April 29, 2025 • 35 mins
What happens when someone who doesn't identify as a "math person" joins a mathematics education organization? In our milestone 101st episode, Nick Love, CPM's Director of Strategic Communications, shares candid insights about navigating this territory that reveal powerful lessons about creating inclusive learning environments.
After spending years in school communications without being a classroom teacher, Nick found himself surrounded by mathematics education experts—an experience he describes as both inspiring and occasionally intimidating. "It's a little bit like hanging out with giants sometimes," he admits. His stories highlight what happens when we create spaces where everyone feels welcome to engage with mathematics, regardless of their background or comfort level.
Nick recounts a pivotal professional learning experience where a skilled facilitator simply asked, "What do you need to be successful in this session?" This question transformed his participation from anxiety to meaningful engagement. Rather than being tokenized, he was genuinely included in ways that honored his perspective while stretching his mathematical thinking appropriately. The experience shifted from "I don't belong here" to "I'm in with this group"—a transformation that mirrors what we hope all learners experience in mathematics classrooms.
We also explore what Nick calls "the art of the nudge"—a communication approach recognizing that when people don't respond to requests, it's usually because they're overwhelmed with competing priorities rather than disinterest. This gentle persistence creates connection rather than frustration, a valuable perspective for educators working with busy students and colleagues alike.
As we launch into our fifth season of the podcast, this conversation reminds us why our mission matters: creating conditions where everyone can engage meaningfully with mathematics expands possibilities for learning and belonging. Subscribe now to join us for more conversations about mathematics education that make a difference.
Send Joel and Misty a message!
The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
X: @cpmmath
Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram
Email: cpmpodcast@cpm.org
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
You are listening to the More Math for More People
podcast.
An outreach of CPM educationalprogram Boom.
An outreach of CPM EducationalProgram.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Boom, 29th of April.
Yep Wow, spring is in the air.
Spring, it's delightful andwarm.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
It's almost May.
It's our third episode of April.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Whoa, three episodes.
There's three Tuesdays in Aprilyeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I mean every month has there's five every month has
two or three.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Well, there's five.
Yeah, there's five, and wehappen to be on the first, third
and fifth that's right, becausewe could have been on the
second and fourth, and thenthere would not be Three
podcasts in that same month.
Okay, anyway, what's thenational day today?
We?
Speaker 1 (01:06):
are not celebrating multiple Tuesday month.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
We are celebrating National Zipper Day.
National Zipper Day, yeahZipper.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Day.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Zipper Day are cool.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
They're way cool.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I mean how zippers work is pretty fascinating
actually I think so too.
Because if they're the metalzippers right and they've got
the little teeth and the teethhave to be like, I'm going to do
this with my hands, even thoughpeople can't see it.
They have to be kind of likebent open so that there's more
space between them, and then theother one gets in there while
there's space, and then theycome down and they cramp
(01:42):
together.
That's pretty cool.
It is pretty cool.
I mean, whoever thought of thisand said how can I attach these
things?
Well, I'm going to take thisthing and then I'm going to
build another thing to make themcome together.
Yeah, it's pretty amazing to me.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I think so too.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
And so useful.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
They've been around for a while, I assume.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
I don't know.
Well, the other one has theinformation how long.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
I mean, I'm sure it says somewhere on your thing
First version of the automaticcontinuous clothing closure
called a zipper.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
It has a patent.
It was 1851.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Wow, yeah, I wonder what it was made of.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Well zipper material.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Well, I mean, some of them were made of metal, some
of them are made of metal, someare made of nylon.
Now, the nylon ones, they kindof are weirder, because the way
that they mesh together is kindof weird yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
One thing I appreciated about the 2025 CPM
Teacher Conference is that thebags given I don't know if
they're gift bags or swag bagsor what you call them.
They came with a zipper thisyear.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I really appreciated that, because nothing fell out.
That's great, and the zipper isfunctional and works well and
doesn't get snagged.
That's great because zipperscan be a poorly functioning
zipper.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
I have this jacket and I always forget and I put
something in the pocket and Izip it up.
That zipper doesn't come downvery easy because it always gets
caught on the fabric come on.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, that's one of the one of the problems is like
getting caught in the fabric andthen do you unzip it, do you
rezip it, like sometimes it'sbetter to go through the fabric
and then come back, andsometimes it's and or the
zippers that just magicallyunzip themselves behind the
zipper closure.
Yeah, Like or they're missinglike one tooth, so then as soon
as you zip them, they just gounzip yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And don't like some.
Like a wetsuit, like somewetsuits have zippers, so that
would have to like water out.
Yeah so well, it's a dry suitif it's a wet.
Oh, that's true.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I said, if it's a dry suit, then they yeah, they, zip
in a particular way interestingI think they they zip and then
they also have a closure and abunch of other things, but.
But wetsuits just have reallybig teeth yeah, zippers yeah I
do like a good zipper.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
How are you going to celebrate?
Speaker 2 (04:04):
well, I'll probably use some zippers today.
Yeah, to celebrate well, I'llprobably use some zippers today.
Probably use some.
I'll probably use some zipperstoday.
I mean, it would be hard not touse zippers I think so too yeah
, I didn't like I'm not gonnaunzip or zip anything maybe that
would be a way to celebratesomehow just to be just be aware
of all the times you zip andunzip something.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Hmm.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
What are you going to do to celebrate?
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I don't know I I you know it is the end of statistics
and mathematics awareness month.
Yes, so I may take some data.
Okay, how often I zip.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
All right, maybe I'll even ask the team and listeners
If you please join in what isthe data that you want, just
like frequency how many timesduring the day?
Speaker 1 (04:54):
whether you zipped or unzipped.
How many times did you thinkabout zipping?
Okay?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
interesting.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
I don't know if it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
The average, some measurable central tendency
around using zippers.
Yes, yes, as we were talkingabout this, it made me think
about one of the most reallyparticular, like distinguishing
noises I have around zippers isthe zipping and unzipping of a
tent.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Oh yeah, you know that sound Like very yep.
That's very clear.
It's a zipping and unzipping ofa tent.
Oh yeah, you know that sound?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yep, that's very clear.
It's a very clear sound, yeah,so All right, well enjoy.
Is it national?
You said yes.
All right, well, enjoy NationalZipper Day.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Please do.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Hey, my name is Tony Javits and I'm a former middle
school educator who hastransitioned to working
full-time with CPM in theCurriculum and Assessment
Department.
In the Curriculum andAssessment Department, my
current position isWriter-Editor and I'm currently
the Managing Editor for thethird edition of Core
Connections, which I love.
I wanted to take some time outto talk to you about the Academy
(06:15):
of Best Practices, or ABP as weaffectionately call it.
