
Struggling to meet the needs of every math learner in a single classroom?Many teachers feel overwhelmed when students show up with wildly different entry points—especially when they're trying to teach to grade-level standards with integ...
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Episode 439
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20:38
Avoid this Mistake When Teaching Multiplication: An Interview with Dr. Alex Lawson
In this eye-opening episode, math researcher and educator Dr. Alex Lawson challenges one of the most common approaches to teaching multiplication: introducing it as “groups of.” Drawing on years of classroom-based research, Alex reveals why...
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Episode 438
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27:11
The Most Critical Math Improvement Planning Insights for 2026
You’ve made big moves in your math program—but something still feels stuck. Why?After a full year of supporting school and district teams, we’re reflecting on the shifts that created real traction—and the patterns that quietly stalled pr...
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Episode 437
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21:57
Rest, Reflection & Math Leadership Wins – A Holiday Message from the MMM Team
Feeling behind? Tired? Wondering if your math improvement efforts are making a difference?In this episode released on Christmas Day, Jon Orr shares a message just for you—educators, coaches, and leaders doing the slow, often...
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Episode 436
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8:03
Why Students Still Hate Math—Even If They Are Scoring High
You’re seeing growth in the data. Students are performing well. But something feels… off. Maybe they’re disengaged. Maybe they’re saying they don’t like math. Or maybe, they’re just going through the motions.In this episode,...
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Episode 435
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23:46
When Early Strategies Are No Longer Working: Helping Students & Teachers Move Toward Efficiency in Math
Ever watched a student solve 146 ÷ 12 by drawing 146 dots… one by one?In this episode, the MMM team dives into a common but frustrating classroom challenge: students who cling to inefficient math strategies like counting on fingers, skip...
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Episode 434
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27:01
I Taught It… So Why Don’t They Remember?? Tackling Retention in Math From the District Office to the Classroom
You poured your heart into teaching a key math concept—and a student tells you they’ve never even heard of it. Sound familiar?In this episode, hosts Yvette Lehman and Jon Orr explore one of the most frustrating challenges in mat...
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Episode 433
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17:58
Helping Teachers Move Beyond the Algorithm in Math Instruction: Resistance to Teaching Multiple Strategies in Math
Are your teachers reluctant to move beyond the standard algorithm—even when it clearly isn’t working for their students?In this episode, we explore a real-world example of a school trying to shift toward computational fluency—but getting...
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Episode 432
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17:24
How Do We Help Our Multi-Language Learners Thrive in Math
Are your multi-language learners struggling to engage in math class? You’re not alone. Many teachers recognize the issue but feel unsure how to help—especially when language becomes a barrier to grade-level math content.In this team epis...
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Episode 431
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21:49
Essential Math Coaching: The Highest Leveraged Move You Can Make For Math Improvement
Why are so many districts pouring resources into math PD but seeing so little classroom change?It’s not because teachers aren’t trying. It’s not about motivation or willingness. The real reason is this: most systems aren’t built to suppo...
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Episode 430
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12:42
Why “Fidelity” Might Be Hurting Your Momentum In Math Improvement
You're rolling out a math resource across your district—but you’re noticing that some classrooms feel scripted and disconnected from student thinking. What’s going wrong?In this episode, we reflect on a powerful insight from Dr. Crystal ...
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Episode 429
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23:26
From AI to Joyful Math Teaching: Ideas You Can Use Tomorrow
In this episode, we share our biggest insights from the 7th annual Make Math Moments Virtual Summit. We highlight powerful sessions that explored ethical AI use, responsive planning, student motivation, and math teacher well-being.Yvette...
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Episode 428
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22:27
From Math Overload to Alignment: A Mentoring Moment for Leaders
Leading math professional learning in a large system is never simple — especially when every school wants something different. How do you support meaningful math growth without burning out or losing focus?In this Mentoring Moment episode, y...
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Episode 427
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26:30
Inside One District’s Journey to Define Math Critical Thinking
Your math vision prioritizes critical thinking, but can everyone on your team describe what that actually looks like in classrooms?In this episode, you’ll sit in on a real conversation between our team as we unpack a problem of practice....
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Episode 426
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18:45
Is Critical Thinking Just a Buzzword in Your Math Action Plans?
Do you say your math program prioritizes critical thinking, but struggle to see it in action across classrooms?Many districts include critical thinking as part of their math vision. It is a powerful goal and one that prepares students to...
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Episode 425
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26:51
Why Your Math Goals Might Not Be Working — and What One Team Changed
Is your school or district chasing improvement—but feeling like nothing sticks? You're not alone. Fragmentation and unclear goals might be the reason you're not seeing real change.In this episode, we go beyond theory and dive into a real...
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Episode 424
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18:36
Does Everyone Know What Fluency in Math Means? Understanding The Math Coherence Gap
Have you ever left a team meeting feeling confident everyone was working toward the same math goal, only to realize later that each person defined success in a different way?This episode explores how that kind of disconnect can quietly s...
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Episode 423
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27:11
How One School Used the Stages of Implementation to Drive Real Change
You’ve got a strong teacher, strong strategies—and still, the innovation stalls. What gives? In this episode, we tackle what’s really behind resistance in math PD and why most implementation efforts collapse long before proficiency is ...
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Episode 422
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20:15
Five Phases of Implementation Every Math Leader Needs To Know To Overcome Resistance
Still stuck “talking” about change, but not seeing it in action? The real roadblock to change in math may not be teacher resistance—it might be your system.Based on Jim Knight’s powerful article in Educational Leadership, “Movin...
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Episode 421
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31:05
How to Build a Math Plan That Survives Leadership Changes
What happens to your math improvement efforts when you leave the role?Many school and district leaders assume that lack of time or teacher buy-in is the biggest barrier to sustainable change. But the real threat? Fragility—the r...
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Episode 420
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20:23
The Biggest Threat To Sustainable Math Improvement - Your Guess Will Be Wrong!
Why does your math plan feel like it resets every time someone new steps in?You’ve seen it happen: a coordinator retires, a coach changes roles, or a principal moves on—and suddenly all the momentum in your math plan disappears. Teachers...
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Episode 419
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8:39
Math Fluency in Action: Observing What Proficient Students Actually Do
What does it really mean to be fluent in math—and are we measuring the right things in our classrooms?Math fluency is often reduced to speed drills and memorization—but true fluency goes much deeper. In this episode, we unpack t...
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Episode 418
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54:45
Why Your Math Coaching Model Isn’t Working — Insights from Jim Strachan
How do you know if your district’s mentoring and coaching efforts are actually making a difference?Too often, system and instructional leaders focus on program delivery but miss the deeper question: how do we monitor and support the real...
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Episode 417
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29:07
Making Durable Decisions in Math Leadership | A Sustainable Math Practice Case Study
Fidelity matters, yet rigidity can stall growth. In this follow-up episode, we revisit the balance between fidelity and flexibility in math improvement and explore how two district partners faced this exact challenge.You will hear how th...
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Episode 416
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18:57