Math Therapy
Math Therapy explores the root causes of math trauma, and the empowering ways we can heal from it. Each week host Vanessa Vakharia, aka The Math Guru, dives into what we get right and wrong about math education, and chats with some of today’s most inspiring and visionary minds working to make math more accessible, diverse, and fun for students of all ages. Whether you think you’re a "math person" or not, you’re about to find out that math people don’t actually exist – but the scars that math class left on many of us, definitely do. And don’t worry, no calculators or actual math were involved in the making of this podcast ;)
Episodes
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Things have been a little crazy over here so Math Therapy is going to take a couple weeks off to catch our breath, but we will be back later this month to get you fired up for back to school!
In the meantime, here are a few ways you can get your Math Therapy fix:
- Vanessa was recently featured in episode 2 of the 3-part series on math anxiety called Heart Work by Imagine Learning
- She was al...
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One of the most misunderstood words in math ed right now is "fluency", so Vanessa invited an expert on the podcast to demystify it: educator Christina Tondevold. Christina calls herself a "recovering traditionalist" - she committed to stop teaching students in the same ineffective ways she was taught as a student.
They discuss a ton of practical strategies you can bring to your classro...
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Today we bring you part 2 in Vanessa's two part Math Therapy Masterclass on how to start the coming school year with renewed confidence - for yourself and for your students!
In part 1 she shared 4 exercises/experiences you can try this summer (check it out here ICYMI), and she's back with 4 more:
5) practice being bad at something
6) find a mindset/psychology book/podcast (suggestions belo...
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Summer is a great time for some much needed rest after the school year, but it also provides some rare quiet time for reflection and personal projects. For many of us, that includes preparing for an even better year ahead - and that often starts with feeling more confident about math.
So Vanessa assembled this 2-part mini-masterclass to walk you through 8 tiny exercises you can try thi...
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Prior to spontaneously recording this convo between sessions at CAMT in Fort Worth, TX recently, Vanessa and today's guest Cathy Marks Krpan had only really spent time together while frantically travelling through airports trying to make their connections.
And in between panicked pleas to airport golf carts and documenting every detail on Instagram, one thing kept coming up - how the ...
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As her Screen Time app will confirm, Vanessa spends way too much time online - so when trends involving math pop up, you can be sure she has commented, shared, ranted, and made her own version.
Sadly, most of these “trends” involve negative stereotypes around math ability. These cliches are also extremely gendered, specifically directed at women and girls.
So today she discu...
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Summer is officially ON, so it's a great time to hear from YOU in another mailbag episode where Vanessa reads the texts you've sent us!
This batch pulls together a few threads from episodes we've released over the last few months - some will make you laugh, and some might make you tear up just as Vanessa did when reading them out.
And if you want to send us a message about the podcast o...
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Today's episode truly puts the "therapy" in Math Therapy! Vanessa chats with her friend Amy Johnston, a psychotherapist and empathic deep thinker, to discuss how trauma takes root in us, how it transfers through generations, and how being vulnerable about our own experiences can help us inspire students to rewrite their own narratives.
This is a truly heartfelt conversation exploring q...
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Vanessa recently took one step closer to her dream of hosting a Netflix show, recording the first ever live Math Therapy interview!
For her session last week at Leander ISD's annual Math Joy Conference in Texas, she interviewed self-proclaimed "chaos-driven non-compliant educator" Chase Orton - and you can now hear their extremely unfiltered conversation in front of a room full of tea...
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Exam season is upon us, but NOBODY PANIC! Today's guest, learning strategist Dr. Deena Kara Shaffer, joined Vanessa to share some simple but game-changing study tips to help you get through exams without breaking a sweat.
They discuss:
- what actually is learning, and what does and does not count as studying
- why we get trapped trying to perfect to-do lists & how to prioritize bette...
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Last week Vanessa ended her episode saying the podcast would be taking this week off while she was on vacation, but it might not surprise you that she is not exactly "good" at vacation .. so while she's definitely taking some much needed time off, she also could not resist recording this short episode after receiving a very unexpected and beautiful text from Timothy Jones, an inmate with th...
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Vanessa reflects on her recent self-described "meltdown episode" in which she talked herself down from a panic spiral. She was nervous to share something so messy & vulnerable, but the response was incredible - so many of you identified completely with her feelings. (Turns out tax season is a real trigger for us all!)
Today, she shares some of her own observations once she had de-e...
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Everyone's finally talking about math anxiety - in students, parents, and anyone that goes into a panic at the mere mention of the word "math". But one group is often overlooked: math teachers!
Many teachers find themselves having to teach math whether they planned to or not, and often without even being trained on the material themselves. But don't panic! Today's guest, te...
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Ever feel like you don't know how to take your own advice? Like you've learned all the strategies but can't seem to actually use them? Like no matter how hard you try to get your life in order, it just seems to get more complicated?!
Well Vanessa certainly does, and (at the encouragement of her producer) she hopped on the mic and let it all out in one of her most honest and vulne...
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500 BC: Pythagoras may not have even existed, but a number-worshipping / bean-hating (yet vegetarian?!) cult definitely did.
1600 AD: Johannes Kepler lays the mathematical foundation for Newton's theory of gravity while innovating in both astronomy and astrology (and also inventing the genre of sci-fi in his spare time).
April 2026: Vanessa learns these stories and more watching Dr Edwar...
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Ever since we introduced the above link to text the podcast, Vanessa has been obsessed with getting listeners to do so. And guess what - tons of you have! So today she reads a bunch of them on a range of topics like:
- the problem with labels like "gifted"
- gaining math confidence later in life
- neuroplasticity and thinking processes
- who is Sister Beth?! (seriously, we need to send ...
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We cover many hot button topics in math education, but today we're taking on the most literal one ... calculators! Why are they so controversial? When are they helpful and when should we use other tools?
On today's episode, Vanessa chats with Curtis Brown from Texas Instruments about those questions and more:
- How students can take ownership of their learning
- The relationship between cognit...
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If you listen to this podcast, chances are you believe not only that we can fix math education but that we know how to do it. So WHY haven't we yet?!
Today's guest Steve Leinwand is a true legend in this space, known for his radical honesty and authenticity in fighting for a better system for all. He joined Vanessa from his vacation (because he can never resist a good rant!) to d...
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Leadership. Feedback. Professional Development.
Terms that get thrown around a lot - but what do they actually mean? More importantly, how do we develop those tools so they actually make a difference in the classroom?!
Thankfully, educator Alison Mello is an expert on leadership in math education, and she joined Vanessa to discuss:
- why PD often fails teachers and wh...
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Back in 2020, math teacher (with math trauma) Kylie Fraser found herself in Vanessa's Math Therapy session at the Mighty Peace Teachers Convention in Grand Prairie, Alberta and was stunned how much she saw of herself in Vanessa's story.
Flash forward to earlier this month when Vanessa returned to Grand Prairie to deliver the keynote, and 30 minutes before hitting the stage they reunited and ...
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