I was involved as a participantback in 2018 with the Veteran
Teacher Cohort and in the pastfew years, I've been able to
help facilitate the week withthe Veteran Cohort.
Abp is one of the most, if notthe most, impactful learning
experiences I've had in my 20years as an educator Gathering
(06:39):
with 32 educators from acrossthe country for a week of diving
into the best and mosteffective ways to engage
students and help students learnand achieve at high levels Just
an incredible experience.
So you will engage with renownedauthors and speakers.
You will collaborate withcolleagues.
You'll be challenged to thinkoutside the box and more during
(07:00):
this week.
That's so incredibly upliftingand encouraging for educators.
It made me look at my ownteaching in ways I had never
really previously thought about.
It's a week of learning, butprovides ample time to think,
reflect and apply what you arelearning.
The takeaways are amazing andthey certainly changed my
(07:20):
outlook and my practice when Iwent back to my classroom.
Certainly changed my outlookand my practice when I went back
to my classroom.
However, just as impactful isthe connection that I made with
so many different educators fromacross the country.
These are educators I still keepin touch with and share things
with seven years after ABP, andthat includes every time zone of
the continent in the UnitedStates people from California to
(07:43):
Massachusetts and many placesin between.
We still regularly check inwith each other, share ideas,
talk about what works, whatdoesn't work, something new we
tried and gather ideas from eachother.
So this year we want toaccommodate 64 more educators
from all walks of life and fromall over the country.
This includes a new teachercohort having taught in the
(08:04):
classroom for five years or lessand a veteran teacher cohort
having taught CPM for five yearsor more.
And here's the beauty of it allit's fully funded by CPM.
The cost of travel, lodging andmeals is all provided with no
cost to you other than your ownspending money on the social
events you may fill yourevenings with.
(08:25):
I know I did quite a bit ofthat.
So this year we will bespending a week together in
beautiful San Diego, california,and you can be a part of it.
We want you to be a part of it.
Applications are open now.
So apply today and be preparedto spend a week being blown away
by an incredible, rich andrewarding experience like no
(08:47):
other.
We hope to see you there.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Thanks, tony.
Applications for the Academy ofBest Practice can be found at
cpmorg backslash abp, and thoseapplications are open until May
10th, so please go check it outAll right, we have a podcast
(09:23):
surprise today.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
I'm very excited we're here talking today with
Nick Love, who is the Directorof Strategic Communications.
I have to say that verycarefully, very strategically
for CPM, and we invited Nickonto the podcast under the
pretenses of what's it like tobe a non-math person working for
(09:47):
a math company, a more math formore people company.
But then that's actually a trap.
It is Because, nick, you'restill a math person.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
I know this one.
I know the answer is the.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
YFA.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
But really what we mean is a person who was not a
math teacher, who was not a mathadministrator, did not work
specifically trying to teachyounger individuals mathematics
before coming to CPM.
Because that is the case for alot of us Almost everybody in
the PL department, the writers,et cetera we've all been
educators, but you have not beenofficially quote, unquote an
(10:24):
educator, right?
So welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, welcome.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Thanks for having me Welcome to CPM.
I mean you've been here for acouple of years, but yeah, I
think it's just about threeyears.
Wow, three years already.
Wow, I was going to go two.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Right, it's fun, which they say.
Time flies when you're havingfun, right.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
That's right, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yeah, we could go into a whole bunch of
conversation about that, butwe're not going to so.
So we we wanted you to come onthe podcast mostly because we
did want to, like, get somestories, some ideas, some.
You know all of us come.
We have been steeped inmathematics education before we
came to this company and justkind of continue doing the same
(11:08):
thing.
And and one, I don't even knowwhat you did before you came to
cpm, so maybe we could startwith that and then hear a little
bit about what it's been likecoming to CPM.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Yeah, I think that's a good start.
So almost three years ago I wasin Chicago in an independent
school, so I was thecommunications lead and I wasn't
an instructor, but I was inclassrooms a lot.
It was probably I.
I joke that the the two bestparts of that job were the, the
(11:43):
web team that we worked with.
We worked with this web vendorand they were just fantastic and
I couldn't have survivedwithout them and just being in
that space with just the kiddoenergy, like so the independent
school was infants to eighthgrade and just the curiosity,
the excitement, the laughter.
I mean it's hard to have a badday when you're just in that
(12:08):
space.
So so then moved to fromchicago to maryland and
somewhere in the middle of allof that, transitioned over to
cpm as the director of strategiccommunications and pulling in
some of my my on the groundschool experience to to add
(12:31):
maybe not add, but I think oneof the advantages I think I have
in my role is that I had realexperience in a school around
classrooms, so I can at leastpretend to speak teacher
language enough to get by.
I'm probably not fully fluent,but you know I can.
(12:54):
I can order something off amenu.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah, I don't think you're pretending, but was there
any trepidation at all aboutbeing a math company or like
just you wanted to stay incommunications and education?
Speaker 4 (13:08):
That has definitely been my, my sweet spot, joel for
sure, trepidation.
I mean, it's always a littleintimidating hanging out with
experts.
I think it's easy I know thatI'm not supposed to say I'm not
a math person, but it is easy tofeel that sometimes, when just
(13:29):
being in so many conversations,especially with our curriculum
developers of just like thedepth and the passion, and
there's this, there's a level ofinspiration and a level of
intimidation.
Just be honest, ok, you've gota depth of knowledge that I
cannot even I'm going to step mytoe into that, my toe into that
(13:58):
.
So I think I think there's a,there's a little bit of a, maybe
a healthy self-awareness to beable to say, yeah, like I know
that I'm stepping into a realmwith a whole bunch of people who
really, really get math, whoreally love it, and I am, I have
, I have adjacent passions, butnot the exact same.
And yeah, it's a little bitlike hanging out with giants
(14:19):
sometimes.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Well, you have your.
I mean to be fair, though.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
You have your own expertise and knowledge and
things that you bring that therest of us are dabbling at or
quite bad at, or don't have notspent the time honing those
skills or being in that thinkingspace in the amount of time
that you have, for sure yeah,that's, I mean, that's the great
(14:47):
thing, and I think I even hadthat experience in why I was in
that independent school, thatjust when, when it's all really
working really well.
You know that, like, you're allplaying a role in the education
of of kids, like and every,every person is contributing in
(15:11):
their own unique way and it'snot necessarily that one
function is better per se.
It's different, and we do all.
I very much have the attitudethat every person is a genius.
We just haven't figured outwhat their genius is yet.
