Make Math Happen

Laneshia Boone
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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.

  1. -4 ДН.

    Connecting Math: Making Proportional Reasoning Visible

    Rates, Tables, Tape Diagrams, and the Coordinate Plane Ratios are relationships. But proportional reasoning is what happens when students learn to use those relationships to solve problems. In this episode, we move from identifying ratios to reasoning with them. You’ll explore how tape diagrams, ratio tables, double number lines, and the coordinate plane make proportional relationships visible before formulas ever appear. Geometry shows up through alignment, iteration, and scaling. Number sense shows up through unit rates, benchmark reasoning, and magnitude checks. We’ll dig into why a rate is more than division, how early language around independent and dependent variables builds readiness for graphing, and what it sounds like when students are truly reasoning instead of copying steps. You’ll also hear a real classroom example highlighting the importance of total participation and structured thinking routines, along with practical tweaks that increase accountability and deepen reasoning. Finally, we address a critical balance: representation and fluency must work together. When students build number systems fluency, they reduce cognitive load and free up mental space for deeper problem solving. This episode answers: How do we help students see proportionality instead of memorizing steps? Reflect on the following in your next PLC: When students solve proportional problems in your classroom, what evidence do you see that they are reasoning about relationships rather than following procedures?How often are students required to represent proportional relationships in multiple ways before calculating, and what does that reveal about their understanding?Where might gaps in number systems fluency be increasing cognitive load and limiting students’ ability to reason proportionally?Send a text Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Make Math Happen podcast! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, subscribe on your favorite listening platform, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow educators. You can also join the discussion and connect with me directly by clicking the link to join the Math Collective. Together, we’ll keep exploring practical strategies to transform classrooms and inspire students. Remember, new episodes drop every Sunday at 9:00 am, so mark your calendars! Until next time, keep making math happen, and I’ll catch you in the next episode. If you like math videos, let's connect: YouTube TikTok

    19 мин.

  2. 8 ФЕВР.

    Connecting Math: Comparing Quantities

    Before students can work flexibly with ratios, they must be able to answer a more fundamental question: What exactly are we comparing, and why? In this episode, we zoom in on the core comparison structures that sit beneath ratios, proportions, geometry, and algebra: part-to-part relationships, part-to-whole relationships, and unit reasoning. You’ll hear how these ways of thinking develop over time, how they connect back to geometry through reference points, structure, and scale, and why the number line remains a powerful organizing tool for magnitude and relative size. We explore how focusing on unit reasoning and reciprocal relationships helps students make sense of ratios without rushing to procedures. Instead of asking students to compute right away, we center questions like: What if there was only one of either quantity? How would the relationship change? How would it stay the same? These questions surface meaning and build proportional thinking that transfers. You’ll also hear how routines like Three Reads, visual models, and guided discussion support students who struggle with reading and unfinished learning, and why drawing representations is a strength, not a crutch. This episode helps teachers and home educators create space for reasoning, reduce cognitive load, and preserve the models students need for deeper mathematical understanding in later grades. Resources mentioned in the episode: Lamon, S.L.: 2001, 'Presenting and representing: From fractions to rational numbers,' in A. Cuoco and F. Curcio (eds.), The Roles of Representations in School Mathematics-2001 Yearbook, Reston: NCTM, pp. 146-165.Principles of InstructionSend us a text Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Make Math Happen podcast! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, subscribe on your favorite listening platform, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow educators. You can also join the discussion and connect with me directly by clicking the link to join the Math Collective. Together, we’ll keep exploring practical strategies to transform classrooms and inspire students. Remember, new episodes drop every Sunday at 9:00 am, so mark your calendars! Until next time, keep making math happen, and I’ll catch you in the next episode. If you like math videos, let's connect: YouTube TikTok

    15 мин.

  3. 1 ФЕВР.

