We want students to be curious, persistent, and resilient problem solvers. But what if those aren't qualities students simply bring into our classrooms? What if we can actually create the conditions for them to emerge?

K-12 Math Leaders: Download our free Math Coherence Compass to help your teammates, system leaders, and educators create aligned instructional practices—without adding another initiative. https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

In this episode, Jon Orr and Peter Liljedahl – author of Building Thinking Classrooms explore the difference between states and traits and what that distinction means for teaching mathematics. Peter shares how thoughtfully designed experiences can create moments of confidence, productive struggle, and resilience—and how repeated experiences can eventually shape who students become as mathematical thinkers.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• The difference between a state and a trait
• Why resilience isn't something students either “have” or “don't have”
• How repeated states can eventually develop into traits
• Why productive struggle is more likely when challenge follows success
• How task sequencing can build confidence before students encounter greater challenge
• Why showing students how to solve problems isn't the same as helping them become problem solvers
• How Building Thinking Classrooms practices can create conditions for resilience
• Why teachers have an important role in designing environments that invite different student behaviours

Instead of asking, “Why aren't my students more resilient?” consider asking, “What conditions could I create that give them an opportunity to step into resilience?” We can't expect different student behaviours without creating environments that invite those behaviours.

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Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

Ever reach the end of the semester only to feel like you're reteaching everything from September? If students learned it once but can't retrieve it months later, the problem may not be the original lesson. It may be how—and when—they encountered mathematics.

K-12 Math Leaders: Download our free Math Coherence Compass to help your teammates, system leaders, and educators create aligned instructional practices—without adding another initiative. https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

In this episode, Jon Orr breaks down what it actually means to spiral your math curriculum and why spacing and retrieval can support longer-lasting learning. He also shares what didn't work when he first tried spiraling and offers practical ways to start without rebuilding your entire course.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• The difference between blocked instruction and spiraling
• Why spacing and retrieval can improve long-term retention
• How blocked units can create an “illusion of understanding”
• Why randomly mixing lessons isn't the same as thoughtfully spiraling
• How mini-units can balance developmental progression with spaced learning
• Three low-lift ways to begin spiraling without rebuilding your course
• How warm-ups, math talks, and lagged practice can keep previous learning alive
• What leaders can do to create the conditions for spiraling to actually stick

Choose one topic students consistently seem to forget. Instead of teaching it once and hoping it sticks, consider how you could intentionally bring it back three times this term, going a little deeper each time. Start small, build deliberately, and give students repeated opportunities to retrieve and reconnect their learning.

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Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

We say we want students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and mathematical reasoners. But do the systems in our classrooms and schools actually reward those things—or are we still rewarding speed, compliance, and correct answers?

K-12 Math Leaders: Download our free Math Coherence Compass to help your teammates, system leaders, and educators create aligned instructional practices—without adding another initiative. https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

In this episode, Jon Orr and Dr. Pamela Seda explore the disconnect between the mathematics we say students need and what our systems actually value. They examine how assessment, classroom routines, walkthroughs, and professional learning can unintentionally send competing messages—and what leaders and teachers can begin changing within their control.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• The two competing visions of mathematical success
• Why speed and correct answers don't tell us the whole story of student understanding
• How classroom and school systems communicate what we truly value
• Why collecting evidence of student thinking matters more than judging an answer alone
• How formative assessment can prioritize reasoning, justification, and critical thinking
• Why standardized assessments can be treated as the floor rather than the goal
• How leaders can better align what they say matters with what their systems actually reward
• How to recognize when you're operating within the “old system” so you can begin changing it

Take a closer look at one system you control—your formative assessment, lesson routines, walkthrough tool, or professional learning. What does it communicate to students and teachers about what counts as success in mathematics? Recognizing the old system is the first step toward building something different.

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Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

Your math team meets regularly. You strategize, make decisions, and talk about improving mathematics. But when everyone leaves the meeting, does the work actually move forward? Too often, teams spend more energy making decisions than putting those decisions into action.

K-12 Math Leaders: Download our free Math Coherence Compass to help your teammates, system leaders, and educators create aligned instructional practices—without adding another initiative. https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

In this episode, Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman explore why strong teams can still get stuck in cycles of discussion and consensus. They unpack how clear ownership, predictable structures, shared direction, and psychological safety can create the right balance of autonomy and accountability—so people feel confident leaving the meeting and getting to work.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• Why consensus can sometimes slow down math improvement
• How to create greater clarity around roles, responsibilities, and ownership
• The difference between seeking input and asking permission
• Why predictable meeting structures create greater accountability between meetings
• How a Math Coherence Compass can become a filter for everyday decision-making
• What high autonomy and high accountability can look like on a leadership team
• Why psychological safety matters when we want people to take action
• How leaders can determine whether their team has a clarity problem or a confidence problem

If your team is spending more energy deciding what to do than actually doing the work, take a look at the conditions surrounding the team itself. Ask whether people know what they own, whether they have a clear framework for making decisions, and whether they feel safe enough to act without knowing they'll get everything right the first time. The goal isn't less collaboration. It's creating the clarity, autonomy, accountability, and trust that allow collaboration to lead to action.

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Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

We’ve all heard it: “My students can do the math—they just struggle with word problems.” They can perform the calculation when it’s presented directly, but put that same mathematics inside a context or multi-step problem and suddenly things become much more difficult. The instinct might be to give students more word problems to practice, but what if the real challenge lies somewhere deeper?

