Modern Math Teacher- Teaching Strategies for High School and Middle School Math Teachers
The Modern Math Teacher helps you make math class the best part of your 6-12 students' day. Join Kristen Moore for quick, real-talk episodes on Project Based Learning, student-centered teaching strategies, AI and technology inspired lesson planning and boosting student engagement—without burning out.
New episodes every Tuesday.
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Episodes
195 episodes
194 Stop Trying to Be the Pinterest Teacher
Have you ever felt like every lesson has to be bigger, better, and more engaging than the last?I know I have.In this episode, I share how I fell into the trap of trying to create extraordinary lessons every day—and w...
193 The Biggest Lie We've Been Told About Rigor
For years, I believed rigorous math instruction meant harder problems, longer assignments, and more work.I don't believe that anymore.In this episode, I share how my definition of rigor has changed, why cognitive dem...
192 Your First Five Days Matter More Than Your Next Five Months
The first week of school isn't just about procedures, seating charts, and syllabus review. It's when students begin forming beliefs about what mathematics feels like—and who they believe they are as mathematicians.In this episode, I shar...
191 When My Favorite Math Project Stopped Working
One of my favorite classroom projects completely stopped working—and it ended up becoming one of the most important lessons of my teaching career.In this episode, I share the story of a once-successful cell phone plan project that...
Just-in-Time Math Intervention with Juliana Tapper
What if math intervention didn’t mean going back three grade levels and trying to fill every gap a student has before they’re allowed to move forward?In this episode of The Modern Math Teacher, I’m joined by my friend and math i...
What Happens When the Math Teacher Needs Math Therapy? with Vanessa Vakharia
We spent the summer reading Math Therapy together—and now we’re sitting down with the author herself, Vanessa Vakharia, to talk about what happens when we take these ideas off the page and into our classrooms.And, apparently, wh...
188 You Don't Have to Become a Different Teacher
After four weeks of reading Math Therapy together, we've reached the final chapter—and it ends with a powerful reminder.You don't have to become a different teacher.You simply have to become...
187 Does Your Grading System Match Your Growth Mindset?
We often tell students:"Progress matters more than perfection."But does our assessment system communicate the same message?In this episode, we're continuing our Math Therapy su...
186 Rewrite the Story. Rewire the Brain.
How do students begin to see themselves differently in mathematics?In this episode, we're continuing our Math Therapy summer book study with Chapter 6: Makeover.This chapter may be the most ...
185 Students Aren't Asking "When Will I Use This?" They're Asking "Why Should I Care?"
What if we've been answering one of our students' most common questions the wrong way?When students ask:"When am I ever going to use this?"they're often not asking about future careers....
184 We Don't Need to Lower Expectations. We Need to Lower the Threat.
How do we create a classroom where students feel safe enough to struggle?In this episode, we're continuing our summer Math Therapy book study with Chapter 4: Moderate.This chapter challenged...
183 Mythbusting the Biggest Lies Students Believe About Math
What does it actually mean to be good at math?If you asked your students that question, what would they say?In this episode, we're continuing our summer book study of Math Therapy by Vanessa...
182 What Is Math Therapy? (And Why You're Probably Already Doing It)
Welcome back to our summer Math Therapy book study series!This week we're discussing Chapter 2 and exploring a question many teachers may be asking:What exactly is math therapy?
181 Math Trauma, Teen Talk Barbie, and the Myth of the "Math Person"
This week, we're kicking off our summer book study of Math Therapy by Vanessa Vakharia.Rather than providing a chapter-by-chapter summary, this series is designed as a conversation around the ideas that r...
180 Listener Q&A: PBL, Building Thinking Classrooms, Real-World Data & More!
You asked, I answered!In this special Listener Q&A episode of The Modern Math Teacher, I'm tackling some of your biggest questions about project-based learning, Building Thinking Classrooms, real-world math connections, and...
179 Why Support Doesn't Lower Rigor in Math Class
Struggle Is Learning. Drowning Is Not.One of the biggest lessons I've learned this year is that not all struggle is productive.As math teachers, we want students to wrestle with ideas, persevere through ch...
178 Should Honors Math Be Different? Here's What I'm Wrestling With
What I'm Still Figuring Out About Teaching Honors MathAfter more than 15 years in the classroom, I'm about to do something new:Teach Honors Algebra 2 and Grade-Level Algebra 2 at the same time....
177 The Best Technology in Math Class Isn't Always New Technology
Are we using technology because it improves learning—or because it's available?After reflecting on student engagement, Chromebook fatigue, and intentional lesson design, I've been rethinking how technology fits into my math cla...
176 The Digital Delusion: Why I'm Rethinking Technology in Math Class
Technology isn't going away.But that doesn't mean we should use it for everything.After years of integrating digital tools into my math classroom, I've found myself asking a different question:👉 Not ...
175 Why Every Math Teacher Should Study Above and Below Their Grade Level
One of the best things that ever happened to me as a math teacher was teaching multiple grade levels.Because the more I taught Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and intervention classes together… the more I realized:👉 Math...
174 The Math Concepts I Finally Understand More Deeply as a Teacher
Can I admit something?There are math concepts I taught for years that I didn’t fully understand conceptually myself.I could teach the procedure. I could explain the steps. But true sense-making? That took time.
173 Why Teaching the Same Lesson Five Times Never Actually Works
Ever had one class LOVE a lesson… and another class completely flop with the exact same activity?Same teacher. Same lesson. Same day.This year completely changed the way I think about differentiation, resp...
172 Why I Stopped Winging It as a Math Teacher This Year
This year changed the way I think about teaching math.Between piloting a new curriculum, beginning National Board Certification, and teaching students with very different needs, I realized something important:👉 Knowing math...
171 Turn Any Math Lesson Into a Real-World Experience (In About 15 Minutes)
Ever feel like your math lessons are… fine, but not really connecting?You’re covering the content, following the curriculum—but students aren’t fully engaged.In this episode, we walk through a simple, repeatable process to ...