Math Chat
Mona, of Mona Math, reveals the mysteries of how to teach elementary math even if you aren't a math person. Discover how you can develop a buzzing student led math classroom. We cover all things math identity, classroom culture, and student centered instructional practices to help you empower students to love and understanding math deeply.
Episodes
170 episodes
152: How to Extend Student Thinking (Without More Worksheets)
Ever looked at your stack of printed math worksheets and thought, “There’s got to be a better way”? You're not alone. In today’s episode, we’re flipping the script on word problems—and showing you how just a few small tweaks can stretc...
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Episode 152
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12:14
151: Shifting to Student Centered Math, with Dr. Pamela Seda
Is your math classroom a space of empowerment—or quiet struggle? In this episode, we’re unpacking what it really means to teach math equitably, with the brilliant Dr. Pamela Seda. Whether you're new to equity work or already deep in the journey...
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22:20
150: 35 Questions to Get Students Thinking in Math Class
What if the questions you ask in math class could be the key to unlocking deeper thinking and real understanding? Today, we’re diving into the one question teachers ask me all the time: “What do I ask to get my students to explain thei...
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13:29
149: Common Mistakes That Shut Down Math Discussions (And What to Do Instead)
Ever asked a math question and been met with total silence? Or felt like only a few kids are driving the whole conversation? You’re not alone — and today we’re fixing it.In this episode, Mona dives into the subtle mistakes that ca...
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13:22
148: Plucking Pebbles - Small Shifts That Transform Math Instruction with Jon Orr & Kyle Pearce
You don’t need a full-on classroom overhaul to start seeing change. In this episode, we’re talking about the “pebbles” — those small irritations or roadblocks in math class — and how you can start removing them with intentional, doable steps.
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32:02
147: Beyond the Curriculum - SHAPE-ing Math Success at the School Level
Struggling to get your whole school on board with stronger math instruction? You’re not alone! In this episode, I’m sharing the framework I developed after seeing what actually works to transform school wide math culture — ...
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15:16
146: Curriculum Selection - 3 Common mistakes to avoid
Is your school choosing a new math curriculum? Before you dive into samples, demos, and committee meetings, listen in! I’m sharing the top three mistakes schools often make—and how you can avoid them to select a curriculum that truly supports s...
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13:44
145: Number Sense with Christina Tondevold
Ever feel like your students don't have number sense? In this episode, we’re unpacking number sense with our guest, Christina Tondevold. Let’s dig in—it’s about to get good.🎙️ Episode OverviewIn this episode, Christina dives into ...
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43:18
144 The Problem with "Yet"
The Problem with “Yet”We’ve all said it: “They just can’t do it… yet.” But what if that tiny word is quietly lowering the bar?In this episode, Mona shares her 🔥hot take and breaks down why “yet” isn’t always as...
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21:16
143: Interview Christopher Danielson
Today’s episode is all about counting—but not just any kind of counting. We’re diving deep into how kids think about numbers, quantity, and patterns… and we’ve got the perfect guest to guide us.I’m thrilled to welcome Christopher Dani...
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Episode 143
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33:37
142: Hard Math Problems are Scary
Today, we’re diving into a tough but important topic: Why are we so afraid to give kids hard math problems? If we’re being honest, it can feel uncomfortable to watch students struggle. We want them to feel successful, and sometimes it's temptin...
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17:49
141: 5 Quick Math Talk Strategies to Spark Classroom Conversations
Today, we're talking about 5 quick math talk strategies that will spark math conversations and increase engagement! As math teachers, we often feel like we're talking at our students. As you know it is easy to fall into the...
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Episode 141
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13:46
140: Understanding Comparison Problems in Math
In today’s episode, we’re talking about comparison problems: what they are, why they’re tricky, and how we can help students build strategies to solve them.We’re gonna start today’s episode with a problem. Omar made 22 baskets during pra...
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17:58
139: Why Every Classroom Needs Productive Struggle in Math
Imagine a student looking at you, frustrated, saying, 'I don’t get it.' It’s tempting to step in and rescue them, right?Today, we’re talking about productive struggle—why it’s a game-changer for math classrooms and how to make it happen ...
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Episode 139
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15:25
138: Break Free from Script Planning a Math Lesson
Welcome back to Math Chat! Today’s episode is all about how we can break free from the script and let our students lead. Today’s episode is going to require a shift in teacher mindset. So, if you are like me and a bit of a control f...
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Episode 138
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12:37
137: Serving Up Problem Solving: A Slice of Math Joy
If you've ever seen the spark in a student's eyes when they really get the joy of solving a tough problem, you know what I mean when I say math can be joyful. It’s all about creating the right environment.Today, Pi day, we're se...
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Episode 137
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11:48
136: You're not the only expert in the room (My NCTM session in podcast form!)
How do we create classroom communities that includes and values each member's expertise? In this episode, I'm sharing my NCTM session with you on empowering learners through math discourse. We're chatting about: ...
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Episode 136
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24:29
135: How to get students to SHOW their reasoning
How do we get students to show their reasoning in our math classroom community? On today's episode, I'm sharing about a simple way to build community & student confidence with a simple lesson plan straight from my favorite research based in...
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Episode 135
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17:32
134: Are your students thinking? How do you know?
Are your students thinking deeply about math concepts? Today we are talking about having research-based instructional strategies for math to create student-centered classrooms. We are chatting about: Why re...
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Episode 134
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13:46
133: 3 Reasons Why Math Intervention Programs Don't Work, with Juliana Tapper
What math intervention curriculums actually work? This is one of the questions I get asked the most and today I'm excited to chat about all things math interventions with my friend, Juliana!We're chatting about: ...
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Episode 133
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30:41
132: Math Grades: What should I grade?
Do math grades stress you out? If you are needing to get some grades in the grade book for progress reports, this episode will help you figure out what to grade, when to grade, and how to grade in math. In this episode, we are chatti...
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Episode 132
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13:14
131: Counting in Math with Collections: Interview with Kathy Minas
Do you use counting collections in your classroom? I have the expert you need to hear from on the show today!Kathy shares practical tips to start using counting collections, helpful routines for counting collections, and how to use coun...
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26:07
130: 3 Things You’re Missing in Math Community
What does it take to build a math community?On this episode, we're talking about 3 things I don’t want you to miss in math class to help you forge a community of mathematicians that work together to problem solve through discussi...
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Episode 130
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17:58
129: Start the School Year with High Math Engagement
You’re starting the school year and it’s time to set the bar high. Let’s talk about how you can get every child engaged now so that they stay engaged all year. In this episode, I'm sharing 3 ideas to get every student engaged in math cl...
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Episode 129
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11:06
128: What are the 5 strands of math proficiency?
What does it actually look like for our students to be proficient in math? In this episode, we are talking about the 5 strands of math proficiency and breaking each of them down so we can design our math instruction to help students build their...
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Episode 128
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29:08