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
If you've ever scrolled past a flawless math lesson on Instagram and thought, “That could never be me,” this episode is for you. Host Mona—former teacher, math coach, and author of the upcoming Word Problem Workshop—gets real about what it actually takes to be a great math teacher. Spoiler: it’s not perfection or having all the answers. It’s creating the space for your students to think.
🎧 Ready to change the way...
Hey teacher friend! Have you ever stared at your math curriculum thinking, “This is... fine, I guess?” You don’t hate it—but it’s definitely not lighting a fire for student thinking. In this episode, Mona, a math coach and author, shares why the curriculum you already have might just be your biggest asset—if you know how to use it differently.
🛠️ The How: 3 Shifts You Can Make Right Away
1. Start with One Word Problem<...
In this episode, we unpack a big question: What’s your vision for math classrooms? From years of visiting classrooms and leading professional development, our guest shares a powerful answer rooted in three values: joy, curiosity, and teacher sustainability. This isn’t just an ideal—it’s a framework leaders and teachers can work toward right now.
🛠️ Try These 3 Professional Learning Moves That Actually Work
Ready to lea...
Ever poured your heart into a math lesson only to hear a groan or a “Can’t you just tell us how to do it?” from your students? You’re not alone. In this episode, Mona—a former teacher turned math coach—dives into what’s really behind those reactions and how to shift them.
Ready to turn things around? Mona shares three actionable routines straight from her Word Problem Workshop that help kids engage, take risks, and act...
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 stretch your students' thinking without stretching your copy limit.
In this episode, I dive into how to extend student thinking using the problems you already have—no extra pages requ...
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, this conversation will challenge and inspire you.
In this episode, Jenn chats with Dr. Pamela Seda, math equity leader and creator of the ICUCARE® Equity Framework. You’ll...
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 their thinking?”
Let’s turn those blank stares into lightbulb moments.
🎧 Episode Summary
In this episode, Mona breaks down the 7 types of questions that spark rich math talk and deeper unders...
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 can shut down rich math discussions — and the practical shifts that can turn things around.
You’ll learn:
✅ What common habits unintentionally stifle student thinking
✅ Why these miss...
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.
🎙️ Episode Overview
In this episode, Jon and Kyle chat about what’s really getting in the way of change in the classroom. You’ll learn how to identify your “pebbles,” what steps y...
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 — without burning out your teachers.
In this episode, Mona dives into the SHAPE framework — a 5-part approach to building a consistent, student-centered math program across an entire school. You’ll lea...
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 students and teachers.
🎧 Episode Summary:
In this episode, I (Mona!) dive into the nitty-gritty of math curriculum selection. You’ll learn:
✅ The #1 step most schools s...
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 Overview
In this episode, Christina dives into Number Sense. You’ll learn:
- 🔑 Tips on Teaching Number Sense
- 🔑 Defining Number Sense
- 🔑 8 Ways to Add Number Sense to Your Classroom
…so you can feel confident in teaching number ...
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 empowering as we think and how it can unintentionally mask low expectations. You’ll hear stories from Mona’s own classroom, what a visiting teacher helped her realize, and what to say (and do!) instead of...
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 Danielson to the show. If you’ve ever stumbled across Which One Doesn’t Belong or How Many?, you already know Christopher’s work gets students—and adults—thinking more deeply about math in wa...
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 tempting to step in and help too soon. But when we rescue students from struggle, we rob them of the chance to build resilience and problem-solving skills.
In this episode, we’ll t...
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 cycle of telling students what to do and how to do it in math. But, deep down what we really want is more engagement. If we’re being honest with ourselves talking and telling our students...
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 practice. He made 9 more baskets than Eli. How many baskets did Eli make?
This is a comparison problem and there are 3 types of comparison problems we can use with students. And they are a...
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 without letting kids flounder.
We are chatting about:
- What productive struggle is
- Why it's important to let students struggle in the math classroom
- How to foster produc...
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 freak, Type A if you will… then I’m talking to you. Letting go of control can actually help students learn more in math. I know it’s hard, but it is essential to day’s big idea.
We are chatt...
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 serving up a slice of math joy by diving into how we can make problem-solving the most joyful part of our math classrooms.
We are chatting about:
- What makes problem solving joyf...
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