Season 6, Episode 5

Cultivating community and math fluency

Tune in to Episode 5 of this season, where we dive back into our season-long discussion of math fluency with classroom teacher Lauren Carr. Listen as Lauren shares how she allows her students to approach mathematical thinking and learning with joy and fun to foster the development of math fluency.

Meet our guest(s):

Lauren Carr

Lauren Carr is a kindergarten and first grade teacher in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a masters in education. She is a guiding teacher with the UCLA Teacher Education Program and a math coach with the UCLA Math Project. She is passionate about social justice and understanding students’ mathematical thinking.

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Meet our hosts: Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer

Bethany Lockhart Johnson is an elementary school educator and author. Prior to serving as a multiple-subject teacher, she taught theater and dance, and now loves incorporating movement and creative play into her classroom. Bethany is committed to helping students find joy in discovering their identities as mathematicians. In addition to her role as a full-time classroom teacher, Bethany is a Student Achievement Partners California Core Advocate and is active in national and local mathematics organizations. Bethany is a member of the Illustrative Mathematics Elementary Curriculum Steering Committee and serves as a consultant, creating materials to support families during distance learning.

Dan Meyer taught high school math to students who didn’t like high school math. He has advocated for better math instruction on CNN, Good Morning America, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and TED.com. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in math education and is currently the Dean of Research at Desmos, where he explores the future of math, technology, and learning. Dan has worked with teachers internationally and in all 50 United States and was named one of Tech & Learning’s 30 Leaders of the Future.

Transcripts and additional resources

Quotes

“I think by making space for joy, having fun, and having a positive math identity, students will build fluency.” —Lauren Carr