    Connecting Math: Understanding Ratios as Relationships, Not Numbers

    Why ratios are about how quantities move together This episode launches our Connecting Math series by reframing ratios as relationships rather than calculations. Instead of treating ratios as fractions or procedures to memorize, we explore how ratios describe how two quantities vary together and why that way of thinking must be developed over time. Building on December’s focus on Seeing Math and January’s work around Understanding Math, this episode connects geometric reasoning and number sense to proportional thinking. We unpack the progression from counting to additive, multiplicative, and proportional reasoning, and examine why students struggle when instruction jumps too quickly to rules. You’ll hear how representations like number lines, tape diagrams, and arrays help students visualize relationships, how the Standards for Mathematical Practice reveal student thinking, and why carefully guided instruction is essential for developing mathematical reasoning. This episode sets the foundation for everything that follows in ratios, proportions, slope, and functions by focusing on the thinking students need, not just the answers they produce. Listener Reflection Questions When students in your classroom struggle with ratios, what evidence do you see about their reasoning, not just their accuracy?How often do students have opportunities to visualize and explain how two quantities change together before being asked to calculate?Which representations are you currently using to help students connect geometry, number sense, and proportional reasoning, and where might those connections be made more explicit?Send us a text Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Make Math Happen podcast! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, subscribe on your favorite listening platform, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow educators. You can also join the discussion and connect with me directly by clicking the link to join the Math Collective. Together, we’ll keep exploring practical strategies to transform classrooms and inspire students. Remember, new episodes drop every Sunday at 9:00 am, so mark your calendars! Until next time, keep making math happen, and I’ll catch you in the next episode. If you like math videos, let's connect: YouTube TikTok

    15 мин.

  4. 25 ЯНВ.

    Understanding Math: Number Sense That Transfers

    How strong number reasoning prepares students for ratios and algebra Throughout January, we’ve explored rational numbers, negative numbers, distance, value, fractions, decimals, and division. On the surface, it may seem like this month was about numbers. But this work didn’t begin in January. In December, we focused on seeing math—using geometry to help students notice structure, reason about space, and make sense of relationships before symbols ever appeared. Those same ideas carried forward as we shifted into number systems. When students reason about distance on a number line, compare fractions and decimals, or make sense of division, they’re drawing on the same spatial thinking developed through geometry. This episode brings those threads together. We examine how geometric reasoning supports number sense, why understanding must come before operations, and how giving students time to make sense of relationships prepares them for ratios, algebra, and beyond. You’ll hear why carefully guided instruction matters, how modeling ways of thinking differs from lecturing, and what classroom practices help students transfer understanding into new situations. If you’re looking to reduce cognitive load, strengthen coherence, and help students move from seeing relationships to reasoning with them, this episode closes the chapter on Understanding Math and sets the stage for what comes next. Send us a text Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Make Math Happen podcast! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, subscribe on your favorite listening platform, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow educators. You can also join the discussion and connect with me directly by clicking the link to join the Math Collective. Together, we’ll keep exploring practical strategies to transform classrooms and inspire students. Remember, new episodes drop every Sunday at 9:00 am, so mark your calendars! Until next time, keep making math happen, and I’ll catch you in the next episode. If you like math videos, let's connect: YouTube TikTok

    17 мин.

  5. 18 ЯНВ.

    Understanding Math: Fractions, Decimals, and Meaning

    Building understanding instead of teaching tricks Many students reach middle school able to perform fraction and decimal procedures without truly understanding what those numbers represent. In this episode, we slow down and reconnect fractions, decimals, and division to meaning. We explore why fractions should be understood as division first, how the number line supports flexible movement between representations, and why spatial reasoning matters when students place, compare, and reason about quantities. You’ll hear how visual models like tape diagrams, hundred grids, and aligned number lines help students see equivalence, magnitude, and relationships instead of relying on memorized steps. This episode also addresses a common instructional gap: students’ limited ability to visualize quantities. We discuss why asking students what they see when they encounter fractions and decimals matters, how number lines can be used to represent equivalent values, and how math journals can make student thinking visible and referencable for both teachers and families. If you’re looking for ways to help students build lasting understanding of fractions and decimals—and prepare them for ratios, algebra, and beyond—this episode offers concrete strategies and a clear instructional through line. Send us a text Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Make Math Happen podcast! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, subscribe on your favorite listening platform, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow educators. You can also join the discussion and connect with me directly by clicking the link to join the Math Collective. Together, we’ll keep exploring practical strategies to transform classrooms and inspire students. Remember, new episodes drop every Sunday at 9:00 am, so mark your calendars! Until next time, keep making math happen, and I’ll catch you in the next episode. If you like math videos, let's connect: YouTube TikTok

    21 мин.

  6. 11 ЯНВ.