If, if the case, and so I thinkthat's the same situation of of
(15:31):
all of us who are in theeducation space, who absolutely
want to see kids thrive,students thrive, because I keep
thinking that the little infantson the way up to eighth grade,
up to high school, not anymore.
I got one who's in middleschool.
He's not a kid anymore, he's astudent.
(15:51):
Yeah, we're all working towardsthat thriving of students and
it just looks different.
We're carrying a different loadthan someone else.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
So, as you think about the things that you've
learned and begun when you camein as this fresh new director of
strategic communication,wide-eyed and wet behind the
ears maybe and now you've growninto this adolescent director of
(16:24):
strategic communications.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Oh, I like that.
Okay, I'm a teen, you like thatyeah, yeah, you are.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Well, I mean you could choose.
I mean I don't want to like.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
I own that, let's do it, okay, all right.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Okay, but really choose.
I mean, I don't want to like, Iown that, let's do it okay.
All right, okay, but myquestion, but really my, though
just the like, the gist of myquestion is sort of like there's
, I imagine, there's been somelike steep learning curves at
times, right around cpm, rightlike any company.
We are lingo laden and and I'mwondering if there's something
in those like, if you think backto that steep learning curve,
(16:56):
some interesting stories orinteresting experiences that
you've had that you care toshare.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Yeah, there's a couple that come to mind that I
Sometimes.
It's those small moments thatreally stick with you.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
it's those like it's sometimes, it's those small
moments that really stick you.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
So I've got I've got two very different but, I think,
just as equally impactfulstories.
One one was the I think it wasvoluntold to support some of the
sessions as a moderator, and Ithink I was.
(17:42):
I was I can't remember if I wason the list or I think I may
have been helping somebody outwho had a schedule conflict and
it was all right.
I'm jumping into this, I haveno idea and it ended up being a
really intimate session in thatlike there were, I think, five
or six teachers, the locator andme, and so there was no
(18:07):
discussion sitting in the back,there was no off on the side
corner being an observer, I was,I was fully in and I was
completely over my head, and Ithink the, the facilitator,
probably saw a little bit offear in my eyes and but it was,
it was there, was this greatmoment before we really even
(18:32):
dove in and it was there wasthis like well, I don't remember
how she phrased it exactly, butit was something along the
lines of what do you need to besuccessful in this session and
to be able to, to be invitedinto that space, one to reflect
(18:53):
on, like what I need in thisspot to be able to engage fully.
One the permission to even justpause and think about it,
notice, okay, let's get out ofthe wide eyes, let's actually
like, start to think and process, can process.
And then, because I had thatinvitation, I was able to to
(19:13):
speak and just name, like I, Ifeel like I'm probably the weak
link here, like, here's mysituation, like you all are are
pro teachers and I have gotabout an inch of the knowledge
you have and so I want to engage.
I think this is exciting and Idon't know how much I can really
(19:38):
engage.
And the facilitator was justfantastic in the way that she
held that space and acknowledgedmy ability to engage and
throughout the because it waslike six of us throughout the
activities it was, it was likesix of us throughout the
activities she really made surethat there were ways that I
(19:59):
could participate and not in atokenizing way, but in a
meaningful way.
That didn't, that didn't.
Uh, how do I continue that?
Wide-eyed like I am, I am justoverwhelmed with with this
moment.
Like there was definitely that,that feeling of struggle, of
like, okay, like it's still likea little bit outside of my
(20:19):
comfort zone, but I feel like Ihave permission to show up and
belong.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Nice, nice.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Yeah, that I really.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Go ahead Gushal.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
I was just going to say that just feels like a good
classroom environment, right,like for students too, to be
able to feel welcome and a partof, and things like that.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
And I'm going to add on to that.
I agree that I think thatthat's what we would hope our
classrooms could be, and what Iheard and feel like it was an
important part of that is itwasn't tokenized right.
It wasn't like oh okay, nick,why don't you go over here and
do this thing with this group?
That doesn't feel meaningful orengaged or like that.
You were really contributing.
(21:02):
I valued your contributionstill and what you did have to
contribute.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
Yeah, that's a good way to put it.
I felt like a valuable part ofthat little mini community.
In that moment I went fromfeeling like I am a total math
outsider to I felt like I'm in.
I'm in with this group.
I don't know what I'm doing,but I am in.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Nice, yeah, nice, that sense of belonging.
Nice, yeah, nice, that's abelonging.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I feel like in our interactions you've always made
me feel welcome and things likethat, but you've brought
something to CPM to make me feelconnected to levels that I
haven't felt connected before.
Have you noticed anything inyour experience?
Speaker 4 (21:56):
that you feel really proud of or happy about that.
You're like, yeah, I broughtthis and I'm helping once.
That's a, that's a good one.
Okay, I, so this is, this is agreat like like the power of
teaching, the power of mentoring, because my this is going to go
on way back to when I was anintern, like right after I
graduated, I had this great bossand she was super intentional
(22:22):
and making the most of ourconversations.
Like you know, sometimes it'slike you have the intern and
they're they're getting, they'regetting coffee and throwing out
the trash.
They're not a valuable part ofthat community.
You very much recreated I mean,it's in the past, I'm not
recreated, but you know what I'msaying it was still that moment
(22:43):
of that time of she saw me as avaluable contributor as an
intern and really instilled alot in me.
So what I'm trying to get to isshe taught me what she called
the art of the nudge, and thatis this her perspective, that
she shared with me, that I nowtry to share with anybody who's
(23:04):
willing to listen.
Most people are just really busyand, for the most part, like
you, might feel frustrated oryou might feel like, oh, like I
already, I already asked themfor this and I already said this
and I already did these things.
At the end of the day, it'sit's probably not malice, it's
(23:25):
probably just there.
They're really, really busy.
And so she taught me that it'syou're not, you're not nagging,
you're not reminding, you'rejust, you're snudging, like hey,
is it just a friendlyconnection?
I, you know, I tried to talk toyou about this last week.
I'm sure you're totally busy.
(23:46):
Can we come back to this it?
I feel for me it's like totallychanged one.
It's empowered me to to know it.
I feel for me it's like totallychanged one.
It's empowered me to to knowit's okay to keep coming back to
something like sometimesthere's a hawk, they're really
busy.
I don't know if I want to.
Half the time it's, it's, it'sit's just, uh, half the time I
(24:08):
get.
Oh, I totally forgot about that, thank you, and so I.
I tried to inject that in allof my conversations and I feel
like I've seen more people, asI've engaged, using using that.
I'll call it that, that gentlelanguage.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
For sure I I am pretty sure that you have uh
used.
Thanks for the nudge in replyto things I've asked you for,
for sure.
I've heard that language Forsure.
