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!

Productive Math Struggle Series — Action 6: Reflecting on Productive Struggle

In the final episode of our Productive Math Struggle series, we explore the power of reflection — the often-missing piece that transforms struggle into lasting learning.

Grounded in research from Phillips (1987) and Sousa (2008), this episode focuses on how intentional reflection helps students make meaning of both what they learned and how they learned it. We share simple, flexible reflection routines that reinforce productive struggle, strengthen math identity, and build habits of perseverance.

🔑Key Takeaways

• Reflection increases retention and meaning-making
• Learning includes experience, not just content
• Reflection reinforces that struggle is valued
• Variety in reflection activities matters
• Reflection should be routine, not constant
• Teacher reflection improves future instruction
• Celebration should be thoughtful and student-centered
  
  

📝Mini Move of the Week

👉 Add ONE reflection prompt focused on struggle to lesson closure.

📚Read along with Us

• Productive Struggle in Math: A 6 Point Action Plan for Fostering Perseverance

🔗 Listen & Connect

🎧 Listen here: https://modernmathteacher.buzzsprout.com/share
📸 Instagram: @moorethanjustx
🧑‍💻Join the free FB group: The Modern Math Teacher Community

👩🏻‍🏫Become a Modern Math Teacher Member
💛 Explore more resources: www.moorethanjustx.com

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 Math Struggle Series — Action 5

In Part 5 of our Productive Math Struggle Series, we shift from planning to real-time classroom action: What do you actually do when students struggle?

Instead of panicking, rescuing, or over-explaining (we’ve ALL been there), we walk through five high-leverage, easy-to-implement teacher moves that keep struggle productive — not painful. Using insights from Warschauer (2014), Smith & Stein’s 5 Practices, Mona Iehl, and practical classroom experience, this episode gives you the exact moves to support student thinking without stealing the learning.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Not all struggle looks the same — knowing the type of struggle helps you respond effectively.
• Supporting struggle ≠ rescuing answers. The real goal is rescuing thinking.
• Small teacher moves have big impact on student confidence, perseverance, and identity.
• Catch-and-Release is one of the most powerful whole-class strategies for addressing common challenges.
• Referrals, graphic organizers, and anchor charts can build independence and reduce learned helplessness.
• Metacognitive micro-questions help students become self-directed learners.
• Honoring mistakes builds trust, reduces math anxiety, and strengthens classroom community.
• Strategic nudging helps prevent spiraling frustration without removing the challenge.

✏️ Mini Move of the Week
👉 When a student gets stuck, don’t explain. Ask ONE metacognitive micro-question. Just one. Watch what happens.

📚Read along with Us

• Productive Struggle in Math: A 6 Point Action Plan for Fostering Perseverance

🔗 Listen & Connect

🎧 Listen here: https://modernmathteacher.buzzsprout.com/share
📸 Instagram: @m

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 Math Struggle Series — Action 4: Plan a Lesson with Productive Struggle

In Part 4 of our Productive Math Struggle series, we dig into the HEART of rigorous math instruction: lesson planning that intentionally creates space for student thinking, sense-making, and meaningful struggle.

If you’ve been craving practical, teacher-ready strategies for selecting or modifying tasks, anticipating student thinking, and balancing conceptual understanding, fluency, and application — this is your masterclass. 🎓✨

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Strong lesson design includes a clear math goal, intentional task selection, anticipatory planning, and reflection.
• Mathematical language should be amplified, not simplified (Van de Walle).
• High-quality tasks are essential for rigor — they reveal misconceptions and promote meaningful discussion.
• Rigor = conceptual understanding + procedural fluency + application (CCSSO, 2019).
• Doing the task yourself uncovers biases, reveals complexity, and improves instruction.
• Anticipation is one of the highest-impact teacher practices (Smith & Stein’s 5 Practices).
• Inquiry-first sequences (You Do → We Share → I Connect) create deeper learning and stronger reasoning.
• Grouping, routines, and community-building are essential parts of planning for struggle.
• You don’t have to overhaul everything at once — start with one lesson a week.

✏️ Mini Move of the Week

👉 Choose any math task and modify it using ONE strategy from today’s episode. Tiny task shifts → big thinking gains.

📚Read along with Us

• Productive Struggle in Math: A 6 Point Action Plan for Fostering Perseverance

🔗 Listen & Connect

🎧 Listen here: https://modernmathteacher.buzzsprout.com/share
📸 Inst

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 Math Struggle Series — Action 3: Build Community for Productive Struggle

In Part 3 of our Productive Math Struggle series, we’re diving into what may be the single most important ingredient of productive struggle: Community is not a “nice-to-have.”
👉 It’s the foundation that makes productive struggle possible.

A math classroom community is a living, breathing ecosystem where students feel safe, valued, and supported enough to take academic risks. And when students are asked to think deeply, share ideas, make mistakes, and try again? That community becomes the backbone that makes productive struggle possible.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• A productive math community is built on trust, safety, respect, and belonging.
• Community is not a “Week 1” event — it must be maintained intentionally all year long.
• Middle school and high school students face unique barriers that make community-building even more critical.
• Students must co-create norms to feel ownership and accountability.
• Community is strengthened by shared understanding of productive struggle, mistakes, and the learning process.
• Teachers must periodically “take the temperature” of the class to reinforce norms and address disconnects.
• Learning is deepest when students engage, discuss, debate, and reflect, not just work quietly. (Boaler, 2013; NCTM, 2014)

✏️ Mini Move of the Week
👉 Have students co-create a “Good Group / Bad Group” sort and build class norms from their ideas. Shared ownership = shared responsibility.

📚Read along with Us

• Productive Struggle in Math: A 6 Point Action Plan for Fostering Perseverance

🔗 Listen & Connect

🎧 Listen here: https://modernmathteacher.buzzsprout.com/share
📸 Instagra

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 Math Struggle Series — Action 2: Foster an Identity for Productive Struggle

In Part 2 of our Productive Math Struggle series, we dive into one of the most powerful — and overlooked — components of rigorous math learning: math identity.

This episode explores the roots of math identity, how trauma and early experiences shape student beliefs, and the practical tools teachers can use to help every student believe, “I am a math person.”

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Math identity = beliefs + emotions + experiences + messages.
• Students’ math identities are shaped long before they enter our classrooms.
• Family beliefs, media messaging (“math is tough”), stereotypes, and past classroom experiences all contribute.
• Math trauma plays a major role in identity formation (Vanessa Vakharia).
• Teachers’ OWN math identities influence how they respond to struggle, mistakes, and student thinking.
• Identity predicts whether students will lean into struggle or run from it.
• Building identity requires intentional reflection, celebration, and countering negative beliefs.
• Self-efficacy (Hattie, 2019) is one of the highest-impact influences on achievement.
• Productive struggle cannot happen without a strong and positive math identity.

✏️ Mini Move of the Week

👉 Have students complete a mini math autobiography.
Just six simple prompts can give you BIG insights into how they see themselves.

📚Read along with Us

• Productive Struggle in Math: A 6 Point Action Plan for Fostering Perseverance

🔗 Listen & Connect

🎧 Listen here: https://modernmathteacher.buzzsprout.com/share
📸 Instagram: @moorethanjustx
🧑‍💻Join

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!