If math learning goals are so important, why do they feel like a checkbox?

Research tells us that learning goals are critical for effective math instruction—but in classrooms and professional learning, they’ve become compliance: restated math standards, chapter titles, or “I can” statements posted for visibility but disconnected from the mathematics of the lesson. The result? Task-based math lessons that feel unfocused, weak mathematical consolidation, and students who leave math class unsure what they actually learned. In this episode, Jon and Yvette explain why math learning goals are the glue that holds meaningful math instruction together—and what happens when they’re misunderstood.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why math learning goals drifted from instructional clarity to compliance
• The difference between a math performance goal and a true math learning goal
• How math learning goals anchor task-based and problem-based math lessons
• Why poor lesson consolidation in math is often a learning-goal problem
• How math learning goals guide teacher moves, questioning, and assessment
• What it means to write math learning goals around big ideas and behaviors of mathematics
• Why educators need mathematical epiphanies to design better math learning goals
• How math learning goals apply to both classroom instruction and math professional development

If your system is struggling with math lesson consolidation, formative assessment in mathematics, or task-based math instruction, this episode will help you rethink math learning goals—and identify where math capacity-building work needs to happen.

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

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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.

Every year, schools and districts roll out a new math improvement plan. The language sounds right: teacher voice, coherence, sustainability, research-based practice. But the results don’t change. New curriculum is dropped with little support. Big goals are set without the conditions to meet them. Top-down decisions are labeled collaboration. In this episode, Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman name the uncomfortable truth behind stalled improvement: when what leaders say doesn’t match what their system is designed to do, trust erodes—and progress stops.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why most math improvement plans are recycled versions of old ones
• How the say–do gap undermines trust and implementation
• Why curriculum adoption alone doesn’t move the needle
• The conditions that actually support meaningful math change
• Why ambition without system capacity leads to failure narratives
• How doing less—strategically—creates more impact
• How the Math Coherence Compass helps leaders align beliefs and decisions

If you’re ready to stop repeating the same math improvement cycle and start designing systems that reflect what you truly believe about teaching and learning, this episode will help you get real—and lead differently.

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 felt like your math classroom is too noisy, too messy, or too chaotic when students are working on open-ended tasks?

You're not alone. Many math teachers—and leaders—grapple with this tension: we want students to engage deeply, but we’re uncomfortable when that engagement doesn’t look like quiet order. In this episode, we unpack a listener's concern: “Open tasks feel chaotic. This isn’t what I thought good classroom management looked like.”

Listeners Will Learn

• Why noise and movement are not signs of lost control—but of thinking
• The classroom management structures that support, not prevent, exploration
• How to set clear routines that create space for student agency
• What administrators can do to support—not sabotage—risk-taking teachers
• How beliefs about “how kids learn best” impact the way we manage learning
• The role of coherence across classrooms, schools, and districts in changing norms
• Why teacher and student buy-in depend on emotional, not just logical, shifts

If you're ready to make your math classroom a place of active learning without losing your sanity—or your students—this episode offers honest insights, practical strategies, and a path forward for teachers and leaders alike

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.

Have you ever left a math PD session thinking, “This all sounds great… but what does it actually mean for my class tomorrow?”

Teachers are hungry for professional learning that respects their time and improves student learning—but too often, math PD stays stuck in big ideas, vague theory, and system messaging. When there’s no clear connection to curriculum, classrooms, or follow‑up support, trust erodes and implementation stalls.
In this episode, we dig into why even well‑intentioned math PD misses the mark—and how leaders can redesign professional learning to actually move instruction forward.

Listeners Will Learn:

• Why one‑off, theory‑heavy PD leads to low classroom impact
• How “coverage” and system messaging crowd out meaningful math learning
• What research says about effective professional development in math
• Why ongoing support matters more than a single great session
• How to connect PD to curriculum, PLCs, and coaching cycles
• Ways math leaders can rebuild trust by making PD immediately usable
• How modeling how teachers learn should mirror how students learn

If you’re designing math PD—or sitting through it—this episode offers concrete guidance to turn professional learning into sustained instructional change.

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.

What do you do when students already know the math before you even teach it?

This question came straight from a listener—and it’s one we don’t talk about enough. While so much attention in education focuses on supporting students below grade level, we often miss a critical (and underserved) group: the students who already “get it.”