Yeah, and as a person who alsorequests a lot of things from a
lot of people and gets a lot ofrequests made, things fall off
(24:47):
the radar and get left behindand then it's oh yeah, I didn't
I.
I that thing was overlooked andit was not.
It was not because I don't likeyou.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Right, and I hope especially in in like teacher
centric or teacher heavy spaces.
Teachers are just driven busypeople and it comes internally
from this passion and it's okayto ask two or three times and
(25:23):
it's because there's already 30things that they're working on,
that they're thinking about,that they're planning through.
And my random, to your point,misty, my random request it's
low on the party.
And that's okay.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Well, there's a lot of for lack of a better word
noise right.
There's a lot of informationthat we're processing all the
time.
Yes, and we are not going to beperfect at retaining attention
on the things that we need towant to, or that all need to get
done.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Well, and to Misty's point earlier of the caveat that
we've invited you here as anon-math person to be on a math
podcast and not to just we needto equate everything to the
classroom, but I'm going toright now.
Isn't that our students too?
There's a lot of noise for them, and so to gently nudge them to
(26:19):
hey, did you think about thisfor a second?
Is okay, and I think more ofthe fact of I'm not thinking
negatively of my students ordeficitely.
If my students can't dosomething or won't do something
or don't want to do something,they just need a nudge.
I love that that you broughtthat up, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
All right, we have time for one more story.
Nick, what do you want to?
What else do you want to share?
Some other highlight of joiningthis company.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
I would get to pick one.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Well, we are two short ones, or we'll just make
it a longer podcast and peoplewill still enjoy the stories
there.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
you go, We'll just have a.
Can we do a series of Nick'sstories we can do anything we
want, we run the podcast.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
We are the decision makers.
Well, so not to go on theclassroom thing.
But how about this other storyI'll share?
We gosh, it was probably abouta year ago now when we had
launched Inspiring Connections.
(27:28):
I think it had been officiallylaunched.
For about a year, inspiringConnections I think it had been
officially launched for about ayear we had a mini classroom
time with employees internallyand that was another one of
those spots of all right, nickis getting put on a team with
(27:51):
some math geniuses All right,let's see how this goes.
Nick is getting put on a teamwith some math geniuses All
right, let's see how this goes.
And in a lot of ways, it was sosimilar to that experience at
the conference session of beinginvited into a space.
(28:13):
I think there was an, there wasan element I really saw in the,
the structure of inspiringconnections itself, that that
made it easy to to, to lean inas someone who maybe didn't feel
as comfortable with with someof I mean, I am so, so rusty on
(28:33):
so much of that stuff.
I mean it was.
It was like wow, like I knowthat I did this at one point in
my life Goodness, I've forgottena lot of it and so to to be
able to, to come into that spaceand feel like, okay, I don't
(28:54):
know all the answers, but I knowhow I can engage and I think
along that theme.
I think specifically Mark Jones, who was my review and preview
buddy Nice.
My review and preview.
Buddy, nice Just could could dolaps, could do math laps around
(29:19):
me in a sleep but in the sameway, like in, invited me into
conversations, engaging with the, the, the, the, the problems,
in a way that didn't feeltokenizing, that felt like okay,
pulling me in to engage alittle bit outside of my comfort
(29:39):
zone, but not so far out that Iwas feeling totally overwhelmed
or didn't know what to do.
I mean clearly a pro at hiscraft, I mean clearly, clearly a
pro at his craft.
It was, it was, I was.
Definitely I'll admit I wasnervous going into that, that,
(30:01):
that course at first, for allthe reasons I named of, like
geez, I'm going to be the, I was, I was, I'm an overachiever and
so to feel like I don't thinkthat you can compete with these,
these, these, these folks.
And when I got there, I didn't,I didn't have to.
Nice it was, it was.
(30:23):
We're engaging with the math ina way that's meaningful for us,
in a way that was meaningfulwith the, the, the lesson itself
, and I mean I love, I love thePL team, the facilitation was,
was awesome.
Not to not to attempt to throwa bunch of flattery around, but
it was, we'll take it yeah.
(30:47):
It was really cool to see, youknow I I usually work with
photos of our professionallearning events, but to be in
one and see, like in in someways it was a little bit of that
classroom energy, like the, theexcitement and the passion that
with the kids, like I feel likeI saw that with every time we
(31:09):
had someone facilitating it wasjust like setting the tone, like
really really like just beingthat kind of anchoring presence
of like you seem really excitedto be here.
That makes me excited to behere.
Let's do this.
I don't know what's going tohappen, I don't know where this
is going to go, but I'm in.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
I love that.
Well, I can tell you that I hada similar experience my first
time going, being trained by CPMthings like that as a math
educator.
Judy Kish was my partner and Ifelt intimidated and she
welcomed me the same way Markwelcomed you not necessarily an
(31:54):
indicator of CPM, even though itis but like we are like-minded
folks and you fit in our team sowell and I'm really happy that
you're a part of it.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Yeah, for sure, for sure.
You've brought a lot of reallygreat things to this company,
nick.
So thank you so much your yourwillingness to, to speak truths
and to and to identify thingsand to help us with hard
conversations that we've neededto have over the last few years.
I mean there's there's beensome some really great times.
(32:19):
I've been like, oh, nick, nickis very helpful in this, in this
space, in that way.
So thank you for bringing thoseskills that we are not always
so great at.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
We feel like little, little tiny newbies around you
know, and bringing them in andand and normalizing them some.
It's that same kind of a thingof making it the way that we
just interact with each other.
It's been really nice, so thankyou, it's been my pleasure.
Thank you for coming on thepodcast as the token, non-token,
(32:49):
non-math person.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Is this our.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
This is pretty painless.
I think I would do it again.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Oh, good, and is this ?
Speaker 2 (32:58):
We try to make it easy Is this a celebration of
101st.
That's right.
So this is our 101st podcast.
Also, the one that came out acouple weeks ago was number 100.
This is 101.
So, woo-hoo.
Yeah, can't believe we Came outa couple weeks ago as number
100.
This is 101.
So, yeah, can't believe we'vedone 101 podcasts.
Thanks for remembering that.
We were going to say that and Itotally forgot.
(33:18):
I can't believe we've beendoing this this long.
We're about ready to start ourfifth season of more math for
more people.
Yeah, what does?
Speaker 1 (33:27):
that feel Feels good.
It makes me feel old.
Feels good to be old.
There you go.
It makes me feel old Feels goodto be old.
There you go.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
It does that too.
It does that too Seasonedexperience.
That's right yeah well, we'restill learning.
We're still always learning.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
Always, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Absolutely.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
My pleasure.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Thank you, so that is all we have time for on this
episode of the More Math forMore People podcast.
