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What if joy—not drills—was the engine of math learning? We sit down with math leader Rob Bayer to unpack how students become “mathers” when classrooms center belonging, discourse, and sense-making. The conversation moves past slogans and straight into practice: diagnosing root causes behind “kids can’t add,” using manipulatives at every grade to surface thinking, and designing instruction that turns algorithms into outcomes rather than starting points.
We challenge the curriculum pendulum head-on. High-engagement tasks and Building Thinking Classrooms strategies can spark curiosity, but they can’t compensate for a weak core. At the same time, over-scripted teacher guides flatten professional judgment. Rob lays out a middle path: adopt materials that require student thinking, structure productive talk, and honor teacher facilitation—then back it up with real professional learning. Because impact doesn’t come from a book; it comes from teachers who understand learning trajectories and can guide students from concrete to representational to abstract with purpose.
We also zoom out to the system level. From rethinking when fractions and statistics truly make sense to leveraging Desmos as a teaching tool, we explore how standards, tools, and pedagogy can align around deeper understanding. The big takeaway crosses subjects: ask better questions, center reasoning, and measure success by insight, not speed. If students are mathing, they’re mathers—and our job is to build spaces where that identity thrives.
If this conversation sparks ideas for your classroom or district, share it with a colleague, hit follow, and leave a quick review telling us where you’ve found joy in math lately. Your insights help more educators find the show and keep the learning going.
Want to learn more about ChangED? Check out our website at: learn.mciu.org/changed
