Feeling behind? Tired? Wondering if your math improvement efforts are making a difference?

In this episode released on Christmas Day, Jon Orr shares a message just for you—educators, coaches, and leaders doing the slow, often invisible work of math improvement. No training, no strategies—just honest reflection and a reminder that you are not alone.

You’ll hear a different lens on what progress looks like—one that recognizes the quiet wins:

• A teacher asking better math questions than last year
• A PLC focusing on student thinking, not just pacing
• A shift from “What resource should we buy?” to “What understanding are we trying to build?”
• More clarity, less overwhelm
• Rest without guilt, community without performance

Take a moment to pause and reflect. Then, share your own win from 2025—big or small—by sending a voice note to: admin@makemathmoments.com. Your story might be just what another educator needs to hear.

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

Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how 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

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.

You’re seeing growth in the data. Students are performing well. But something feels… off. Maybe they’re disengaged. Maybe they’re saying they don’t like math. Or maybe, they’re just going through the motions.

In this episode, the team explores a common but often unspoken tension: how do we balance academic achievement with student enjoyment, confidence, and sense of belonging in math? We share a story from a high-achieving school that’s beginning to ask deeper questions—not just about what students know, but how they feel about math.

Listeners Will Reflect On & Learn:

• How student voice can uncover what the data might miss
• What it really means to be “successful” in math
• Ways teachers and leaders can create space for more joyful, confident math experiences
• Why building trust—between students, teachers, and systems—can shift everything
• How to begin these conversations in your own school or district

Whether you’re a teacher, coach, or leader, this episode offers thoughtful entry points to explore student disposition—without judgment, and with a commitment to growing together.

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

Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how 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

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.

Ever watched a student solve 146 ÷ 12 by drawing 146 dots… one by one?

In this episode, the MMM team dives into a common but frustrating classroom challenge: students who cling to inefficient math strategies like counting on fingers, skip counting, or repeated subtraction—long after they’ve outgrown them. These early strategies worked, and students trust them. So how do we help them build confidence in more sophisticated approaches?

You’ll hear from our newest team member, Beth Curran, as we unpack why students get stuck, what teachers can do in the moment, and how school leaders can build the conditions for long-term change.

Listeners Will:

• Understand why students cling to familiar but inefficient math strategies
• Learn what teachers can do in the moment to nudge students toward more flexible thinking
• Explore how dynamic assessment and anticipating student responses builds instructional skill
• Hear how one district used the Five Practices to build teacher capacity over time
• Reflect on what it takes to build a math improvement flywheel that actually gains momentum

If you're supporting students—or teachers—who are stuck using early math strategies, this episode gives you real steps to move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

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

Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how 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

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.