Make Math Happen
Make Math Happen (formerly known as PD for the SOUL) is the podcast for educators ready to move with intention and teach with impact. Hosted by math coach and equity-focused educator Laneshia Boone, each episode bridges practice and purpose to help you design instruction that centers students, builds capacity, and makes learning stick—especially for those pushed to the margins.
Every week, you’ll get strategies that work in real classrooms, grounded reflections that challenge the status quo, and conversations with educators who are making bold moves in math education. From planning with purpose to using charts that anchor learning, from building strong routines to disrupting expired rules, this podcast is where meaningful math instruction comes to life.
You’ll walk away with ready-to-use tools, fresh insight, and the confidence to make every lesson count.
Because when we move with care, plan with clarity, and teach with courage, we make math happen.
Episodes
37 episodes
Activate the Lesson: Setting the Stage for High Expectations
Before students ever dive into a new concept, the Activate portion of your lesson determines whether they’re truly ready to think. In this episode, Laneshia models what an intentional Activate sounds like—from synthesizing a spiral war...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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17:44
The Weight of our Beliefs
Six weeks into the school year, the cracks start to show — the fatigue, the frustration, and the quiet slide into low expectations. In this episode of Make Math Happen, Laneshia gets real about the dangerous drift toward deficit thinki...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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11:47
The Weight of the Work
In this episode of Make Math Happen, I get real about the weight of the work we do as educators. From the progress my team has made in planning, to the hard truths about classroom management, to the reflection that leadership demands—I...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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19:21
Your Educational Landscape
What does your educational landscape look like, and what role do you play in it?In this episode, I share what I’ve been noticing in classrooms just three weeks into the school year: disengagement. Students with heads down, hesitant to pa...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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16:28
Math Moves that Matter: Building Capacity One Lesson at a Time
In this conversation with Toni Hardy, we dig into what it really means to build capacity in math classrooms—one intentional move at a time. Toni shares how small, purposeful shifts in lesson planning and delivery create long-term impact for stu...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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52:19
Organized for Impact
Organization isn’t about perfection—it’s about impact. In this episode of Make Math Happen, Laneshia breaks down three truths every educator needs to hear: don’t put off what can be done today, stop making things harder than they need ...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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24:39
Making Thinking Visible with Anchor Charts
Anchor charts aren’t just classroom décor—they’re tools for making learning visible, guiding students toward deep understanding, and accelerating achievement. In this episode of Make Math Happen, Laneshia connects anchor chart planning to resea...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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30:22
Start Strong, Stay Ready: Planning with Purpose and Power
If we want to end the year strong, we have to start strong—and that means getting intentional about both our environment and our instruction from Day 1. In this episode, Laneshia unpacks Phase 2 of Get Better Faster—where the management ...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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25:38
5 Moves to Make Math Happen from Day One
Welcome to a brand-new season and a brand-new name—Make Math Happen! In this first episode of August, we're diving into five strategic moves you can make right now to start the school year with clarity, confidence, and impact.In...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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24:35
The Margins are the Map
Dear Educator,In this episode, we delve into the essence of strategic planning with a focus on proactive and thoughtful approaches. Laneshia emphasizes the importance of designing lessons for students on the margins, highlighting that th...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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16:37
Bridges to Belonging: Building the Foundation for High School Math Success
Dear Educator,What does it mean to truly prepare students for what lies ahead—not just academically, but emotionally, socially, and intellectually?In this episode of PD for the Soul, we’re bu...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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53:01
Every Mind. Every Moment: Teaching Beyond the Label
Dear Educator,What happens when we stop treating disability, race, and learning needs as separate conversations—and start seeing the whole child?In this episode, I sit down with
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:08:41
Reaching the Edges, Impacting the Whole
Dear Educator,What if the question that transforms your entire approach to teaching isn’t “What am I teaching?”—but “Who am I teaching for?”In this episode, we center a powerful truth: when we ...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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18:02
Teaching from Within: The Power of Identity-Aligned Practice feat. Dr. Tami Dean
Dear Educator,What if the most powerful tool you have in your teaching practice… is you?In this episode of PD for the Soul, we’re joined by Dr. Tami Dean of Dragonfly Rising to explore the deep and transform...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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53:24
Capacity Isn’t Just About Skills, It’s About Self
Dear Educator, You’ve been told to protect your peace. To set boundaries. To rest. But no one talks about how—especially when the work is demanding, the days are long, and the stakes feel high.In this episode, we’...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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13:51
Building Capacity from the Inside Out: A Conversation with Raquel Hopkins
Dear Educator,Discomfort isn’t a sign to detour—it’s often the doorway to growth.Whether it’s an unfamiliar math concept, a challenging conversation, or a new instructional shift, we are constantly navigating spaces that st...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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41:11
Permission to Pause: The Rest Teachers Deserve
Dear Educator,This one’s for you.You’ve poured yourself out this year—lesson after lesson, meeting after meeting, heart first, always. And now? You’re spent. But before you jump into the planning, prepping, and PD…...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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17:44
Work-Life Harmony Isn’t a Myth—It’s a Mindset
Dear Educator,You’ve given your all this year—lesson plans, data meetings, behavior logs, after-school duties, and more. And somewhere in the mix, you’ve tried to hold space for your own needs, your family, your friends, and your ...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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48:41
Unlocking Potential: The Power of High Expectations in Math
Dear Educator,What if the most powerful tool in your classroom isn’t a strategy, a curriculum, or a tech platform—but your belief?In this episode of PD for the Soul, I sit down with James Oneal for a timely and tra...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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58:31
Math Isn’t Magic—It’s Patterns Made Visible
Many educators believe talent is the ticket to math success, but the true driver is high-quality instruction. In this powerful solo episode—the final one of Season 1—we dive into Visible Learning and explore how surface, deep, and tran...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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21:11
Mistakes: A Luxury for Some, A Burden for Others
Dear Educator,What kind of space are you creating in your classroom?In this episode of PD for the Soul, we’re challenging ourselves—and you—to take a deeper look at the unequal weight of failure in our schools. Whi...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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56:34
Fighting the Forgetting Curve: Building Generalizations That Last
In this episode, we dig into one of the biggest hurdles students face in math learning: the forgetting curve. With so many distractions today, knowledge retention is harder than ever, making it crucial for us as educators to create opportunitie...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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16:51
Reading Between the Numbers: How Literacy Powers Math Success
Dear Educator,Math and literacy—two core subjects, often taught in silos, but deeply intertwined in practice.In this episode of PD for the Soul, titled “Reading Between the Numbers: How Literacy Powers Math Succ...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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43:41
Shortcuts or Setups? Teaching Math for the Long Game
As the school year winds down, this episode invites educators to pause and reflect: Are the rules we’re teaching setting students up for long-term success—or long-term confusion?From “keep, change, flip” to “move the decimal,” we explore...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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18:40
Closing Strong: Data-Driven Teaching for Maximum Impact
Dear Educator,As we enter the final stretch of the school year, this episode of PD for the Soul invites you to shift from information to transformation.You’ve gathered benchmark data, you've seen your students grow...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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30:21