In our math classrooms, writes Mona Iehl, we’ve often trained students to look for what to do instead of making sense of what the problem is actually saying. When they see fractions, they search for a rule. But what if the goal is not to decode but to understand the situation?
What if we approached math as an experimental subject and encouraged students to work together to solve problems using a “lab mindset”? Fifth grade teacher and NBCT Kathie Palmieri has been exploring science and math standards with the power of collaborative learning in mind.
Kids don’t learn math by listening to us solve problems. They learn math by talking about how THEY solve problems. Author and math educator Mona Iehl shares how to implement three shifts: providing more student talk time, anticipating student approaches, and creating predictable routines.
Helping math students doesn’t mean showing them the next step – it means giving them the confidence and space to find it. If our goal is to create independent problem solvers, we cannot always be the ones doing the solving, writes teaching coach Mona Iehl, author of Word Problem Workshop.
Teacher Lauren Brown smiles when her history students eagerly make connections with content they’re studying in another class. Recalling a time when interdisciplinary teaching was common, she suggests ways teachers might revive a practice that emphasizes knowledge-based learning.
Getting students to show their reasoning isn’t about adding one more step, writes math coach Mona Iehl. It’s about redefining how math learning happens and coming to see that students learn not through memorizing steps, but through reasoning, discussion, and exploration.
With summer here and most schools done for the year, MiddleWeb has pulled together a diverse set of deep-dive PD articles you might have missed. They’re insightful, informative and actionable!
Meaningful Math / Quick Math Activities
by Michelle Russell · Published 04/21/2025 · Last modified 10/20/2025
Teacher Michelle Russell likes to have some short activities on hand, in case she needs to fill extra time during math class. Here she shares several fun fillers that are easy to access, don’t require prep, and increase students’ math fluency, logic skills, or number sense.
When we teach mathematics the way we were taught in school, are our students really doing math? Coach Mona Iehl shares the strategies she uses to engage kids in learning, going beyond superficial procedures and worksheets to explore, discuss, and even have fun in math class.
What can you and your students accomplish the last few weeks of school? In this MiddleWeb resource educators share activities that align learning with fun, offer ideas for responding to stress, and suggest strategies to help sustain your classroom community.