If you are interested inconnecting with us on social
media, find our links in thepodcast description, and the
music for the podcast wascreated by Julius H.
It can be found on pixabaycom.
So thank you very much, julius.
(34:15):
Join us in two weeks for thenext episode of More Math for
More People.
What day will that be, joel?
Speaker 1 (34:23):
It'll be May 13th and our first episode of Season 5
of the More Math for More Peoplepodcast.
It'll be Tulip Day and we'llget to talk about the role that
tulips play in our world.
I love tulips because it'salways the first flower to bloom
in my yard in the spring, so Ialways know spring is here, the
(34:46):
weather is changing, spring ismy favorite season of the year,
and so I look forward to talkingabout tulips with Misty and
finding out more about tulips inour world.
Again, season five starts onMay 13th and we can't wait to
see you there, thank you.
You are listening to the More Math for More People
podcast.
An outreach of CPM educationalprogram Boom.
An outreach of CPM EducationalProgram.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Boom, 29th of April.
Yep Wow, spring is in the air.
Spring, it's delightful andwarm.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
It's almost May.
It's our third episode of April.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Whoa, three episodes.
There's three Tuesdays in Aprilyeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
I mean every month has there's five every month has
two or three.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Well, there's five.
Yeah, there's five, and wehappen to be on the first, third
and fifth that's right, becausewe could have been on the
second and fourth, and thenthere would not be Three
podcasts in that same month.
Okay, anyway, what's thenational day today?
We?
Speaker 1 (01:06):
are not celebrating multiple Tuesday month.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
We are celebrating National Zipper Day.
National Zipper Day, yeahZipper.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Day.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Zipper Day are cool.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
They're way cool.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I mean how zippers work is pretty fascinating
actually I think so too.
Because if they're the metalzippers right and they've got
the little teeth and the teethhave to be like, I'm going to do
this with my hands, even thoughpeople can't see it.
They have to be kind of likebent open so that there's more
space between them, and then theother one gets in there while
there's space, and then theycome down and they cramp
(01:42):
together.
That's pretty cool.
It is pretty cool.
I mean, whoever thought of thisand said how can I attach these
things?
Well, I'm going to take thisthing and then I'm going to
build another thing to make themcome together.
Yeah, it's pretty amazing to me.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I think so too.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
And so useful.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
They've been around for a while, I assume.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
I don't know.
Well, the other one has theinformation how long.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
I mean, I'm sure it says somewhere on your thing
First version of the automaticcontinuous clothing closure
called a zipper.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
It has a patent.
It was 1851.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Wow, yeah, I wonder what it was made of.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Well zipper material.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Well, I mean, some of them were made of metal, some
of them are made of metal, someare made of nylon.
Now, the nylon ones, they kindof are weirder, because the way
that they mesh together is kindof weird yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
One thing I appreciated about the 2025 CPM
Teacher Conference is that thebags given I don't know if
they're gift bags or swag bagsor what you call them.
They came with a zipper thisyear.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I really appreciated that, because nothing fell out.
That's great, and the zipper isfunctional and works well and
doesn't get snagged.
That's great because zipperscan be a poorly functioning
zipper.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
I have this jacket and I always forget and I put
something in the pocket and Izip it up.
That zipper doesn't come downvery easy because it always gets
caught on the fabric come on.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, that's one of the one of the problems is like
getting caught in the fabric andthen do you unzip it, do you
rezip it, like sometimes it'sbetter to go through the fabric
and then come back, andsometimes it's and or the
zippers that just magicallyunzip themselves behind the
zipper closure.
Yeah, Like or they're missinglike one tooth, so then as soon
as you zip them, they just gounzip yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And don't like some.
Like a wetsuit, like somewetsuits have zippers, so that
would have to like water out.
Yeah so well, it's a dry suitif it's a wet.
Oh, that's true.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I said, if it's a dry suit, then they yeah, they, zip
in a particular way interestingI think they they zip and then
they also have a closure and abunch of other things, but.
But wetsuits just have reallybig teeth yeah, zippers yeah I
do like a good zipper.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
How are you going to celebrate?
Speaker 2 (04:04):
well, I'll probably use some zippers today.
Yeah, to celebrate well, I'llprobably use some zippers today.
Probably use some.
I'll probably use some zipperstoday.
I mean, it would be hard not touse zippers I think so too yeah
, I didn't like I'm not gonnaunzip or zip anything maybe that
would be a way to celebratesomehow just to be just be aware
of all the times you zip andunzip something.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Hmm.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
What are you going to do to celebrate?
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I don't know I I you know it is the end of statistics
and mathematics awareness month.
Yes, so I may take some data.
Okay, how often I zip.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
All right, maybe I'll even ask the team and listeners
If you please join in what isthe data that you want, just
like frequency how many timesduring the day?
Speaker 1 (04:54):
whether you zipped or unzipped.
How many times did you thinkabout zipping?
Okay?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
interesting.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
I don't know if it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
The average, some measurable central tendency
around using zippers.
Yes, yes, as we were talkingabout this, it made me think
about one of the most reallyparticular, like distinguishing
noises I have around zippers isthe zipping and unzipping of a
tent.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Oh yeah, you know that sound Like very yep.
That's very clear.
It's a zipping and unzipping ofa tent.
Oh yeah, you know that sound?
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yep, that's very clear.
It's a very clear sound, yeah,so All right, well enjoy.
Is it national?
You said yes.
All right, well, enjoy NationalZipper Day.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Please do.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Hey, my name is Tony Javits and I'm a former middle
school educator who hastransitioned to working
full-time with CPM in theCurriculum and Assessment
Department.
In the Curriculum andAssessment Department, my
current position isWriter-Editor and I'm currently
the Managing Editor for thethird edition of Core
Connections, which I love.
I wanted to take some time outto talk to you about the Academy
(06:15):
of Best Practices, or ABP as weaffectionately call it.
I was involved as a participantback in 2018 with the Veteran
Teacher Cohort and in the pastfew years, I've been able to
help facilitate the week withthe Veteran Cohort.
Abp is one of the most, if notthe most, impactful learning
experiences I've had in my 20years as an educator Gathering
(06:39):
with 32 educators from acrossthe country for a week of diving
into the best and mosteffective ways to engage
students and help students learnand achieve at high levels Just
an incredible experience.
So you will engage with renownedauthors and speakers.
You will collaborate withcolleagues.
You'll be challenged to thinkoutside the box and more during
(07:00):
this week.
That's so incredibly upliftingand encouraging for educators.
It made me look at my ownteaching in ways I had never
really previously thought about.
It's a week of learning, butprovides ample time to think,
reflect and apply what you arelearning.
