Build Math Minds
The Podcast
The Build Math Minds podcast is for my fellow Recovering Traditionalists out there.
If you don’t know whether or not you are a Recovering Traditionalist, here’s how I define us. We are math educators who used to teach math the traditional way. Flip lesson by lesson in the textbook, directly teaching step-by-step how to solve math problems. But now, we are working to change that to a style of teaching math that is fun and meets our students where they are at, not just teaching what comes next in the textbook. We want to encourage our students to be thinkers, problem solvers, and lovers of mathematics…we are wanting to build our students math minds and not just create calculators. If that is you, then this podcast is for you.
Listen To The Latest Episodes
Episode 200: The Three Essential Math Experiences: Number Routines, Word Problems, and Games
Join the Build Math Minds PD site to get more resources like the ones shared in this episode Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades (March 2021) Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Response to Intervention...
Episode 199: Flexible Fingers – The Many Ways to Show Numbers with Fingers
Join the Build Math Minds PD siteWelcome fellow Recovering Traditionalists to Episode 199: Flexible Fingers - The Many Ways to Show Numbers with Fingers Last week I reshared an old video about using math games in the classroom with Dan Finkel and while watching Dan’s...
Episode 198: Tips for Using Games to Build Math Minds with Dan Finkel
Join the Build Math Minds PD site to access the Mini Courses Dan’s website Math For Love Dan’s game Prime Climb Dan’s game Tiny Polka DotWelcome fellow Recovering Traditionalists to Episode 198: Tips for Using Games to Build Math Minds with Dan Finkel. I was recently...
Episode 197: Upleveling Missing Part Games
Join the Build Math Minds PD site Part 1 - Episode 195: Upleveling Missing Part Activities to Build Deeper Mathematical Thinking Part 2 - Episode 196: Repackaging Style Word Problems: Transforming Missing Part Word ProblemsWelcome fellow Recovering Traditionalists to...
Episode 196: Repackaging Style Word Problems: Transforming Missing Part Word Problems
Part 1 (Episode 195) Join the Build Math Minds PD site Putting Essential Understanding of Multiplication and Division into Practice in Grades 3–5 All the books in the Essential Understandings into Practice series at NCTMWelcome fellow Recovering Traditionalists to...
Episode 195: Upleveling Missing Part Activities to Build Deeper Mathematical Thinking
Join the Build Math Minds PD site Putting Essential Understanding of Multiplication and Division into Practice in Grades 3–5 All the books in the Essential Understandings into Practice series at NCTM Welcome fellow Recovering Traditionalists to Episode 195: Upleveling...
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Past Episodes
Children’s Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction
Teaching Fractions for Understanding
Never Say Anything A Kid Can Say
Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions
Knowing Mathematics for Teaching
Inspiration & Information from Jennifer Lagrange
Inspiration & Information from Carri Naumann-Monti
CGI-Using Kids Intuitive Mathematical Reasoning
Using your textbook as a guide with Christy Crees
Building Confidence in your Students with Melissa Barone
Features of Appropriate Math Tasks
Mathematical Argument in the Elementary Classroom
Executive Function’s Impact on Mathematics
Help Students Learn to Love Math with Kelly Sickle
Choral Counting and Counting Collections
Fluency is not just Fast & Accurate
The Benefits of Inventing Algorithms
Selecting & Sequencing Student Solutions
Continue the Learning from the Virtual Math Summit
Addressing Unfinished Learning
Counting is a Substitute for Sense Making
Predicting Future Academic Success
Paper-Pencil versus Mental Computation
The Power of Addition in Building Fluency in Subtraction
Teaching Math for Understanding
Constructing Goals for Student Learning
Is Student Achievement or Student Enjoyment Our Goal?
Top Elementary Math Books for Your Summer 2021 Reading
Preview of Andre Daughty and Alice Aspinall’s Sessions at the 2021 Virtual Math Summit
Preview of Dr. Nicki Newton and Ann Elise Record’s sessions at the 2021 Virtual Math Summit
Preview of 3 more sessions at the 2021 Virtual Math Summit
3rd-5th grade sessions at the 2021 Virtual Math Summit
Wondering About The use of AND in math
Fluency is the By-Product of Flexibility
The Knowledge Needed for Teaching Mathematics
Helping Kids Make Connections in Mathematics with Kelly Rogers
Math Problems with More Than One Answer (part 1)
Math Problems with More Than One Answer (part 3)
Less Expectation, More Appreciation
Taking it a Step Further with Fractions and Subitizing
Observing Math Understanding with Michelle Chu and Kristen Emmel
Should We Stop Giving Tests in Math?
Get the Most Out Of Math Games
Summer Reading List for Elementary Math Teachers 2022
Math Textbooks Have the Teaching of Fluency All Wrong
What Do Students Need to Know About Division?