    Understanding Math: Negative Numbers, Distance, and Value

    Strategies that clarify the number line for every learner Negative numbers are often taught through rules that don’t stick. In this episode, we return to meaning. We explore how students have been reasoning about space, direction, and position on the number line since the earliest grades, and why negative numbers are an extension of that work—not a new concept. By grounding integer operations in movement and distance, this episode shows how students can reason about direction, magnitude, and value without relying on memorized rules. You’ll hear classroom-tested routines that build understanding through visual models, rich conversation, and purposeful practice. We also connect this work forward into seventh-grade multiplication and division of integers and eighth-grade equations and expressions, showing how early sense-making supports long-term success. This episode is designed to help teachers slow down instruction without lowering expectations and give students the tools they need to judge reasonableness, explain their thinking, and apply integer reasoning across domains. Send us a text Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Make Math Happen podcast! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, subscribe on your favorite listening platform, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow educators. You can also join the discussion and connect with me directly by clicking the link to join the Math Collective. Together, we’ll keep exploring practical strategies to transform classrooms and inspire students. Remember, new episodes drop every Sunday at 9:00 am, so mark your calendars! Until next time, keep making math happen, and I’ll catch you in the next episode. If you like math videos, let's connect: YouTube TikTok

    18 мин.

  7. 4 ЯНВ.

    Understanding Math: Making Sense of Rational Numbers

    When students struggle with fractions, decimals, and integers, it’s often assumed they’re missing skills. In reality, they’re missing understanding. This episode opens our Understanding Math series by focusing on how students make sense of rational numbers as quantities that have value, direction, and position—not just symbols to manipulate. We explore how early experiences with counting, comparing, and representing numbers develop over time, why the number line is such a powerful organizer of thinking, and what students need to understand before operations make sense. You’ll hear why rushing into procedures often leads to fragile learning, how a lack of magnitude and relational understanding impacts students’ ability to judge reasonableness, and what it looks like to slow down without lowering expectations. We also share concrete ways to help students reason about value, distance, and relationships across number systems—even when your current unit lives in another domain. This episode is designed to spark meaningful PLC conversations and give you something you can use immediately in your classroom. It sets the foundation for the rest of the month and prepares students to connect quantities more confidently as we move toward ratios, proportions, and algebraic thinking. Send us a text Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Make Math Happen podcast! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, subscribe on your favorite listening platform, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow educators. You can also join the discussion and connect with me directly by clicking the link to join the Math Collective. Together, we’ll keep exploring practical strategies to transform classrooms and inspire students. Remember, new episodes drop every Sunday at 9:00 am, so mark your calendars! Until next time, keep making math happen, and I’ll catch you in the next episode. If you like math videos, let's connect: YouTube TikTok

    12 мин.

  8. 28.12.2025

    Seeing Math: Similarity and Scale

    This episode closes our geometry focus by showing how similarity and scale serve as the bridge into ratios, proportions, and later functions. We explore what makes figures similar, how scale factor represents a preserved relationship rather than a formula, and why students need visual experiences with enlargement and reduction before working with numbers. Along the way, we address real classroom challenges, including unfinished learning, limited instructional time, and the pressure to move students forward before connections are solid. We discuss how teaching concepts in isolation often deepens gaps, and why making relationships explicit is essential for sense-making and long-term understanding. You’ll hear practical strategies for helping students reason about similarity using representations like tape diagrams, ways to anticipate common misconceptions, and ideas for re-engagement when timing or pacing doesn’t allow for a full instructional reset. We also connect these practices to research on high-impact strategies, including microteaching, reflection, and metacognition, and discuss how short video routines can activate learning both at home and in the classroom. This episode is designed to spark meaningful PLC conversations, support thoughtful sequencing, and help teachers position students for success across domains. It closes the geometry chapter and opens the door to our next focus: ratios and proportions—same story, new chapter. Send us a text Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Make Math Happen podcast! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, subscribe on your favorite listening platform, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow educators. You can also join the discussion and connect with me directly by clicking the link to join the Math Collective. Together, we’ll keep exploring practical strategies to transform classrooms and inspire students. Remember, new episodes drop every Sunday at 9:00 am, so mark your calendars! Until next time, keep making math happen, and I’ll catch you in the next episode. If you like math videos, let's connect: YouTube TikTok

    15 мин.
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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.

Информация

  • Автор
    Laneshia Boone
  • Годы выхода
    2021 - 2026
  • Выпуски
    53
  • Ограничения
    С ненормативной лексикой
  • Авторские права
    © 2026 Make Math Happen
  • Сайт подкаста
    Make Math Happen