teaching - Mathematically Educated

September 20, 2026September 20, 2026

Math and the Minnesota State Fair

What can a math playspace at the Minnesota State Fair teach us about mathematics classrooms? Quite a lot! I recently visited Math-on-a-Stick and came away thinking about collaboration, choice, exploration, community, and the value of helping without always instructing. I’m sharing five takeaways from my visit, along with a new instructional nudge, an idea for getting kids to talk about their mathematical thinking, and some upcoming events. Continue reading Math and the Minnesota State Fair

August 16, 2026August 16, 2026

I Grew up on Sesame Street

Growing up, Sesame Street helped me learn to read, love learning, and see the joy in making sense of new ideas. In this post, I reflect on what mathematics teachers can learn from Sesame Street’s use of storytelling, humor, and multiple representations, along with a few ideas for teaching and learning mathematics. Continue reading I Grew up on Sesame Street

July 19, 2026July 19, 2026

What We Lose When We Optimize Everything

I love data and the insights it can provide, but I’ve also been thinking about its limits. From my Garmin watch to classroom decision-making, this post explores the balance between using metrics wisely and preserving the creativity, professional judgment, and human connections that make teaching meaningful. Continue reading What We Lose When We Optimize Everything

March 16, 2025March 16, 2025

Two Simple Nudges: Engage Students and Empower Learning

Increase engagement in your classroom with simple nudges like Pivot and Going Downhill. Pivot by switching instructional formats to re-energize students mid-lesson. Use Going Downhill to tackle challenging homework problems in class, maximizing peer and teacher support. Continue reading Two Simple Nudges: Engage Students and Empower Learning

March 8, 2025March 8, 2025

Instructional Nudges: The Core of Practice-Driven Professional Development

In September 2021, the PDPD project was launched to enhance teacher professional development through personalized instructional nudges. These manageable teaching actions aim to improve relevance and accessibility in PD, particularly in algebra. The focus is on tailored strategies that fit into existing practices, fostering impactful changes in teaching and student learning outcomes. Continue reading Instructional Nudges: The Core of Practice-Driven Professional Development

September 24, 2022March 11, 2023

180 Ideas: #20 Rate & Review

My grant team and I were working on ideas for our project (Practice-Driven PD). We’ve been thinking about how to create small suggestions for teachers to enhance their algebra instruction. This week our conversation was about using worked examples with students (if you want to read a great report on algebra instruction check out this … Continue reading 180 Ideas: #20 Rate & Review

March 13, 2021March 14, 2021

Choice as a Foundation for Engagement and Empowerment

A few weeks ago I teamed up with Casio Education and TODOS: Mathematics for All to do a webinar on choice. I think that providing students some choice in the classroom is so important. By providing students some choices over what and how they learn I have found increased engagement and empowerment. If you are … Continue reading Choice as a Foundation for Engagement and Empowerment

February 5, 2021March 13, 2021

Facilitating Small Groups Online

Four ideas for facilitating small groups remotely. Continue reading Facilitating Small Groups Online

January 26, 2021January 26, 2021

What Spin Class has Taught me about Teaching

Taking spin classes has got me thinking about my preferences for instruction and how this might relate to our students’ preferences. Continue reading What Spin Class has Taught me about Teaching

October 2, 2020

Lifetime Earnings of a Teacher

I’m fascinated by large numbers. They are a big part of our lives in so many ways, but they are so hard to visualize and understand. There aren’t many things we can touch or see a million of at once. I am also interested in wealth inequality and personal finance. I’ve brought all of these … Continue reading Lifetime Earnings of a Teacher