Episode 214 - The REAL Purpose of Teaching Math (And Why It Matters More Than Ever)
When your students ask "When will I ever use this?"—especially with AI doing calculations faster than any of us—how do you answer? In this episode, I share a conversation that just validated how I think about the purpose of teaching math. Spoiler: It's not about long division. It's about building thinkers, not calculators. You'll hear the difference between students who DO math versus students who THINK about math, why building flexible thinkers actually speeds up your teaching (not slows it down), and how to shift your instruction to focus on what really matters. If you've ever questioned why we teach certain math skills, this episode will give you a whole new perspective. Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/214
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Episode 213 - Seeing Multiplication - How Subitizing Builds Fact Fluency Through Relationships
Are your students still counting on their fingers for 6×4? Transform how you teach multiplication facts with this game-changing approach to subitizing! In this episode, you'll discover how to move beyond the exhausting "times tables treadmill" that forces students to memorize 100 disconnected facts. Instead, learn how subitizing—the ability to instantly recognize quantities without counting—can help your students see multiplication as beautiful, connected relationships. You'll learn: Why traditional fact memorization fails (and what works better) The 4 Types of Multiplication Facts that create a foundation for all others How to use ten frames and visual arrays to make multiplication facts "subitizable" Three classroom-ready strategies you can implement tomorrow How to help students see that facts, like 7×6, aren't random facts to memorize, but are connected to facts they already know (like 5×6 or 7×5) This episode walks you through the visual progression from scattered groups to organized arrays, showing you exactly how to use color-coding and strategic groupings to make even challenging facts like 8×7 accessible through relationships. You'll also see how all eight foundational number sense concepts work together to build true multiplicative thinking. Stop asking your students to memorize 100 isolated facts. Start helping them see the patterns, understand the relationships, and actually enjoy learning multiplication. Your students (and their fluency) will thank you! Includes link to Christina's color-coded multiplication chart to support visual learning in your classroom. Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/213
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Episode 212 - Subitizing With Fractions
Discover how subitizing—the ability to instantly recognize quantities without counting—can transform your fraction instruction! While you may already use subitizing with your younger students, this episode reveals why it's equally powerful for upper elementary learners working with fractions. You'll learn what subitizing with fractions actually looks like and why keeping quantities small makes all the difference. We'll explore how subitizing helps students focus on relationships between quantities rather than getting bogged down in counting individual pieces, allowing them to use grouping strategies and truly understanding what's happening when operating with fractions, not just following rules. This episode will give you practical strategies to build stronger fraction sense in your classroom. Plus, grab the free Fraction Subitizing Cards to get started right away! Get the Fraction Subitizing Cards here: https://buildmathminds.com/fraction-subitizing-10day Enroll in The Flexibility Formula 3rd-5th: https://buildmathminds.com/enroll/ WATCH: 4 Early Numeracy Concepts WATCH: How to Build Fraction Sense Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/212
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Episode 211 - Building Number Sense Without Adding to Your Plate
You know that building number sense is crucial—but finding time for one more thing feels impossible. In this episode, discover how investing time in foundational number sense concepts actually saves you time in the long run. Learn two practical strategies for fitting this essential work into your already-packed day without adding anything extra: the 1% Better Approach and the Replace, Don't Add Strategy. You'll walk away with clear examples of which activities to stop doing and what to start doing instead, so your students develop flexible thinking about numbers and you spend less time reteaching. If you're ready to make math instruction more intentional without overwhelming yourself, this episode is for you. Students with strong number sense learn faster, make connections more easily, and actually enjoy math. That means less frustration for you, less reteaching, and more time for what really matters. Your small tweaks today compound into big results all year long. Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/211
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Episode 210 - Why Good Activities Aren't Enough - The Missing Piece That Makes Number Sense Work
Are you doing all the "right" math activities—Number Talks, Number Strings, Quick Images—but still not seeing the progress you expected? In this episode, you'll discover why having great activities isn't enough, and what actually builds real number sense with your students. You'll learn the critical difference between facilitating activities to collect answers versus facilitating them to develop deep mathematical understanding. Through concrete examples, you'll see how the same activity can produce completely different results depending on how you guide the discussion, what questions you ask, and which student thinking you choose to highlight. This episode reveals four common facilitation mistakes teachers make and gives you the tools to avoid them. Most importantly, you'll understand why this missing piece—knowing what to listen for and how to make number sense concepts visible—is the key to finally seeing your students think more flexibly and develop lasting mathematical reasoning. Get any links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/210
The Build Math Minds podcast is for my fellow Recovering Traditionalists out there. If you don't know whether or not you are a Recovering Traditionalist, here's how I define us. We are math educators who used to teach math the traditional way. Flip lesson by lesson in the textbook, directly teaching step-by-step how to solve math problems. But now, we are working to change that to a style of teaching math that is fun and meets our students where they are at, not just teaching what comes next in the textbook. We want to encourage our students to be thinkers, problem solvers, and lovers of mathematics..we are wanting to build our students math minds and not just create calculators. If that is you, then this podcast is for you.
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