Whiteboards, chaos & community: David’s first math ed conference

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)Who is being left out by the way we teach math, and what are we willing to change to bring them in?Recorded live at NCTM 2026 in Denver, Vanessa sat down with Dr. Kristopher Childs, a math educator, enthusiastic disruptor, and the conference’s program chair. From AI to assessment, Kris challenges familiar classroom practices and asks whose needs we’re overlooking when we refuse to change with the times.They discuss:How AI can save teachers' time, and where to draw the lineReaching students who have stopped believing they can do mathWhat grades actually measure and how teachers can create changeKris’s “paint your wall” philosophy offers a starting point when the possibilities feel overwhelming: choose one meaningful change, do your part, and give someone else something to build on.Links mentioned:The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan1,000 Dreams by Kyndall ChildsMyNCTM educator communityDr. Anthony MuhammadDr. Maisha T. WinnAbout Kris: (Website, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube)Dr. Kristopher J. Childs is an educator, speaker, author, and Chief Academics Officer at Open Up Resources. A former public-school mathematics teacher and university professor, he works with educators and leaders to improve mathematics teaching and expand access to meaningful learning.Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Join the Facebook groupGet the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)For years, Vanessa has been telling producer David about the insanity of NCSM & NCTM - the back-to-back math education conference week that attracts educators from around the world.  But to really understand it, one must experience it - so this year she brought him along!With great haste (because they were both running on fumes and still behind on work after last week in the high altitude of Denver, CO) they discuss:Seeing Jo Boaler speak and actually experiencing a Building Thinking Classrooms activity live with Peter LiljedahlHow Vanessa treats a conference room just like an arena stageHow inspiring and uplifting the math education community isIt was so wonderful seeing so many podcast listeners there too, so this is also a thank you to all of you for tuning in and doing the daily work of helping students build a better relationship with math!Links mentioned:Episode: Jo Boaler on Math Therapy: Embracing your limitless mindEpisode: Peter Liljedahl on Math Therapy: Teaching students to ... think?!Building Thinking ClassroomsMath Therapy the bookMath Therapy merchContact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Join the Facebook groupGet the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)We're coming to you from DENVER this week for NCTM 2026, bringing Math Therapy LIVE to the conference for the very first time! If you're attending, come join Vanessa and producer David on Thursday, October 29th at 11 AM in Bluebird Ballroom 2A for a candid conversation with math education disruptor Dr. Kristopher Childs! Full session details here.To celebrate, we're revisiting Vanessa's 2024 conversation with "famously nice guy" Kevin Dykema, who was President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics at the time. Vanessa wanted to learn about his journey to the top, but was surprised to discover that even HE struggles with imposter syndrome! Kevin shares how he's learned to deal with it by "learning what he doesn't know" and not being afraid to reach out for help.They discuss:Why teachers struggle to adapt to changes in math educationThe pros & cons of professional development, and what teachers really needHow shifting perspectives on math anxiety can change the classroomKevin has an incredibly inspiring and optimistic outlook on education, reminding us that we're not just teaching math, we're teaching human beings. Whether you missed this conversation the first time around or want to revisit it, you're going to LOVE this convo!Links mentioned:Math Therapy LIVE at NCTM 2026 — October 29, 11 AM, Bluebird Ballroom 2ANational Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)Dr. Kristopher ChildsProductive Math Struggle — co-authored by Kevin DykemaAbout Kevin:Kevin Dykema is a past President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and a longtime eighth-grade mathematics educator in southwest Michigan. He is a frequent speaker before mathematics education audiences and co-author of Productive Math Struggle.Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Join the Facebook groupGet the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)What if telling someone they're a math person is actually making things ... worse?! We say it to encourage people, but what if we're unintentionally dismissing what they've actually experienced in math class?Math educator, curriculum specialist, and competitive powerlifter Teresa Brown joins Vanessa to challenge the way we talk about math identity. After experiencing a stroke that made her, a math teacher, literally start from scratch again with math, Teresa found herself relearning skills she'd spent years helping others understand.They discuss:Why “you're a math person” can backfire (even with good intentions)What teachers gain by admitting “I don't know”How relearning math changed Teresa's relationship with the idea of "identity"Teresa's inspiring story reminds us that struggling doesn't mean we aren't capable. And maybe we don't need everyone to LOVE math—we just need them to believe they can learn it.Links mentioned:Teresa's LinkedIn post that inspired this conversationMath Fact Fluency by Jennifer Bay-Williams and Gina KlingMath Therapy: Why math sucks and how to fix it w/ Raj ShahAbout Teresa: (LinkedIn)Teresa Brown is a veteran math educator, curriculum specialist, and doctoral candidate in curriculum and instruction. A former classroom teacher who now supports K–12 educators through Intermediate Unit 1 in Pennsylvania, she's also a competitive powerlifter and strongman athlete. Her work focuses on teacher learning, instructional practice, and creating environments where taking risks and making mistakes are part of learning.Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Join the Facebook groupGet the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)What happens when you give a bunch of 6-year-olds a challenging math problem and they CAN’T figure it out? Well, in Tammy McMorrow’s grade one classroom, they might just celebrate with a confetti cannon. Seriously.Tammy’s been teaching for 32 years, but she still loves learning new tricks. She believes every student has a “math identity bank account,” and that teachers have countless opportunities to make little deposits that build confidence and create positive relationships with math!Today she joins Vanessa to share how even the smallest changes can make a huge difference and discuss:Why teachers should take charge of their own professional developmentHow 6-year-olds learn resilience, flexibility & optimismSimple ways to celebrate mistakes and build math confidenceWhether you’re a brand-new teacher or you’ve been doing this for decades, Tammy is proof that you don’t have to overhaul your teaching to make a difference - sometimes the smallest things have the biggest impact.Links mentioned:Good Inside by Becky KennedyA Mindset for Learning: Teaching the Traits of Joyful, Independent Growthby Kristine Mraz & Christine HertzBuilding Thinking Classrooms K–2 Facebook GroupAbout Tammy: (Podcast, Facebook, Bluesky)With 32 years of first-grade teaching experience and recognition as a PAEMST Finalist, Tammy McMorrow is passionate about the magical and messy elementary math classroom. She helps educators implement Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms framework to make math engaging, equitable, and student-centered. As host of the podcast Little Minds, Big Thinkers, Tammy celebrates the voices of teachers and the brilliance of young mathematicians. Unfinished and imperfect, she embraces learning as a journey, inspiring teachers and students alike to take risks, explore, and grow together.Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Join the Facebook groupGet the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)What happens in the brain when we're learning math?  What makes some students struggle more than others with it?  Can someone study brain science if they're scared of math?!  These are some of the questions that took today's guest Hillary Mastarciyan from severe math anxiety in high school (she was a former student at Vanessa's tutoring centre) to her current PhD in neuroscience at Toronto Metropolitan University!In today's episode, they discuss:if math anxiety is "transmissible" to students (from either teachers or parents)the real reasons we see differences in math attitudes between gendershow learning math is different from learning reading in the brainHillary is living proof that math anxiety in school doesn't put an expiry date on your ambitions - if she can become a neuroscientist, you can achieve your dreams too!Articles mentioned:The AIM Collective: Connecting Research and Practice in Canadian Early Mathematics EducationBridges over troubled waters: education and cognitive neuroscienceComputing Whether She Belongs: Stereotypes Undermine Girls’ Interest and Sense of Belonging in Computer ScienceAbout Hillary:Hillary Mastarciyan is a PhD student in Psychological Sciences at Toronto Metropolitan University, working in the neuroIDEA Lab under the supervision of Dr. Moriah Sokolowski. Her research draws on developmental psychology, numerical cognition, and cognitive neuroscience to investigate how children develop mathematical knowledge and why some learners struggle to acquire foundational mathematical skills. She aims to build on this work by combining behavioural and neuroscientific approaches to better understand the cognitive foundations of early mathematical learning and the factors that support successful development in mathematics.Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Join the Facebook groupGet the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)We talk about math trauma all the time on this podcast, but sometimes the feelings around it can be hard to articulate.  There's one confidence-crusher we can all easily picture from school though - the feeling of being picked last for the team in gym class.  