What Counts is a limited-series podcast about the narratives that shape math learning, and how changing those narratives can change what's possible in classrooms. In season 1, we speak to teachers, students, and education leaders to ask: What happens when relationships move from the margins to the center of math instruction?

What Counts is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.

In Episode 1, we ask a foundational question for middle and high school math teachers: where do teacher-student relationships fit in math instruction — and why do they matter in the math classroom?

You'll hear from Florida math teachers who describe a persistent tension between pacing guides and relationship-building, and why many believe there's "not time not to" build trust and student engagement in math class.

We also meet Celena Crews, a veteran secondary math teacher whose approach starts with noticing students, strengthening mathematical foundations without shame, and creating a classroom culture where students feel safe to participate — academically and emotionally.

For math teachers who feel pressure to prioritize content coverage over connection, this episode reframes relationship-building as part of the learning conditions that shape student engagement and math identity.

What Counts is a professional learning podcast for middle and high school math teachers exploring teacher-student relationships, student voice, math identity, and classroom culture. The show is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.

Why do so many students walk into math class believing they're "not math people"?

In Episode 2, we explore why math is one of the only subjects where students form identity-level beliefs about their abilities and how math anxiety, shame, and past classroom experiences shape participation in middle and high school math.

You'll hear secondary math teachers reflect on:

• Students who carry fear or embarrassment into math class

• How small classroom moments can reinforce or undo math anxiety

• The emotional weight teachers feel when trying to rebuild confidence

• Why math identity often becomes personal in ways other subjects don't

If you teach math in a secondary classroom and regularly hear "I'm just not good at math," this episode examines how teacher-student relationships influence math confidence, engagement, and students' willingness to try.

What Counts is a professional learning podcast for middle and high school math teachers exploring teacher-student relationships, student voice, math identity, and classroom culture. The show is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.

If relationships matter in math instruction, how do you actually build them? Especially with 100+ students?

In Episode 3, we move from belief to practice. Middle and high school math teachers reflect on what intentional relationship-building looks like in real classrooms... beyond slogans like "relationships are everything."

You'll hear practical strategies from secondary math educators, including:

• Using math timelines to understand students' math histories

• Creating daily routines that build connection and trust

• Listening for moments that shift how you see a student

• Strengthening student voice in math discussions

• Building mathematical self-esteem over time

This episode explores how relationship-building in the math classroom becomes sustainable practice (not just philosophy) and how reflective teaching strengthens both connection and instructional decisions.

What Counts is a professional learning podcast for middle and high school math teachers exploring teacher-student relationships, student voice, math identity, and classroom culture. The show is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.

Strong teacher-student relationships matter, but classroom culture shapes math learning just as much.

In Episode 4, we widen the lens to explore peer relationships in the math classroom and how social dynamics influence student participation.

Middle and high school math teachers share stories about:

• Co-creating classroom norms

• Addressing laughter or shutdown without damaging relationships

• Reducing students' fear of looking "dumb" in front of peers

• Building collective responsibility for respectful discussion

• Creating psychological safety in math class

When students feel safe making mistakes publicly, participation changes. This episode examines how classroom culture in secondary math classrooms can shift from control to community, and why peer trust plays a central role.

What Counts is a professional learning podcast for middle and high school math teachers exploring teacher-student relationships, student voice, math identity, and classroom culture. The show is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.

What is the long-term impact of teacher-student relationships in math?

In the final episode of What Counts, we follow one student's story and reflect on what unfolded when a math teacher chose connection, high expectations, and belief.

Through this vignette, we see how teacher-student relationships in a secondary math classroom can influence a student's confidence, participation, and sense of mathematical identity over time.

This episode brings the series full circle, moving from research and reflection to lived experience, and explores how relationship-centered math instruction shapes how students experience learning long after a single lesson ends.

What Counts is a professional learning podcast for middle and high school math teachers exploring teacher-student relationships, student voice, math identity, and classroom culture. The show is presented by Impact Florida and produced by De LeCourt.