Best Elementaryeducation Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 171 - Summer Book Study for Elementary Math Educators 9:06

18d ago9:06

9:06

By Christina Tondevold

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Episode 170 - The Importance of Play 8:22

25d ago8:22

8:22

My kids and I play a lot. Sports, card games, board games, but they all have a preset goal…to win. According to a book I’m reading, true play does NOT have a preset goal. So it got me wondering how much true play my kids, and I, actually do. I’m making it a goal to include more opportunities for us to truly play. In this episode I’m sharing my idea…

1
Episode 169 - Math Fluency Through Flexibility 8:13

1M ago8:13

8:13

If you’ve struggled with how to help your elementary students build their math fluency, there is one thing I encourage you to do: Help your students build their flexibility with numbers. Textbooks try to directly teach strategies to students thinking that is how they will build flexibility, but you spend months doing that and then later in the year…

1
Episode 168 - Use Math Manipulatives - No Matter The Age 7:58

1M ago7:58

7:58

When I first started teaching I don’t think I ONCE used a math manipulative with my students. It was all about learning and memorizing procedures and I didn’t know they needed to actually understand the math. Now, I’m a Recovering Traditionalist and I know that kids need to understand the math, not just DO it, and to help them understand they need …

1
Episode 167 - Mental Math does NOT mean doing it in your head 8:07

2M ago8:07

8:07

Growing up I thought doing Mental Math meant doing the algorithm in my head. Times have changed and now many educators have kids solve math in different ways but during Mental Math it’s still only having kids to do math in their head. That’s not exactly what Mental Math should be about. In this episode we explore what doing Mental Math really shoul…

1
Episode 166 - A Child’s Progression When Grouping to Count Items 6:58

2M ago6:58

6:58

If you’ve ever watched a child during a counting collection and thought “Ugh! Why are you grouping the items like that?!?” Well, there’s probably a reason. There is a progression kids go through when organizing items they are counting. Now even though this information comes from a book about Early Childhood Education, it still applies to those of y…

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Episode 165 - Geometry in PreK-2 is more than just knowing names of shapes 10:44

2M ago10:44

10:44

It is commonly thought that Geometry in the early grades is just about getting kids to name and identify shapes. There are actually 4 big ideas talked about in the Navigating Through Geometry book. One of which is the work around two- and three-dimensional shapes but it is so much more than just naming & identifying shapes. In this episode we take …

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Episode 164 - The Power of Using Inverse Operations to Subtract & Divide 12:17

2M ago12:17

12:17

There are 4 main strategies children tend to use to solve addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. These math strategies are not tricks. Their foundations are built on number relationships and properties of operations. In the Math Strategy Sessions we have already explored 3 of the strategies and our next session is focused on …

1
Episode 163 - Helping Your Students to Be a Successful Student 14:05

3M ago14:05

14:05

There are lots of Problems of Teaching when you are helping young kids learn mathematics. One of the hardest ones is helping your students to be successful learners, constantly trying to manage a large classroom of students who often are not very productive. In the book Teaching Problems and the Problems of Teaching by Dr. Magdalene Lampert, there …

1
Episode 162 - Approximation, Precision, & Accuracy in Measurement 9:08

3M ago9:08

9:08

In this video I’m sharing a part of a book that made me go “Hmm, I’ve never really thought about that!” It has to do with just how precise we can actually be when measuring items. One of the Standards of Mathematical Practice is “Attend to Precision” which is about being precise in all mathematical vocabulary and content, but just how precise shoul…

1
Episode 161 - A candy bar is better than a pie…when it comes to fractions 13:38

3M ago13:38

13:38

I love pies, Pecan Pie especially, but I don’t love them during math time. Pies, well circles in general, are an overused visual when it comes to the teaching of fractions. In this video we take a look at visual fraction models that are much better to use and will be helpful to your students as they progress into other mathematical concepts like pe…

