The Build Math Minds 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.

Episode 201 - Our Summer Book Study - Exploring Tasks for the Thinking Classroom 05/11/2025

Episode 200 - The Three Essential Math Experiences: Number Routines, Word Problems, and Games 05/04/2025

Episode 199 - The Many Ways to Show Numbers with Fingers 04/27/2025

Episode 198 - Tips for Using Games to Build Math Minds with Dan Finkel 04/20/2025

Episode 197 - Upleveling Missing Part Games 04/13/2025

Episode 196 - Repackaging Style Word Problems: Transforming Missing Part Word Problems 04/06/2025

Episode 195 - Upleveling Missing Part Activities to Build Deeper Mathematical Thinking 03/30/2025

Episode 194 - The Truth About Mental Math - It's Not Just In Your Head 03/23/2025

Episode 193 - Beyond the Template - Making the Lesh Translation Model Meaningful 03/16/2025

Episode 192 - A Math Task All Teachers Should be Doing 03/09/2025

Episode 191 - Math Teaching Strategies: Highlights from the 2025 Virtual Math Summit Live Sessions 03/02/2025

Episode 191 - Math Teaching Strategies: Highlights from the 2025 Virtual Math Summit Live Sessions Highlights from the 2025 Virtual Math Summit Get a look into the 2025 Virtual Math Summit's six live sessions that are transforming mathematics instruction in classrooms across the country. This episode captures the essence of innovative teaching approaches from some of the most influential voices in math education today. Discover how Peter Liljedahl and Maegan Giroux are revolutionizing classrooms with their "Building Thinking Classrooms" approach, including their counterintuitive advice to create "bad examples" that spark genuine problem-solving. Listen as Pam Harris demonstrates how simple "helper problems" can build powerful number relationships without relying on mindless algorithms. You'll gain practical insights from Shannon Olson on effectively connecting the five types of mathematical representations, and witness Kim Rimbey's fascinating exploration of how ten frames can develop deep place value understanding across all grade levels. NCTM President Latrenda Knighten shares engaging strategies for incorporating children's literature and instructional routines to enhance mathematical discourse, while Ann Elise Record demonstrates why visual models are far more effective than the misleading "keyword" approach for tackling word problems. This episode isn't just about theory—it's packed with classroom-tested strategies you can implement immediately to deepen your students' mathematical understanding and confidence. Show Notes: Building Thinking Classrooms through non-examples and "just-in-time" teaching Moving beyond algorithms to develop mathematical relationships Connecting contextual, physical, visual, symbolic, and verbal representations Using ten frames to develop place value understanding across grade levels Enhancing mathematical discourse through children's literature and instructional routines Visual modeling approaches for word problems that transcend "keyword" strategies Featured Speakers: Building Thinking Classrooms Peter Liljedahl & Maegan Giroux, Pam Harris, Shannon Olson, Kim Rimbey, NCTM President Latrenda Knighten, and Ann Elise Record Note: March 3rd is the last day to watch the 2025 Virtual Math Summit sessions for free. Extended access is available through /episode/index/show/buildmathminds/id/35496895