Math and Other Things

Keep Indiana Learning
Math and Other Things

Join us as we explore math - and other things with educators and educational thought leaders. In my 25 years of teaching, I've learned A LOT about teaching, leading, and learning! In an interesting turn of events, I have found a true love in math education, and I'm excited to share what I know - but more importantly what other educators and leaders know about math...and other things!

  1. Connecting What We Learn As Instructional Leaders to Our Schools

    06/12/2023

    Connecting What We Learn As Instructional Leaders to Our Schools

    In this episode, I interview Laura Tomas, an instructional coach from south Florida who I originally met at the Building Thinking Classrooms Conference in June 2023. Laura was one of the facilitators and a volunteer at the conference.  She’s been in education for 32 years and simply embraces all she can about the teaching and learning of mathematics and talks to anyone she can to learn more. Her podcast, Learning Through Math  is a favorite of mine to listen to. She and her co-host, Karina, interview guests and host a virtual book club. Even after 32 years, Laura realizes she still has so much to learn and jumps at the opportunity to do so. This episode is a little bit more about the other things in the teaching and learning of mathematics. She tells me three things that stood out to her from the NCTM and NCSM conferences in Washington D.C. this fall, and we talk about how we,  as instructional leaders, better understand our roles as coaches and consultants and how we transfer what we learn at conferences to the schools and classrooms for which we are serving. Laura does an awesome job at summarizing her three standout sessions and thinking hard about three specific takeaways from those sessions. We talk about how we are both still learning (or should I say re-learning) math, the importance of developing math identity of ourselves and our students, the fact it is ok to change your answer, the fact we can relate all things math to Ted Lasso, Friends, and Seinfeld, and so much more. Ted Lasso dart scene @_CrystalMWatson @LBrookePowers @MakeMathMoments @JohnSanGiovanni @mathcoachrivera @JBayWilliams @joboaler @SkipFennell

    46 min
  2. Recapping the Start of NCSM with Brendan Scribner

    30/10/2023

    Recapping the Start of NCSM with Brendan Scribner

    Show Notes: Live in Washington D.C. where I’m so lucky to have Brendan Scribner joining me for a recap of the first 1.25 days of NCSM 2023.  NCSM stands for National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and you can find everything about them at https://www.mathedleadership.org/. This is an organization that is committed to understanding the role of math leaders, finding ways to connect those who guide teachers through the teaching of mathematics, and this conference is one that I try really hard not to ever miss. This is Brendan’s first NCSM, and he has a lot of thoughtful insight for someone who has just begun providing professional development for teachers, and I enjoyed hearing his take and reflecting on my takeaways, as one who has been working with teachers, coaches, and administrators for several years, while listening to him.  The math in this episode is limited - really we tried to reason why NCTM does not offer lunch options but NCSM does and that has to be because of size. But let’s face it, we are talking about math all the time. Tiles in the bathroom in the shape of a cool parallelogram? We’re talking about it! The other things are thinking about how we are preparing coaches beyond training in formal coaching models (e.g. Jim Knight), what it means to humanize mathematics and teachers of mathematics, planning meaningful professional development, thinking about how we can connect how kids learn and what kids need to be successful to how teachers learn and what teachers need to be successful, and so much more! @bscribb @dh11235 @lynseymathed @ryanflessner  @mccainm @MandyMathEd @LieslMcconchie

    29 min
  3. On Building Your Own Bridge to Become the Best Teacher You Can Be with Tammy McMorrow

    25/06/2023

    On Building Your Own Bridge to Become the Best Teacher You Can Be with Tammy McMorrow

    In this episode, I get to talk to Tammy McMorrow who  lives in Boise, Idaho and has been teaching first grade for 29 years.  She’s a self-described mimicker - and was so good at following rules and doing exactly what she was told to do, she was valedictorian of her class. In this interview she does an incredible job at speaking vulnerably, sharing her learning process, and how she finally found what she was looking for to become the math teacher she wanted to be. In doing so, she has helped thousands of others as she started the Building Thinking Classrooms Facebook group for K-2 which now has over 7,500 members. I’m one of them, and she does an awesome job moderating and collaborating with this group. The math in this episode is the beauty of geometry and shapes the fact there are MANY different ways to solve problems and when people do so, that’s actually a really good thing! The other things in this episode are the power of being vulnerable; being creative in trying new things; understanding that as a teacher, everything doesn’t always have to be perfect; why the process of learning math is just as important as the math itself, and so much more. Books and articles discussed in this episode: Rigelman, N. R. (2007). Fostering mathematical thinking and problem solving: The teacher’s role. Teaching Children Mathematics, 13(6), 308–314. https://doi.org/10.5951/TCM.13.6.0308 Math is Figureoutable - Pam Harris The 5 Practices in Practice Intentional Talk Productive Math Struggle Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had Figuring Out Fluency in Mathematics

    51 min
  4. Melisa McCain: The Ultimate Transformational Instructional Leader

    12/04/2023

    Melisa McCain: The Ultimate Transformational Instructional Leader

    In this episode, I talk with Melisa McCain, an instructional coach in Franklin Community Schools in Franklin, Indiana. Melisa, has taught grades 1, 3, 4, and 5, and has been a special education teacher and media specialist. She has multiple graduate degrees, and discovered her love of learning at a very young age when, as a child that was “pulled out” to learn math, worked against all the odds to solve a problem none of the kids who got to stay in the room could solve. GO MELISA.  Melisa’s love of learning has turned her into a passionate instructional leader and, among other things,  helped her discover the book,  Building Thinking Classrooms by Peter Liljedahl. When she discovered there was no Building Thinking Classrooms Conference she could get teachers to to further their professional learning on the topic, decided to reach out to Peter and his team and create her own. Melisa is a true leader, an inspired learner, and has a passion for education that, after listening to this episode, will make you want to go out and transform the learning in your school and community. The math in this episode is the power of classroom discourse, what happens when you have patience and give students time to think, make sense of the problem they are solving, and allow time for collaboration.  The other things is the role of the instructional leader who learns while also guiding teachers through the learning process, the power of perseverance, the joy in taking risks, and so much more.  Resources Referenced in this episode: Building Thinking Classrooms Conference Page Indiana Math Leadership Academy Page Virtually Different Summer Conference Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning

    55 min

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Join us as we explore math - and other things with educators and educational thought leaders. In my 25 years of teaching, I've learned A LOT about teaching, leading, and learning! In an interesting turn of events, I have found a true love in math education, and I'm excited to share what I know - but more importantly what other educators and leaders know about math...and other things!

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