1
Episode 160 - Tips for Getting Kids to Talk in Math Class 6:44

4M ago6:44

6:44

After the 2024 Virtual Math Summit, there was so much mention of using Sentence Stems I wanted to dig a bit deeper into them. In my research I stumbled upon an old blog post by one of my favorite Math-y people, Sara Van Der Werf. In this podcast episode I’m sharing a piece of her blog post that talks about one tweak you can make to Think/Pair/Share…

1
Episode 159 - The Number Strings Queens 6:04

4M ago6:04

6:04

Cathy Fosnot and Pam Harris are The Queens of Number Strings (or Problem Strings as Pam would call them). I’m way too excited about the fact they are teaming up to do a one-day workshop all about using Problem Strings for Automaticity, Fluency, and Beyond. If you’ve been doing number strings and want to go more in depth on how to use them in your c…

1
Episode 158 - Virtual Math Summit Preview: Preventing Teacher Burnout 11:43

4M ago11:43

11:43

Before the 2024 Virtual Math Summit starts next week, enjoy this preview of a Pre-Summit Session by Rosalba Serrano on Preventing Teacher Burnout. Rosalba shares a ton of information and ideas to help you with burnout but I specifically picked this clip because one of the ideas she shared is one that my family uses a lot: Control the Controllables.…

1
Episode 157 - Virtual Math Summit Preview: Challenges and Benefits of Building Kids' Thinking 12:27

4M ago12:27

12:27

The 2024 Virtual Math Summit is in two weeks! Here’s a preview of 3 sessions from Jenny Foreman, Loren Thorpe, and myself talking about the challenges and benefits of working on getting your students to think and not just compute during math class. To see the full list of speakers, their presentations, and to get registered go to VirtualMathSummit.…

1
Episode 156 - Virtual Math Summit Preview: Things to Think About When Doing Number Routines 12:53

5M ago12:53

12:53

The 2024 Virtual Math Summit is this month! Here’s a preview of 3 sessions from Michaela Epstein, Rosalba Serrano, and Nicole Thompson & Jessica Batinovic giving you tips, ideas, and inspiration to make our Number Routines the best they can be for your students. To see the full list of speakers, their presentations, and to get registered go to Virt…

1
Episode 155 - Virtual Math Summit Preview: Teaching Math with Newcomers in Mind 8:12

5M ago8:12

8:12

The 2024 Virtual Math Summit starts in less than 1 month! Check out this preview of Dr. Jim Ewing’s keynote session about Teaching Math with Newcomers in Mind. To see the full list of speakers, their presentations, and to get registered go to VirtualMathSummit.com/register. To get any links mentioned in this episode, go to the show notes page at Bu…

1
Episode 154 - Virtual Math Summit Preview: Helping Students Understand Multiplication 18:26

5M ago18:26

18:26

The 2024 Virtual Math Summit is coming soon. This week’s episode gives you a preview of 4 sessions that focus on helping students build their understanding and fluency of multiplication. Check out this preview of Shannon Olson, Juli Dixon, Thuc-Khahn Park, and Brittany Hege’s sessions. To see the full list of speakers, their presentations, and to g…

1
Episode 153: Virtual Math Summit Preview: Tips for Creating Student-Centered Classrooms 20:34

5M ago20:34

20:34

The 2024 Virtual Math Summit is just around the corner. This week’s episode gives you a preview of 4 of the sessions. To see the full list of speakers, their presentations, and to get registered go to VirtualMathSummit.com/register. I’m a huge supporter of Student-Centered Classrooms and so for this episode I grabbed some clips to share with you th…

1
Episode 152 - Why don't you talk about Time & Money? 5:06

6M ago5:06

5:06

I get asked why I don’t do much training about Time & Measurement. I do have some videos, you can see them in my Playlists at the YouTube channel, but there is a real reason why I don’t talk about those concepts as much as others. So in this video you get my thoughts (based upon what other math educators & researchers have to say) about why we shou…

1
Episode 151 - What Do Students Need to Know About Division? 12:05

6M ago12:05

12:05

This essential understanding about division is something even adults struggle with: Division is defined by its inverse relationship with multiplication. Our textbooks want us to teach division as its own separate operation but a key to helping students understand and become proficient in division is to teach it in conjunction with multiplication. I…

