If students think being fast at math is the same as being good at it, we’ve already lost. That belief isn’t just toxic, it’s systemic. We built it. And we can tear it down.

3 things that never lead to meaningful teacher feedback: 🔹 Saying “looks good” after a walkthrough 🔹 Focusing on student behavior instead of student thinking 🔹 Equating engagement with comprehension When I shifted my perspective, my coaching feedback started to spark real growth.

3 things that never lead to deep math understanding:  🔹 Anchor charts with no student input  🔹 Exit tickets you never look at  🔹 “Higher-order” questions slapped on at the end Clearing misconceptions isn’t about doing more. It’s about uncovering and examining what students are actually thinking.

My first years coaching math? I tiptoed around teacher feelings, offering feedback that never landed. Once I stopped dancing around the real issues and used student work as the anchor, conversations got clearer, stronger, and less personal. That’s when growth started for both the teacher and me.

We often tell teachers to “differentiate,” but rarely explain how to do that with six levels of understanding in one classroom with no extra support. That's why I created my collection of math prompts for middle school math teachers. So they don’t  no longer have to guess what students understand.

Increased student achievement won’t come from doing more, it comes from doing what matters more consistently. As a teacher, I never felt complete unless I had a full to-do list. Now, I train teachers to anticipate why students struggle, not just plan for what needs to be covered.