Virtual Math Summit Preview: Tips for Creating Student-Centered Classrooms
Virtual Math Summit Preview: Teaching Math with Newcomers in Mind
Virtual Math Summit Preview: Challenges and Benefits of Building Kids’ Thinking
A candy bar is better than a pie…when it comes to fractions
Helping Your Students to Be a Successful Student
Geometry in PreK-2 is more than just knowing names of shapes
Mental Math does NOT mean doing it in your head
Math Fluency Through Flexibility
Summer Book Study for Elementary Math Educators
Using Number Lines to Round Numbers – Rounding Numbers Series
Always Building Relationships – Rounding Numbers Series
Exploring Patterns Through Number Routines
The Count – Uncovering Mathematical Structure in Elementary Classrooms
Tasks for Building Thinking Classrooms – Virtual Math Summit 2025 preview
Problem Solving Success: 3 Experts’ Ideas from the 2025 Virtual Math Summit
Making Math Irresistible: 4 Expert Strategies for Student Engagement in Elementary Math
Math Teaching Strategies: Highlights from the 2025 Virtual Math Summit Live Sessions
Beyond the Template – Making the Lesh Translation Model Meaningful
Upleveling Missing Part Activities to Build Deeper Mathematical Thinking
Three Phase Lesson Format to create a Student Centered Mathematics Classroom
Inspiration from Ann Elise Record
Contexts for Learning Fractions
Inspiration & Information from Jeni Veale
Inspiration & Information from Lisa Kuo
Inspiration & Information from Lemi-Ola Erinkitola
The Professional Development Gap
Young Children Reinvent Arithmetic
Teaching Mathematics Through Problem Solving
Inspiration & Information from Jessica Boyer
You have permission with Jess Hempel & Christine Farrell
Effectively Using Games to Build Mathematical Thinking & Reasoning
Encourage Student Perseverance and Authority
Look for and Make Use of Structure
Making the Case for Play in the Classroom
Making Sense is First and Computation is Second
Get Going Using Math Manipulatives with Lori Linsmeyer
Developing a Culture of Questioning Can Be an Agent of Change
Transitioning From Teacher to Math Coach with Peggy Loutzenhiser
Building Self-Reliance in Math
The 80/20 Rule Applied to Teaching Math
Jump-start Math Class with Daily Routines
Implementing Ideas from the Virtual Math Summit
The Distance Learning Playbook
Why Children Have Difficulties with their Math Facts
Creating Images for Subitizing
Looking for the CAN DOs in Math
The 5 Strands of Mathematical Proficiency
Virtual versus Physical Manipulatives
The Missing Piece to Math Fluency
Small Teacher Moves with Vicki Tilson
Fluency Sessions at the Virtual Math Summit 2021
Preview of Dawn Dibley & Pam Tabor and Zak Champagne’s Sessions at the 2021 Virtual Math Summit
Two Ways to Build Number Sense (Virtual Math Summit Preview)
Two of my favorite ways to engage students (Virtual Math Summit Preview)
Creating More Wonder, Joy & Beauty in Math
Responses About The Use of AND in Math
Types of Activities that Build Math Fluency
Misconceptions About Developing Fact Fluency
My Favorite Mathy Gifts for 2021
Teaching Division with Remainders Even in the Early Years
Math Problems With More Than One Answer (Part 3)
Powerful Moments in Math Class with Mike Flynn
What is Computational Fluency?
Standard Algorithms Compared to Computational Strategies
Why is Understanding Fractions So Hard?
A Quick Math Story Problem Activity
Why don’t you talk about Time & Money?
Virtual Math Summit Preview: Helping Students Understand Multiplication
Virtual Math Summit Preview: Things to Think About When Doing Number Routines
Virtual Math Summit Preview: Preventing Teacher Burnout
Tips for Getting Kids to Talk in Math Class
Approximation, Precision, & Accuracy in Measurement
The Power of Using Inverse Operations to Subtract & Divide
A Child’s Progression When Grouping to Count Items
Use Math Manipulatives – No Matter The Age
Is Emotional Teaching a Thing???
Helping Students Understand Magnitude of Numbers – Rounding Numbers Series
Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms
Students who struggle with Less Than problems
Leaping Numbers: a great math activity for exploring patterns
Visual Patterns: The Secret Weapon for Teaching The Math Practices
Don’t Discount the Use of Games in Your Classroom
Live Elementary Math PD Sessions You Won’t Want to Miss: 2025 Virtual Math Summit Preview
The Science of Making Math Stick: Using Brain Research to Combat the NAEP Score Crisis
A Math Task All Teachers Should be Doing
The Truth About Mental Math – It’s Not Just In Your Head
Repackaging Style Word Problems: Transforming Missing Part Word Problems