The takeaways are amazing andthey certainly changed my
(07:20):
outlook and my practice when Iwent back to my classroom.
Certainly changed my outlookand my practice when I went back
to my classroom.
However, just as impactful isthe connection that I made with
so many different educators fromacross the country.
These are educators I still keepin touch with and share things
with seven years after ABP, andthat includes every time zone of
the continent in the UnitedStates people from California to
(07:43):
Massachusetts and many placesin between.
We still regularly check inwith each other, share ideas,
talk about what works, whatdoesn't work, something new we
tried and gather ideas from eachother.
So this year we want toaccommodate 64 more educators
from all walks of life and fromall over the country.
This includes a new teachercohort having taught in the
(08:04):
classroom for five years or lessand a veteran teacher cohort
having taught CPM for five yearsor more.
And here's the beauty of it allit's fully funded by CPM.
The cost of travel, lodging andmeals is all provided with no
cost to you other than your ownspending money on the social
events you may fill yourevenings with.
(08:25):
I know I did quite a bit ofthat.
So this year we will bespending a week together in
beautiful San Diego, california,and you can be a part of it.
We want you to be a part of it.
Applications are open now.
So apply today and be preparedto spend a week being blown away
by an incredible, rich andrewarding experience like no
(08:47):
other.
We hope to see you there.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Thanks, tony.
Applications for the Academy ofBest Practice can be found at
cpmorg backslash abp, and thoseapplications are open until May
10th, so please go check it outAll right, we have a podcast
(09:23):
surprise today.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
I'm very excited we're here talking today with
Nick Love, who is the Directorof Strategic Communications.
I have to say that verycarefully, very strategically
for CPM, and we invited Nickonto the podcast under the
pretenses of what's it like tobe a non-math person working for
(09:47):
a math company, a more math formore people company.
But then that's actually a trap.
It is Because, nick, you'restill a math person.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
I know this one.
I know the answer is the.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
YFA.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
But really what we mean is a person who was not a
math teacher, who was not a mathadministrator, did not work
specifically trying to teachyounger individuals mathematics
before coming to CPM.
Because that is the case for alot of us Almost everybody in
the PL department, the writers,et cetera we've all been
educators, but you have not beenofficially quote, unquote an
(10:24):
educator, right?
So welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, welcome.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Thanks for having me Welcome to CPM.
I mean you've been here for acouple of years, but yeah, I
think it's just about threeyears.
Wow, three years already.
Wow, I was going to go two.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Right, it's fun, which they say.
Time flies when you're havingfun, right.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
That's right, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Yeah, we could go into a whole bunch of
conversation about that, butwe're not going to so.
So we we wanted you to come onthe podcast mostly because we
did want to, like, get somestories, some ideas, some.
You know all of us come.
We have been steeped inmathematics education before we
came to this company and justkind of continue doing the same
(11:08):
thing.
And and one, I don't even knowwhat you did before you came to
cpm, so maybe we could startwith that and then hear a little
bit about what it's been likecoming to CPM.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Yeah, I think that's a good start.
So almost three years ago I wasin Chicago in an independent
school, so I was thecommunications lead and I wasn't
an instructor, but I was inclassrooms a lot.
It was probably I.
I joke that the the two bestparts of that job were the, the
(11:43):
web team that we worked with.
We worked with this web vendorand they were just fantastic and
I couldn't have survivedwithout them and just being in
that space with just the kiddoenergy, like so the independent
school was infants to eighthgrade and just the curiosity,
the excitement, the laughter.
I mean it's hard to have a badday when you're just in that
(12:08):
space.
So so then moved to fromchicago to maryland and
somewhere in the middle of allof that, transitioned over to
cpm as the director of strategiccommunications and pulling in
some of my my on the groundschool experience to to add
(12:31):
maybe not add, but I think oneof the advantages I think I have
in my role is that I had realexperience in a school around
classrooms, so I can at leastpretend to speak teacher
language enough to get by.
I'm probably not fully fluent,but you know I can.
(12:54):
I can order something off amenu.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah, I don't think you're pretending, but was there
any trepidation at all aboutbeing a math company or like
just you wanted to stay incommunications and education?
Speaker 4 (13:08):
That has definitely been my, my sweet spot, joel for
sure, trepidation.
I mean, it's always a littleintimidating hanging out with
experts.
I think it's easy I know thatI'm not supposed to say I'm not
a math person, but it is easy tofeel that sometimes, when just
(13:29):
being in so many conversations,especially with our curriculum
developers of just like thedepth and the passion, and
there's this, there's a level ofinspiration and a level of
intimidation.
Just be honest, ok, you've gota depth of knowledge that I
cannot even I'm going to step mytoe into that, my toe into that
(13:58):
.
So I think I think there's a,there's a little bit of a, maybe
a healthy self-awareness to beable to say, yeah, like I know
that I'm stepping into a realmwith a whole bunch of people who
really, really get math, whoreally love it, and I am, I have
, I have adjacent passions, butnot the exact same.
And yeah, it's a little bitlike hanging out with giants
(14:19):
sometimes.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Well, you have your.
I mean to be fair, though.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
You have your own expertise and knowledge and
things that you bring that therest of us are dabbling at or
quite bad at, or don't have notspent the time honing those
skills or being in that thinkingspace in the amount of time
that you have, for sure yeah,that's, I mean, that's the great
(14:47):
thing, and I think I even hadthat experience in why I was in
that independent school, thatjust when, when it's all really
working really well.
You know that, like, you're allplaying a role in the education
of of kids, like and every,every person is contributing in
(15:11):
their own unique way and it'snot necessarily that one
function is better per se.
It's different, and we do all.
I very much have the attitudethat every person is a genius.
We just haven't figured outwhat their genius is yet.
If, if the case, and so I thinkthat's the same situation of of
(15:31):
all of us who are in theeducation space, who absolutely
want to see kids thrive,students thrive, because I keep
thinking that the little infantson the way up to eighth grade,
up to high school, not anymore.
I got one who's in middleschool.
He's not a kid anymore, he's astudent.
(15:51):
Yeah, we're all working towardsthat thriving of students and
it just looks different.
We're carrying a different loadthan someone else.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
So, as you think about the things that you've
learned and begun when you camein as this fresh new director of
strategic communication,wide-eyed and wet behind the
ears maybe and now you've growninto this adolescent director of
(16:24):
strategic communications.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Oh, I like that.
Okay, I'm a teen, you like thatyeah, yeah, you are.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Well, I mean you could choose.
I mean I don't want to like.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
I own that, let's do it, okay, all right.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Okay, but really choose.
I mean, I don't want to like, Iown that, let's do it okay.