Without meaningful mathematical thinking and cognitive challenge, these students may disengage, develop surface-level strategies, or come to see math as boring and procedural. In this episode, we explore why traditional unit pacing may actually harm these learners—and what educators can do instead to deepen reasoning, sense-making, and flexibility. If you’ve ever wondered what comes after mastery, this conversation is for you.

Listeners Will Learn:

• Why “early finishers” often get the least instructional support in math
• How adjusting pace can unintentionally limit access to the full landscape of grade-level mathematics
• What it looks like to create math challenge without just assigning more problems
• How “what if?” questions and strategic mathematical constraints deepen understanding
• Why abstract thinkers need to represent their thinking—and how to get their buy-in
• How planning ahead (not improvising) leads to better differentiation in math
• The power of mini-consolidations to target all learners, not just the middle
• Why all students—not just struggling ones—deserve access to rich, high-cognitive-demand math tasks

Whether you’re a teacher trying to meet a wide range of learners or a coach supporting classroom math differentiation, this episode is packed with tools and mindsets to help you stretch mathematically confident learners without sacrificing your core instruction.

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.

What do you do when a teacher says, “I’m good—I don’t need help”?

This real-life math coaching dilemma came straight from a listener. And if you’re a math coach or instructional leader, chances are you’ve been there too. Whether it's past initiative fatigue, fear of judgment, or a perceived mismatch between PD and practice—resistance is rarely about apathy. It’s about experience, belief, and trust.

Listeners Will Learn:

• What might really be behind math teacher resistance (hint: it’s not laziness)
• How to shift from a “fixer” to a thinking partner
• The dangers of perceived hierarchy in math coaching relationships
• Why clarity of why is more important than the what in PD
• The four phases of the Adoption Model—and why most systems skip critical steps
• Strategies for making change feel safe, meaningful, and sustainable
• Why celebrating what’s working is the best place to start
• What leadership can do to build long-term buy-in

If you’re trying to support a math teacher who doesn’t see the value in coaching or PD, this episode offers clear, relationship-based strategies rooted in trust, agency, and the slow work of sustainable change.

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.

Is your math team using the same words—but interpreting them in totally different ways?

In schools and districts across the country, math leaders are working hard—but progress still feels fragile. Despite shared goals and common language, initiatives stall, teachers burn out, and PD efforts don’t translate into classrooms. Why? Because shared language doesn’t mean shared understanding. And without clarity, systems crumble under the weight of well-intentioned effort.

That’s where the Math Coherence Compass comes in—a shared decision-making framework that gives every stakeholder the same lens for math improvement.

Listeners Will Learn:

• Why alignment in language doesn’t equal alignment in practice
• What the Math Coherence Compass is—and why it changes everything
• How to use the compass to evaluate PD, PLCs, curriculum, and classroom moves
• The 4 compass points: long-term objective, student vision, beliefs about learning, and support capacity
• How to co-create the compass with your leadership team
• When and how to use it with coaches, principals, and teacher leaders
• What to do when your flywheel keeps restarting year after year
• Why 49 hours of support is the tipping point for sustainable instructional change

Whether you’re a district coordinator, math coach, or school leader, this episode gives you the clarity and tools to stop throwing spaghetti at the wall—and start building a math system that gains momentum year after year. Download your blank Math Coherence Compass template and start using it today.

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.

Have you heard a parent ask, “Why are we making math so complicated?” You're not alone.

Many teachers want to move beyond rote procedures—but hit resistance when families raise concerns about “new math.” From social media posts to parent-teacher conferences, the pressure to revert to traditional instruction is real.
But the issue isn’t just parent perception. Often, teachers aren’t yet confident in conceptual models themselves. And without the right support, it’s easy to retreat back to what feels safe.

Listeners Will Learn:

• Why parents often push back on visual models and multiple strategies
• How teacher confidence impacts the success of math shifts
• What leaders can do to support teachers before inviting parents in
• The importance of teacher epiphanies (and how to create them!)
• How to engage families in the why behind conceptual math
• Ideas for parent communication that build trust, not tension
• What it really means to shift the narrative around math understanding

Whether you're a teacher navigating tough conversations or a coach supporting system-wide change, this episode delivers mindset shifts and practical moves to help you stay the course—even when pushback is loud.

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.