1
Episode 150 - A Quick Math Story Problem Activity 7:00

6M ago7:00

7:00

Want a quick & easy to implement activity that will show you how much your students know about the math operations and about math story problems? I’ve got it for you in this week’s Build Math Minds podcast. This idea comes from the book Taking Action: Implementing Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices by DeAnn Huinker and Victoria Bill. You can …

1
Episode 149 - Things to Say Instead of IDK 9:45

7M ago9:45

9:45

The two ends of the spectrum when teaching math seem to be “here are the exact ways to solve this problem, follow it exactly,” and “you figure it out, I’m not telling you anything.” Neither of these tend to work. Instead it’s about finding a balance between these. We need to give some guidance, but not too much. We want them to figure out ways to s…

1
Number Sense Kickstart Day #10 - Join The Flexibility Formula Course 10:03

8M ago10:03

10:03

It's been an incredible journey over the past two weeks as we've explored nine key strategies to Kickstart your students' number sense. Now, as we reach the end of this Kickstart event, it's essential to understand that the foundations you're laying are seeds of number sense, and their growth will be gradual. These principles we've discussed serve …

1
Number Sense Kickstart Day #9 - Practice makes Permanent…not Perfect. 14:27

8M ago14:27

14:27

The saying "Practice Makes Perfect" often implies that repetition leads to mastery. However, practicing something you do poorly, or incorrectly, doesn't make it perfect; it instead reinforces bad habits. Practice actually makes PERMANENT. Practice is crucial, but it should follow the establishment of a strong sense of numbers. Day 9’s tip is to fin…

1
Number Sense Kickstart Day #8 - Empowering Students Through the Use of Story Problems 13:16

8M ago13:16

13:16

Day 8 of the Number Sense Kickstart emphasizes a simple, yet sometimes difficult, teaching strategy: Let students solve story problems, don’t give them the steps. The concept of Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) plays a pivotal role here. It acknowledges that students bring their innate mathematical knowledge shaped by everyday experiences with …

1
Number Sense Kickstart Day #7 - Using Number Routines to Put Theoretical Ideas Into Practice 13:51

8M ago13:51

13:51

In Day 7 of our Number Sense Kickstart we are shifting from the theoretical ideas I’ve shared so far into practical classroom strategies that make it easier to do the theoretical ideas. Our first practical idea is to do a Number Routine with your students. These structured, brief activities, taking just 5-10 minutes, are a potent tool for meaningfu…

1
Number Sense Kickstart Day #6 - The Biggest Mistake Educators Make When Using the C-R-A Model 11:38

8M ago11:38

11:38

Today we're diving into the Concrete-Representational-Abstract (C-R-A) model of teaching mathematics. Typically, these stages are presented in isolation, with separate lessons for each. However, the real impact comes when all three are combined in a single lesson. This integration helps students see connections between different problem-solving met…

1
Number Sense Kickstart Day #5 - Are the Math Visuals You're Using Actually Helpful? 10:49

8M ago10:49

10:49

It’s Day 5 of the Number Sense Kickstart and we're focusing on the power of visuals in elementary math education. Just like in reading, where creating mental images enhances comprehension, visuals are essential in math to deepen students' understanding of numbers and mathematical operations. However, sometimes the visuals that are in math textbooks…

1
Number Sense Kickstart Day #4 - Listening to Student Thinking 11:23

9M ago11:23

11:23

This is Day 4 of the Number Sense Kickstart and we are exploring the profound impact of active listening in the classroom. Did you know that in the typical classroom, teachers do 89% of the talking, while students ask only 11 questions a day, primarily procedural ones? It's time to change this narrative and shift the balance toward student engageme…

1
Number Sense Kickstart Day #3 - Having a record of what your students understand 7:30

9M ago7:30

7:30

Most textbooks are focused on answer-getting so their assessments are also focused on just answer-getting. That doesn’t tell you anything about what your students understand, only what they can do. To ensure you are building your students’ understanding of numbers, you need some way to keep track of what they are understanding. It’s Day 3 of the Nu…