All right, okay, but myquestion, but really my, though
just the like, the gist of myquestion is sort of like there's
, I imagine, there's been somelike steep learning curves at
times, right around cpm, rightlike any company.
We are lingo laden and and I'mwondering if there's something
in those like, if you think backto that steep learning curve,
(16:56):
some interesting stories orinteresting experiences that
you've had that you care toshare.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Yeah, there's a couple that come to mind that I
Sometimes.
It's those small moments thatreally stick with you.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
it's those like it's sometimes, it's those small
moments that really stick you.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
So I've got I've got two very different but, I think,
just as equally impactfulstories.
One one was the I think it wasvoluntold to support some of the
sessions as a moderator, and Ithink I was.
(17:42):
I was I can't remember if I wason the list or I think I may
have been helping somebody outwho had a schedule conflict and
it was all right.
I'm jumping into this, I haveno idea and it ended up being a
really intimate session in thatlike there were, I think, five
or six teachers, the locator andme, and so there was no
(18:07):
discussion sitting in the back,there was no off on the side
corner being an observer, I was,I was fully in and I was
completely over my head, and Ithink the, the facilitator,
probably saw a little bit offear in my eyes and but it was,
it was there, was this greatmoment before we really even
(18:32):
dove in and it was there wasthis like well, I don't remember
how she phrased it exactly, butit was something along the
lines of what do you need to besuccessful in this session and
to be able to, to be invitedinto that space, one to reflect
(18:53):
on, like what I need in thisspot to be able to engage fully.
One the permission to even justpause and think about it,
notice, okay, let's get out ofthe wide eyes, let's actually
like, start to think and process, can process.
And then, because I had thatinvitation, I was able to to
(19:13):
speak and just name, like I, Ifeel like I'm probably the weak
link here, like, here's mysituation, like you all are are
pro teachers and I have gotabout an inch of the knowledge
you have and so I want to engage.
I think this is exciting and Idon't know how much I can really
(19:38):
engage.
And the facilitator was justfantastic in the way that she
held that space and acknowledgedmy ability to engage and
throughout the because it waslike six of us throughout the
activities it was, it was likesix of us throughout the
activities she really made surethat there were ways that I
(19:59):
could participate and not in atokenizing way, but in a
meaningful way.
That didn't, that didn't.
Uh, how do I continue that?
Wide-eyed like I am, I am justoverwhelmed with with this
moment.
Like there was definitely that,that feeling of struggle, of
like, okay, like it's still likea little bit outside of my
(20:19):
comfort zone, but I feel like Ihave permission to show up and
belong.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Nice, nice.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Yeah, that I really.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Go ahead Gushal.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
I was just going to say that just feels like a good
classroom environment, right,like for students too, to be
able to feel welcome and a partof, and things like that.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
And I'm going to add on to that.
I agree that I think thatthat's what we would hope our
classrooms could be, and what Iheard and feel like it was an
important part of that is itwasn't tokenized right.
It wasn't like oh okay, nick,why don't you go over here and
do this thing with this group?
That doesn't feel meaningful orengaged or like that.
You were really contributing.
(21:02):
I valued your contributionstill and what you did have to
contribute.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
Yeah, that's a good way to put it.
I felt like a valuable part ofthat little mini community.
In that moment I went fromfeeling like I am a total math
outsider to I felt like I'm in.
I'm in with this group.
I don't know what I'm doing,but I am in.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Nice, yeah, nice, that sense of belonging.
Nice, yeah, nice, that's abelonging.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
I feel like in our interactions you've always made
me feel welcome and things likethat, but you've brought
something to CPM to make me feelconnected to levels that I
haven't felt connected before.
Have you noticed anything inyour experience?
Speaker 4 (21:56):
that you feel really proud of or happy about that.
You're like, yeah, I broughtthis and I'm helping once.
That's a, that's a good one.
Okay, I, so this is, this is agreat like like the power of
teaching, the power of mentoring, because my this is going to go
on way back to when I was anintern, like right after I
graduated, I had this great bossand she was super intentional
(22:22):
and making the most of ourconversations.
Like you know, sometimes it'slike you have the intern and
they're they're getting, they'regetting coffee and throwing out
the trash.
They're not a valuable part ofthat community.
You very much recreated I mean,it's in the past, I'm not
recreated, but you know what I'msaying it was still that moment
(22:43):
of that time of she saw me as avaluable contributor as an
intern and really instilled alot in me.
So what I'm trying to get to isshe taught me what she called
the art of the nudge, and thatis this her perspective, that
she shared with me, that I nowtry to share with anybody who's
(23:04):
willing to listen.
Most people are just really busyand, for the most part, like
you, might feel frustrated oryou might feel like, oh, like I
already, I already asked themfor this and I already said this
and I already did these things.
At the end of the day, it'sit's probably not malice, it's
(23:25):
probably just there.
They're really, really busy.
And so she taught me that it'syou're not, you're not nagging,
you're not reminding, you'rejust, you're snudging, like hey,
is it just a friendlyconnection?
I, you know, I tried to talk toyou about this last week.
I'm sure you're totally busy.
(23:46):
Can we come back to this it?
I feel for me it's like totallychanged one.
It's empowered me to to know it.
I feel for me it's like totallychanged one.
It's empowered me to to knowit's okay to keep coming back to
something like sometimesthere's a hawk, they're really
busy.
I don't know if I want to.
Half the time it's, it's, it'sit's just, uh, half the time I
(24:08):
get.
Oh, I totally forgot about that, thank you, and so I.
I tried to inject that in allof my conversations and I feel
like I've seen more people, asI've engaged, using using that.
I'll call it that, that gentlelanguage.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
For sure I I am pretty sure that you have uh
used.
Thanks for the nudge in replyto things I've asked you for,
for sure.
I've heard that language Forsure.
Yeah, and as a person who alsorequests a lot of things from a
lot of people and gets a lot ofrequests made, things fall off
(24:47):
the radar and get left behindand then it's oh yeah, I didn't
I.
I that thing was overlooked andit was not.
It was not because I don't likeyou.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Right, and I hope especially in in like teacher
centric or teacher heavy spaces.
Teachers are just driven busypeople and it comes internally
from this passion and it's okayto ask two or three times and
(25:23):
it's because there's already 30things that they're working on,
that they're thinking about,that they're planning through.
And my random, to your point,misty, my random request it's
low on the party.
And that's okay.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Well, there's a lot of for lack of a better word
noise right.
There's a lot of informationthat we're processing all the
time.
Yes, and we are not going to beperfect at retaining attention
on the things that we need towant to, or that all need to get
done.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Well, and to Misty's point earlier of the caveat that
we've invited you here as anon-math person to be on a math
podcast and not to just we needto equate everything to the
classroom, but I'm going toright now.
