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
449 episodes
What About the Students Who Already Get It? – Supporting Advanced Learners Without Accelerating
What do you do when students already know the math before you even teach it?This question came straight from a listener—and it’s one we don’t talk about enough. While so much attention in education focuses on supporting students below gr...
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Episode 448
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17:43
“Thanks, But No Thanks”: Coaching Math Teachers Who Don’t Want Help
What do you do when a teacher says, “I’m good—I don’t need help”?This real-life math coaching dilemma came straight from a listener. And if you’re a math coach or instructional leader, chances are you’ve been there too. Whether it's past...
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Episode 447
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22:50
How to Design a Math Improvement Plan That Has Coherence From The District Office to the Classroom
Is your math team using the same words—but interpreting them in totally different ways?In schools and districts across the country, math leaders are working hard—but progress still feels fragile. Despite shared goals and com...
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Episode 446
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17:32
When Parents Push Back on “New Math”: Building Trust Through Clarity and Confidence
Have you heard a parent ask, “Why are we making math so complicated?” You're not alone.Many teachers want to move beyond rote procedures—but hit resistance when families raise concerns about “new math.” From social media pos...
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Episode 445
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25:36
MTSS: Fixing the Disconnect Between Tier 1 and Tier 3 Student Support
Are your Tier 3 supports disconnected from Tier 1 math instruction?You’re not alone. Many schools implement math intervention with the best intentions—yet students continue to miss critical Tier 1 instruction, feel left behind, and f...
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Episode 444
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22:03
Teaching Resilience in 2026: What Teachers, Leaders & Coaches Can Do When Students Shut Down
Students quitting when the math gets hard? You're not alone.In math classrooms everywhere, teachers want to promote thinking, reasoning, and productive struggle—but are met with disengagement when tasks become challenging. I...
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Episode 443
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27:33
When There’s Too Much Math to Cover: Why Teachers Need Permission & Support to Innovate
Ever feel like you’d love to try a new strategy—but you’re too afraid to fall behind?You’re not alone. Math teachers often want to innovate but feel stuck between pacing pressure, new resources, and competing priorities. In ...
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Episode 442
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26:06
Lessons Teachers & Leaders Need To Learn About Coaching Math in 2026
You’ve spent thousands on high-quality math curriculum and inspiring PD — yet instructional practices barely shift. Why?In this episode, Jon Orr tackles the elephant in the room: why good PD still fails to create consistent math instruct...
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Episode 441
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14:58
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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26:36
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