1
Number Sense Kickstart Day #2 - What understanding do your students need? 18:41

9M ago18:41

18:41

Mathematics is so much more than just getting the answers. Answers are important, but that really doesn’t tell you what your students UNDERSTAND about math, it only tells you what they can DO. If you want to see what your students understand there are 8 number sense concepts that are the root of understanding numbers. It’s Day 2 of our Number Sense…

1
Number Sense Kickstart - Day 1 15:14

9M ago15:14

15:14

Do you have students struggling with their number sense and fluency in elementary mathematics? You aren’t the only one! Over the last few years we’ve seen gaps in students’ understanding get bigger and bigger. So many elementary students are not fluent with math and the underlying issue is their lack of number sense. Textbooks often jump straight i…

1
108: A Simple, Effective Behavior Management System 12:43

1+ y ago12:43

12:43

Classroom management is the backbone, the framework that supports everything else you do in your classroom. In fact, it's impossible to teach well if your classroom isn't running smoothly. If your students aren't meeting your behavior expectations, things are going to fall apart. In this week's episode, I talk about my simple behavior management sy…

1
107: How to Structure your Literacy Teaching Time 12:10

1+ y ago12:10

12:10

Teaching literacy is not an easy task. Neither is planning for literacy instruction and getting enough time to actually teach all the things! Do you struggle to fit all the things you need to teach into your literacy block? You're not alone! In this episode, I have a plan for your literacy block no matter how much time you have to teach reading and…

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106: How to Teach Classroom Systems and Routines 22:42

2y ago22:42

22:42

Training your class in your systems and routines or procedures is one of the most important things you will do to set your class up for success all year. Why? Well, imagine your students are able to work independently and your classroom runs smoothly most of the time. That's why. If you train your students well and insist they follow the procedures…

1
105. What is the Science of Reading and is it Just Another Education Bandwagon 13:57

2y ago13:57

13:57

I'm sure you've heard this term a few (hundred) times lately...the science of reading. But, what is the science of reading? And honestly, it is just another education bandwagon because we see that ALL the time. All those educational fads get a little exhausting, don't they? Well, in this episode, I break down the components of the science of readin…

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104: The Importance of Self Care for Teachers and Where to Begin 14:08

2y ago14:08

14:08

Creating habits for teacher self-care is truly the only way that regular self-care will happen in your life. Habits? Routine? You're a pro, right?! Well sure...for helping your students and keeping your classroom running smoothly. But what about for yourself? In this episode, I have all the details on creating self care habits for YOU, the teacher,…

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103: 7 Classroom Organization Tips That Will Save You Time All Year 20:01

2y ago20:01

20:01

Classroom organization tips? Yes, please! I love to talk about classroom organization. If you ask, my kids will tell you that the Container Store is my mothership. 😂 Sad, but true. I LOVE having things super organized. It makes me happy and keeps my stress level down if I know right where anything I need is. So it should come as no surprise that I …

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102. Tips for How to Organize Your Classroom Library 20:13

2y ago20:13

20:13

Classroom library woes? Figuring out how to organize your classroom library is harder than we imagine it will be. There are so many decisions to be made and each one changes how our class library functions. Don't get bogged down in decision fatigue. In this episode, I have all my tips to break down the decision-making process to help you make a pla…

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101: 9 Types of Scaffolding When Teaching 16:35

2y ago16:35

16:35

I know you practice scaffolding when teaching, but do you know you're doing it? What is scaffolding instruction? Scaffolded teaching is when we use various techniques to support students in their learning and then gradually move them toward independence. In this episode, I have nine types of scaffolds for teaching including ways for scaffolding ins…

2y ago8:57

8:57

The Flexibility Formula courses that I offer have a huge focus on how we can help kids develop number sense, but the main reason to focus on number sense is really to help your students become flexible thinkers; to build their flexibility in mathematics. In episode 144, I talk about how my courses started and the research that inspired them. Come t…

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