Isn't that our students too?
There's a lot of noise for them, and so to gently nudge them to
(26:19):
hey, did you think about thisfor a second?
Is okay, and I think more ofthe fact of I'm not thinking
negatively of my students ordeficitely.
If my students can't dosomething or won't do something
or don't want to do something,they just need a nudge.
I love that that you broughtthat up, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
All right, we have time for one more story.
Nick, what do you want to?
What else do you want to share?
Some other highlight of joiningthis company.
Speaker 4 (26:51):
I would get to pick one.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Well, we are two short ones, or we'll just make
it a longer podcast and peoplewill still enjoy the stories
there.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
you go, We'll just have a.
Can we do a series of Nick'sstories we can do anything we
want, we run the podcast.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
We are the decision makers.
Well, so not to go on theclassroom thing.
But how about this other storyI'll share?
We gosh, it was probably abouta year ago now when we had
launched Inspiring Connections.
(27:28):
I think it had been officiallylaunched.
For about a year, inspiringConnections I think it had been
officially launched for about ayear we had a mini classroom
time with employees internallyand that was another one of
those spots of all right, nickis getting put on a team with
(27:51):
some math geniuses All right,let's see how this goes.
Nick is getting put on a teamwith some math geniuses All
right, let's see how this goes.
And in a lot of ways, it was sosimilar to that experience at
the conference session of beinginvited into a space.
(28:13):
I think there was an, there wasan element I really saw in the,
the structure of inspiringconnections itself, that that
made it easy to to, to lean inas someone who maybe didn't feel
as comfortable with with someof I mean, I am so, so rusty on
(28:33):
so much of that stuff.
I mean it was.
It was like wow, like I knowthat I did this at one point in
my life Goodness, I've forgottena lot of it and so to to be
able to, to come into that spaceand feel like, okay, I don't
(28:54):
know all the answers, but I knowhow I can engage and I think
along that theme.
I think specifically Mark Jones, who was my review and preview
buddy Nice.
My review and preview.
Buddy, nice Just could could dolaps, could do math laps around
(29:19):
me in a sleep but in the sameway, like in, invited me into
conversations, engaging with the, the, the, the, the problems,
in a way that didn't feeltokenizing, that felt like okay,
pulling me in to engage alittle bit outside of my comfort
(29:39):
zone, but not so far out that Iwas feeling totally overwhelmed
or didn't know what to do.
I mean clearly a pro at hiscraft, I mean clearly, clearly a
pro at his craft.
It was, it was, I was.
Definitely I'll admit I wasnervous going into that, that,
(30:01):
that course at first, for allthe reasons I named of, like
geez, I'm going to be the, I was, I was, I'm an overachiever and
so to feel like I don't thinkthat you can compete with these,
these, these, these folks.
And when I got there, I didn't,I didn't have to.
Nice it was, it was.
(30:23):
We're engaging with the math ina way that's meaningful for us,
in a way that was meaningfulwith the, the, the lesson itself
, and I mean I love, I love thePL team, the facilitation was,
was awesome.
Not to not to attempt to throwa bunch of flattery around, but
it was, we'll take it yeah.
(30:47):
It was really cool to see, youknow I I usually work with
photos of our professionallearning events, but to be in
one and see, like in in someways it was a little bit of that
classroom energy, like the, theexcitement and the passion that
with the kids, like I feel likeI saw that with every time we
(31:09):
had someone facilitating it wasjust like setting the tone, like
really really like just beingthat kind of anchoring presence
of like you seem really excitedto be here.
That makes me excited to behere.
Let's do this.
I don't know what's going tohappen, I don't know where this
is going to go, but I'm in.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
I love that.
Well, I can tell you that I hada similar experience my first
time going, being trained by CPMthings like that as a math
educator.
Judy Kish was my partner and Ifelt intimidated and she
welcomed me the same way Markwelcomed you not necessarily an
(31:54):
indicator of CPM, even though itis but like we are like-minded
folks and you fit in our team sowell and I'm really happy that
you're a part of it.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Yeah, for sure, for sure.
You've brought a lot of reallygreat things to this company,
nick.
So thank you so much your yourwillingness to, to speak truths
and to and to identify thingsand to help us with hard
conversations that we've neededto have over the last few years.
I mean there's there's beensome some really great times.
(32:19):
I've been like, oh, nick, nickis very helpful in this, in this
space, in that way.
So thank you for bringing thoseskills that we are not always
so great at.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
We feel like little, little tiny newbies around you
know, and bringing them in andand and normalizing them some.
It's that same kind of a thingof making it the way that we
just interact with each other.
It's been really nice, so thankyou, it's been my pleasure.
Thank you for coming on thepodcast as the token, non-token,
(32:49):
non-math person.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
Is this our.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
This is pretty painless.
I think I would do it again.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Oh, good, and is this ?
Speaker 2 (32:58):
We try to make it easy Is this a celebration of
101st.
That's right.
So this is our 101st podcast.
Also, the one that came out acouple weeks ago was number 100.
This is 101.
So, woo-hoo.
Yeah, can't believe we Came outa couple weeks ago as number
100.
This is 101.
So, yeah, can't believe we'vedone 101 podcasts.
Thanks for remembering that.
We were going to say that and Itotally forgot.
(33:18):
I can't believe we've beendoing this this long.
We're about ready to start ourfifth season of more math for
more people.
Yeah, what does?
Speaker 1 (33:27):
that feel Feels good.
It makes me feel old.
Feels good to be old.
There you go.
It makes me feel old Feels goodto be old.
There you go.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
It does that too.
It does that too Seasonedexperience.
That's right yeah well, we'restill learning.
We're still always learning.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
Always, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Absolutely.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
My pleasure.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Thank you, so that is all we have time for on this
episode of the More Math forMore People podcast.
If you are interested inconnecting with us on social
media, find our links in thepodcast description, and the
music for the podcast wascreated by Julius H.
It can be found on pixabaycom.
So thank you very much, julius.
(34:15):
Join us in two weeks for thenext episode of More Math for
More People.
What day will that be, joel?
Speaker 1 (34:23):
It'll be May 13th and our first episode of Season 5
of the More Math for More Peoplepodcast.
It'll be Tulip Day and we'llget to talk about the role that
tulips play in our world.
I love tulips because it'salways the first flower to bloom
in my yard in the spring, so Ialways know spring is here, the
(34:46):
weather is changing, spring ismy favorite season of the year,
and so I look forward to talkingabout tulips with Misty and
finding out more about tulips inour world.
Again, season five starts onMay 13th and we can't wait to
see you there, thank you.
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