K-12 Math Leaders: Download our free Math Coherence Compass to help your teammates, system leaders, and educators create aligned instructional practices—without adding another initiative. https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

In this episode, Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman dig into adaptive reasoning, one of the five interconnected strands of mathematical proficiency described in Adding It Up. They explore the important difference between having strategies in your mathematical toolkit and knowing when, why, and how to choose among them. From think-alouds and metacognition to mathematical discourse and varied problem contexts, the conversation looks at how we can help students become more flexible problem solvers. It also challenges us to look beyond “students can’t reason” and consider whether they have the background knowledge, task clarity, and familiarity with the context needed to demonstrate their reasoning in the first place.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• What adaptive reasoning means within the five strands of mathematical proficiency
• Why knowing how to use a strategy is different from knowing when to choose it
• How think-alouds can make mathematical decision-making visible to students
• Why reflection and metacognition matter when students solve unfamiliar problems
• How mathematical discourse supports adaptive reasoning
• Three conditions to consider before concluding that students are struggling with reasoning
• Why background knowledge and meaningful, familiar contexts matter in problem solving
• How strengthening our own mathematical proficiency can better position us to support students

If your students can complete straightforward calculations but struggle when mathematics appears in unfamiliar or multi-step problems, this episode offers a different place to look. Rather than simply adding more practice, consider what opportunities students have to choose strategies, explain those choices, reflect on their thinking, and strengthen the adaptive reasoning that helps weave mathematical proficiency together.

Show Notes Page

Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

If you could wave a magic wand and walk into any math classroom five or ten years from now, what would you hope to see? What would students be doing, saying, and thinking? How would the room feel? Those questions can reveal far more than a list of instructional strategies—they can help a team uncover what they truly want mathematics teaching and learning to become.

K-12 Math Leaders: Download our free Math Coherence Compass to help your teammates, system leaders, and educators create aligned instructional practices—without adding another initiative. https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

In this episode, Yvette Lehman and Beth Curran unpack one of their go-to routines for beginning a math improvement journey: the Magic Wand Wish List. They share how the routine has evolved to keep the conversation aspirational, asset-based, and centered on the student experience. From flexible thinking and multiple representations to meaningful mathematical discourse, confidence, curiosity, and resilient problem solving, the conversation paints a picture of mathematically proficient learners—and explores why creating that picture together is such an important first step toward coherence across a school or system.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• How to use the Magic Wand Wish List with educators and leadership teams
• Why the routine should focus on the student experience rather than conditions outside a team's control
• What flexible mathematical thinking can look and sound like in classrooms
• Why connecting multiple representations supports conceptual understanding
• How meaningful discourse can build student confidence and mathematical authority
• What it means to develop flexible, resilient problem solvers
• Why a shared vision creates greater coherence across classrooms and grade levels
• How to move from an aspirational vision toward an actionable next step

As you begin a new school year, consider bringing your team together around one question: What would you like to see happening consistently across your math classrooms? Keep the conversation asset-based, imagine the experience you ultimately want for students, and use that shared vision to identify the first small move your team can make together.

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Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

Stepping into a new math leadership role can feel exciting and overwhelming at the same time—especially when your responsibility suddenly expands from supporting one school or district to supporting dozens. Where do you begin when every district is at a different place, has different needs, and may already be working toward different mathematics goals? That's exactly the challenge facing one experienced math leader as she prepares to support 30 districts in a new regional role.

K-12 Math Leaders: Download our free Math Coherence Compass to help your teammates, system leaders, and educators create aligned instructional practices—without adding another initiative. https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

In this coaching conversation, Jon Orr explores why the first move isn't creating more professional development or trying to support everyone at once. It's going to Gemba: getting close to the work, building relationships, asking better questions, and understanding what is actually happening across the systems you serve. From there, the conversation explores how leaders can start narrow, learn fast, and implement slowly—using the Math Coherence Compass to create shared direction, identify meaningful goals and leading indicators, and build the internal capacity needed for improvement to spread sustainably.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• What "going to Gemba" looks like for math leaders
• Why starting narrow can lead to greater system-wide impact
• How to support multiple districts without spreading yourself too thin
• The importance of asking, "What are you working on, and how do you know?"
• How the Math Coherence Compass creates shared direction around mathematics improvement
• Why leading indicators provide more actionable information than test scores alone
• How to build capacity within districts instead of creating dependence on outside support
• The shift from being a reactive support provider to a proactive systems leader

If you're stepping into a math leadership role—or trying to create meaningful change across multiple schools or districts—this episode offers a practical place to begin. Start by getting closer to the work, understanding the systems you're supporting, and finding one place where you can learn deeply before trying to scale broadly.

Show Notes Page

Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

School and district leaders often feel pressure to create widespread change as quickly as possible. But sustainable math improvement doesn't happen by trying to reach everyone at once—it starts by building the capacity of the people who will eventually lead the work.

K-12 Math Leaders: Download our free Math Coherence Compass to help your teammates, system leaders, and educators create aligned instructional practices—without adding another initiative. https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

In this episode, we share the first year of one district's mathematics improvement journey. Rather than launching a system-wide initiative immediately, they focused on developing a small team of instructional leaders who first deepened their own understanding of computational fluency before supporting others. Through a summer leadership boot camp, monthly "book do" sessions, classroom implementation, and facilitator practice, they created a strong foundation for long-term success. Their story illustrates how learning fast, implementing slowly, and investing in leadership capacity can create momentum that lasts well beyond a single school year.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• How one district launched a sustainable mathematics improvement journey
• Why building leadership capacity should come before large-scale implementation
• The value of a summer leadership boot camp for establishing vision and focus
• How "book do" sessions moved professional learning from discussion to action
• Why facilitator development is essential for scaling improvement
• How grade-band leadership structures support distributed leadership
• Lessons leaders can apply when planning multi-year mathematics improvement

If you're leading mathematics improvement in a school or district, this episode offers a practical example of how to build leadership capacity, create momentum, and lay the foundation for sustainable change—one intentional step at a time.

Show Notes Page

Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.