How can mathematics connect meaningfully to the culture and communities students live in? In this episode we are learning to teach better with Dr. Siddhi Soni and Alyssa Harbin as we discuss their article, Barn Quilts Ethnomodeling Task, found in Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12. The task is a Read more
In March of 2026, Daniel Alston, Bertha Hidalgo, and I led a panel during the lunch session of the 2026 International Consortium of Research in Science and Mathematics Education. Below is the description of the session, links to resources mentioned in the session, and the citation and slides for the Read more
It’s easy to feel like we have to manage everything – our students, our colleagues, our classrooms, our kids, and sometimes even how others think or respond. But what if some of that weight isn’t actually ours to carry? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Gary Williams about The Read more
What if mathematics education were about more than solving problems or passing tests? What if it were part of helping people live fuller, richer lives? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Francis Su about his book Mathematics for Human Flourishing and the deeper purposes of learning (and teaching) mathematics. Read more
AI tools are showing up everywhere in education, but most teachers don’t have the time to experiment with every new platform that promises transformation. In this episode, I talk with Ken Rafanan about his work co-hosting TERC Tech Talks, a video podcast series that tests AI tools so educators don’t Read more
Learning to teach better means rethinking some of the practices we’ve inherited – including grammar instruction. For many of us, grammar carries a reputation for red ink, rigid rules, and student shutdown. But what if grammar could actually strengthen voice and clarity instead of suppressing it? In this conversation, I talk Read more
Learning to teach better with the ProgressED Pathways Team—Sarah DiMaria, Carlee Madis, and Sheila Orr. These math educators and Knowles Senior Fellows share how their collaboration fuels progressive STEM instruction and they share the supports they’ve created to help teachers grow. This is a lively conversation full of insight, practical Read more
Learning to teach better with Dr. Zandra De Araujo (University of Florida), Sam Otten (University of Missouri), and Amber Candela (University of Missouri – St. Louis) as they share their work around incremental change in the mathematics classroom through Instructional Nudges in Practice-Driven Professional Development. Plus the Movie of the Read more
Learning to teach better with Dr. JJ Peterson in his return to Amidon Planet to talk about the power of love, joy, and clear communication in leadership and life. In this wide-ranging conversation, JJ reflects on lessons from C.S. Lewis, the importance of leading with heart, and how clarity in Read more
Learning to teach better as I consider book, Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise by Horst Shulze, cofounder and former president of the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. Plus, some mailbag responses and the Album of the Episode, Guns and Roses’s Appetite for Destruction. Read more