About the Episode:

What does a truly rich math classroom look like and sound like?

Dr. Theodore Sagoon—professor, researcher, and teachereducator at UCLA—joins us to dismantle the “natural math genius” myth and paint a picture of culturally responsive math instruction where students’ identities, languages, and thinking are at the center.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to spot a healthy, challenging math classroom: daily check-ins, multiple ways to participate, and tasks that value reasoning over rote speed.
• The real harm of timed tests and tracking - and how they shape fixed beliefs about "being smart".
• culturally responsive teaching in math: swapping textbook contexts for ones that reflect students' lives, languages, and communities.
• Productive struggle as a life skill: how to help kids grapple, reflect, and collaborate instead of rushing to the answer.
• Parent toolkits: questions to ask at home and at school to encourage discourse and understand what's happening in class.
• Teacher-Family Partnerships: building trust and dialogue without demonizing teachers who are already carrying a heavy load.

Episode Breakdown:

00:12 Guest Introduction: Dr. Theodore Sagun

04:18 Theodore's Upbringing and Early Math Experiences

08:05 Messages About Math Success and Intelligence

12:12 Culturally Responsive Math Instruction

14:15 Challenges with Standardized Testing andCurriculum

22:01 The Model Minority Myth

25:41 Defining a Culturally Responsive Math Classroom

29:35 Rethinking Math Instruction: Humanizing theClassroom

30:16 Engaging Students in Diverse Learning Experiences

32:03 The Role of Teachers in a Responsive MathClassroom

36:53 The Concept of Productive Struggle in Math

40:59 Encouraging Productive Struggle at Home

47:47 Building Relationships with Teachers for BetterMath Learning

56:12 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Projects

About Dr. Sagun:

 Dr. Theodore Sagun is a professor, researcher, and teacher educator at UCLA where he has worked with countless pre-service teachers in the teacher education program.

He is the co-author of Equity Moves to Support MultilingualLearners in Mathematics and Science, Grades K-8. He is a former high school mathematics teacher and Associate Director of the UCLA Mathematics Project and has trained countless in-service and pre-service teachers to center student thinking in math and culturally relevant practices.

At the California state level, Theodore has twice been appointed to California's Mathematics Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee, helping to shape the direction of math education for millions of students across the state of California.

How to connect with Dr. Sagun:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/theodore-sagun-55b97518/

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Music Credit:

DayNigthMorning from Pixabay

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