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

Struggle Is Learning. Drowning Is Not.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned this year is that not all struggle is productive.

As math teachers, we want students to wrestle with ideas, persevere through challenges, and make sense of mathematics. But there's a fine line between productive struggle and overwhelming frustration.

In this episode, we're exploring what productive struggle actually looks like, why support and rigor aren't opposites, and how to challenge students without leaving them stranded.

Because struggle is learning.

Drowning is not.

💡 In This Episode:

• What productive struggle really means in a math classroom
• Why not all struggle leads to learning
• How my thinking evolved through teaching an inquiry-based curriculum
• Why support structures don't reduce rigor
• The difference between students who are struggling and students who are overwhelmed
• How relationships help us know when to push and when to support

✨ Key Takeaways

✨ Productive struggle is essential for deep learning

✨ Support and rigor work together—not against each other

✨ Good teaching requires knowing when to step in and when to step back

✨ The same task can feel very different to different students

✨ Student confidence and math identity influence how struggle is experienced

📥 FREE GUIDE: Project or Practice?

Want help creating meaningful learning experiences that balance rigor, engagement, and student thinking?

👉 Grab the free guide:
https://moorethanjustx.myflodesk.com/practice

📘 JULY BOOK STUDY: Math Therapy

Next week, we're kicking off our July Math Therapy book study!

We'll be exploring:

• math identity
• confidence
• productive struggle
• math anxiety
• student mindset
• emotional experiences in mathematics

Grab your copy and read along with us:

📖 Physical Book:
https://amzn.to/42VJRl6

🎧 Audiobook:
https://amzn.to/49nV55D

🌊 Poolside PD Reflection

Think about a student who struggled this year.

Did they need more challenge?

Or did they need more support?

And how do you know the difference?

🎧 What's Next

Next week, we begin our Math Therapy summer book study by exploring why so many students believe they're "bad at math"—and what we can do about it.

Until next time, keep it real.

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!

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

Are we using technology because it improves learning—or because it's available?

After reflecting on student engagement, Chromebook fatigue, and intentional lesson design, I've been rethinking how technology fits into my math classroom.

And the more I think about it, the more I realize:

👉 The goal isn't more technology.

👉 The goal is better technology.

In this episode, I'm sharing how my thinking has evolved, the tools I'm keeping, the tools I'm rethinking, and how frameworks like TPACK and SAMR are helping me make more intentional instructional decisions.

💡 In This Episode:

• Why I'm not anti-tech—but I am pro-intentionality
• How TPACK and SAMR can help us evaluate technology use
• Why students sometimes use devices as an avoidance strategy
• The role of TI-84 graphing calculators in a modern math classroom
• Why tools like ASSISTments, Snorkl, and AI are staying in my toolbox
• My "Hannah Montana Model" for balancing digital and non-digital learning

✨ Key Takeaways
✨ Technology should amplify thinking—not replace it

✨ Learning goals should drive technology decisions

✨ Not every lesson needs a screen

✨ TPACK and SAMR help us ask better questions about technology use

✨ The best technology isn't always the newest technology

📥 FREE GUIDE: Project or Practice?
Want help deciding when to use projects, performance tasks, or practice in your math classroom?

👉 Grab the free guide:
https://moorethanjustx.myflodesk.com/practice

📘 JULY BOOK STUDY: Math Therapy

This July, we'll be reading Math Therapy together on the podcast.

We'll explore:

• math identity
• confidence
• productive struggle
• student mindset
• emotional experiences in mathematics

Grab your copy and read along with us:

📖 Physical Book:
https://amzn.to/42VJRl6

🎧 Audiobook:
https://amzn.to/49nV55D

🌊 Poolside PD Reflection

If you removed every piece of technology from tomorrow's lesson, what learning would be lost?

And what learning might actually improve?

🎧 What's Next

Next up, I'm sharing what I'm still figuring out about teaching Honors Math—including rigor, procedural fluency, pacing, and how to challenge students without overwhelming them.

Until next time, keep it real.

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!