So today we're going to explore something a little different: what math class would be like if we treated it like a team sport!Kallen Currie is a physical education teacher and sports coach from Mistawasis First Nation in Saskatchewan, and he has figured out something most of us are still struggling with: how to make every kid feel like they belong before we ever ask them to perform. Vanessa chatted with him live at a conference in Saskatoon to discuss:The importance of helping students find their roles on the teamHow a disengaged kid might actually just be an anxious kidPositivity: the ultimate superpower on and off the fieldThis episode is a must-listen no matter what subject you teach, because it shows how to make sure every student in the class feels like they belong.Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Join the Facebook groupGet the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)Ever drive down a familiar road, hit the same old pothole, and think "Didn't they patch that up last summer? And it's already back?!"  Well buckle your seatbelt, because today's guest is going to show you how the same is true in math education, and why we need to FIX THE DAMN ROAD!Courtney Flessner has 30 years of experience behind the wheel of teaching practices, and is an advocate for supporting teachers with schools that help them grow and professional development that actually makes a difference.  Today she joins Vanessa to discuss:Why teachers often default to teaching the way they were taughtThe power of vulnerability and honesty in helping students learnWhether a teacher's own math anxiety is "contagious"This is a must-listen for any teacher that's felt like they want to keep growing but don't know where to start!Links mentioned:Learning Together: Organizing Schools for Teacher and Student Learning (book)About Courtney: (Instagram, LinkedIn)Courtney Flessner is the Director of Keep Indiana Learning at the Central Indiana Educational Service Center. She spent 17 years working in public, private, and public charter schools as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and administrator. Her work focuses on supporting instructional leaders and elementary mathematics teachers in creating environments that foster ambitious and equitable mathematics teaching. She is passionate about changing the narrative that some people are simply “not math people” and inspiring educators to teach mathematics ambitiously - and maybe even have a little fun while doing so.Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Join the Facebook groupGet the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)Over the summer, Vanessa recorded our first interview with an actual real life audience when she sat down at a conference with Chase Orton for an unfiltered and tense conversation.  Among many hot topics debated, they discussed the challenges teachers face in wanting to make changes in their students' lives while having to closely follow curricula and standards - and one clip went VIRAL online with teachers all over the continent weighing in!Even months later, Vanessa is convinced that there MUST be some middle ground, so today she explores 5 strategies teachers can use to seek balance between the extremes by finding the "middle path":if you can't move the mountain, move a stoneuse the curriculum, don't let it use you protect the first 5 minutes of your classbuild your communityredefine "success"Links mentioned:The Math Therapy episode with Chase Orton that started it all and the clip that went viral on TikTok with 200 comments3 things every math teacher should do from Day 1Episode on redefining "success"Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Join the Facebook groupGet the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)Last week we shared a full Math Therapy session with lifelong "not-a-math-person" Lauren Keeling, which was recorded as part of Imagine Learning's "Heart Work" podcast series on math anxiety.  And as promised, today Vanessa follows up with Lauren 4 months later to learn the domino effect that session had on her whole life!  They discuss:How her story around math impacted her ENTIRE identityHow Duolingo Math made learning fun & low-stakes (131-day streak & counting!)The key to healing math trauma: build trust & remove shameLinks mentioned:Last week's Before & After Pt. 1 w Lauren Keeling3-part podcast series: "Heart Work: Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety" by Imagine LearningHow Math Therapy changed my entire life w/ Charizma Laughton (Jun '25)About Lauren:Lauren Keeling is a National Curriculum Consultant with Imagine Learning and the host of Heart Work, a podcast exploring the work of America's educators. A literacy leader with more than 15 years of experience supporting public education systems, she has served as a teacher, principal, curriculum strategist, and educational leader, helping districts navigate meaningful instructional change. Lauren is passionate about the intersection of learning, leadership, and thehuman side of educational transformation.  She is also completing doctoral research on collaborative leadership and curriculum change.Contact us:Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, EmailMath Therapy: Text the PodcastMore Math Therapy:Join the Facebook groupGet the book: Corwin, AmazonAudiobook: Audible, SpotifyMerch store: Shop here