What if 10 million students could tell us what keeps them engaged in math — and what pushes them away?

In this episode, I sit down with veteran educator Sheila Robitaille (30 years in classrooms and administration across the U.S. and Canada, now with 3P Learning) to unpack what nearly two decades of World Maths Day participation reveals about math engagement, productive struggle, and that critical middle school-to-Algebra transition.

This conversation isn’t just about a contest. It’s about what happens to students’ confidence when abstraction increases — and how we can protect curiosity while raising rigor.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

🔄 The Middle School Shift

• Why math suddenly feels more abstract
• How pacing and performance pressure impact confidence
• What happens to math identity during this transition
  
  

➗ Why We Lose Students in Algebra

• When procedure replaces thinking
• The unintended effects of “right answer” culture
• How speed and comparison increase anxiety
  
  

🌍 A Global Perspective on Productive Struggle + Engagement

• Two questions you must ask yourself as a teacher
• Establishing a class culture to support struggle
• How to create struggle that feels safe and purposeful
• Every person can be a math person
  
  
  

🌍World Maths Day with Mathletics

Through global participation in World Maths Day, educators have observed:

• Students lean in when challenge feels accessible
• Immediate feedback increases persistence
• Participation motivates more than ranking
  
  
  

Connect with Sheila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheila-robitaille-8823864b

🌍Sign Up for World Maths Day: https://www.3plearning.com/world-maths-day/

Let’s talk. Send me a message with your email and I’ll get back to you!

This podcast is a member of the Teach Better Podcast Network. Better Today. Better Tomorrow. And the Podcasts to Help You Get There.

Connect with Kristen:

• Follow on Instagram @moorethanjustx
• Join the Facebook Community: The Modern Math Teachers Movement

More About the Modern Math Teacher Podcast

Kristen Moore, classroom teacher and instructional coach at Moore Than Just X, empowers modern secondary math teachers to transform the student experience with the strategies and the confidence to implement project-based learning, mastery-based assessment, and student engagement strategies in their classrooms.

Whether you're a math education newbie or a seasoned veteran, you'll find something new and inspiring in every episode. You’re already a listener, why not join the Movement inside ✨The Modern Math Teachers Movement Facebook group. Join the community of math teachers who are not afraid to shake things up and make math class the best part of the day for our students. So tune in each Tuesday, have some fun, and let's elevate our math teaching game together!

*Amazon orders may provide a small affiliate payout at no extra cost to you. These payouts help keep the podcast free for all!

Productive struggle is an essential part of effective math teaching strategies, but it only works when teachers plan intentionally for what comes next.

In this episode, we explore instructional teaching strategies that help students reflect, receive feedback, and formalize learning after challenging math tasks. You’ll hear examples of teaching strategies mathematics teachers use to turn struggle into lasting understanding.

Topics include:

• Teaching strategies that support reflection after struggle
• How feedback differs from fixing student thinking
• Why formalizing learning matters in math instruction
  
  
  

If you want your math lessons to lead to deeper understanding—not just effort—this episode will help you close the gap.

Let’s talk. Send me a message with your email and I’ll get back to you!

This podcast is a member of the Teach Better Podcast Network. Better Today. Better Tomorrow. And the Podcasts to Help You Get There.

Connect with Kristen:

• Follow on Instagram @moorethanjustx
• Join the Facebook Community: The Modern Math Teachers Movement

More About the Modern Math Teacher Podcast

Kristen Moore, classroom teacher and instructional coach at Moore Than Just X, empowers modern secondary math teachers to transform the student experience with the strategies and the confidence to implement project-based learning, mastery-based assessment, and student engagement strategies in their classrooms.

Whether you're a math education newbie or a seasoned veteran, you'll find something new and inspiring in every episode. You’re already a listener, why not join the Movement inside ✨The Modern Math Teachers Movement Facebook group. Join the community of math teachers who are not afraid to shake things up and make math class the best part of the day for our students. So tune in each Tuesday, have some fun, and let's elevate our math teaching game together!

*Amazon orders may provide a small affiliate payout at no extra cost to you. These payouts help keep the podcast free for all!

In this special capstone episode of The Modern Math Teacher Podcast, I’m joined by John SanGiovanni, co-author of Productive Math Struggle, for a reflective conversation on what productive struggle looks like in real classrooms—and how educators can support it intentionally.

This episode wraps up our six-part Productive Math Struggle mini-series and is guided by questions shared directly from teachers I’ve been working with across my district and county. Together, we reflect on the impact of this work, common challenges teachers face, and practical ways to support student thinking, perseverance, and confidence in math.

💡 In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why productive struggle matters now more than ever
• How to recognize productive vs. unproductive struggle
• When to step in during struggle—and when to hold back
• Small instructional shifts that make a big impact
• Supporting productive struggle at the classroom and system level
  
  

📘 About the Guest
John SanGiovanni is a best-selling author and nationally recognized leader in mathematics education. He works as a mathematics coordinator in Maryland, leading curriculum and assessment development, professional learning, intervention, and school improvement planning. He is the author of more than two dozen mathematics education books, an international consultant, and a former board member of both the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics.

🔗 Connect with John

• Website: sangiomath.com
• Social: @JohnSanGiovanni
  
  
  

Let’s talk. Send me a message with your email and I’ll get back to you!

This podcast is a member of the Teach Better Podcast Network. Better Today. Better Tomorrow. And the Podcasts to Help You Get There.

Connect with Kristen:

• Follow on Instagram @moorethanjustx
• Join the Facebook Community: The Modern Math Teachers Movement

More About the Modern Math Teacher Podcast

Kristen Moore, classroom teacher and instructional coach at Moore Than Just X, empowers modern secondary math teachers to transform the student experience with the strategies and the confidence to implement project-based learning, mastery-based assessment, and student engagement strategies in their classrooms.

Whether you're a math education newbie or a seasoned veteran, you'll find something new and inspiring in every episode. You’re already a listener, why not join the Movement inside ✨The Modern Math Teachers Movement Facebook group. Join the community of math teachers who are not afraid to shake things up and make math class the best part of the day for our students. So tune in each Tuesday, have some fun, and let's elevate our math teaching game together!

*Amazon orders may provide a small affiliate payout at no extra cost to you. These payouts help keep the podcast free for all!