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Getting students to think is a hot topic - but what does it actually mean? When kids are asked to "show their thinking", can we really blame them for being like "WTF?!?!"

Today on Math Therapy, Vanessa explores the surprising number of ways we can define & interpret "thinking", and shares 5 strategies to demystify it in the classroom:

1. Explain what thinking actually means
2. Normalize that the thought process isn't always quick
3. Give prompts that invite students into a conversation
4. Outer process - talk it out before writing it down
5. Model your own thinking as a teacher

How do YOU define thinking? Let us know below!

Contact us:

• Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email
• Math Therapy: Text the Podcast

More Math Therapy:

• Get the book: Corwin, Amazon
• Audiobook: Audible, Spotify
• Merch store: Shop here

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Since our humble (and as you'll find out, quite disorganized) start in 2019, Math Therapy has come a long way ... and today we celebrate our 100th episode!

Join host Vanessa Vakharia and producer David Kochberg (with a cameo from OG MT producer Sabina Wex) as they reminisce and argue about:

• The (mostly) true origin story of Math Therapy
• Where the “final 2 questions” came from
• Fave past episodes
• Dream future guests
• If ChatGPT listens to our show

Whether you've been listening from the start or just finding this show now, thank you for listening and being part of the change we all want to see in math education.

And please please please SHARE this podcast with someone that needs to hear it, and let US know what you want to hear in the next 100 episodes!

Past episodes mentioned:

• What the Blue Jays taught us about math education (Nov 2025)
• Pi Day in Prison (Seriously) (Mar 2023)
• “Dude Walls” & the lost women of science w/ Katie Hafner (May 2022)
• Dancing on the moon w/ Dr. Merritt Moore (Apr 2022)
• Can math predict the Oscars? w/ Ben Zauzmer (Mar 2022)
• How math rehabilitated a murderer w/ Christopher Havens (Jun 2021)
• I’m not a math person, don’t @ me w/ Bex (Jun 2021)
• Recalculating your destiny w/ Miguel Escobar (Jun 2020)
• A mathemagical crisis w/ Jonah Babins (Oct 2019)

Contact us:

• Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email
• Math Therapy: Text the Podcast

More Math Therapy:

• Get the book: Corwin, Amazon
• Audiobook: Audible, Spotify
• Merch store: Shop here

Send us a text! (US messaging rates apply)

Today we follow-up last week's episode with unfiltered celeb moms Cat and Nat (listen here) by interviewing Nat's daughter Taylor! Currently in Grade 11, she's a wealth of hard-earned wisdom, having taken her education into her own hands to overcome a system that literally told her not to bother even trying.

This ep is overflowing with real lessons right from a student who's been through it all. Taylor describes:

• how being "bad" at math really felt & how she decided to rewrite her narrative
• small supports that made a huge difference, like teachers/tutors talking to her like a real person or literally getting down to her level instead of standing over her in class
• how she wished it hadn't taken so long in her educational journey for adults to simply tell her they believed in her

Teachers, parents, and students can all learn so much from Taylor's story, so share this ep with someone who needs to hear it and get in touch below to let us know how it resonated with you!

About Taylor: (Instagram, TikTok)

Taylor Telfer-Thompson is a high school student who has faced significant struggles with math throughout her education, but has never given up. Her story shows what it looks like to persevere in the face of difficulty, to wrestle with identity, and to keep trying even when math feels impossible.

Contact us:

• Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email
• Math Therapy: Text the Podcast

More Math Therapy:

• Get the book: Corwin, Amazon
• Audiobook: Audible, Spotify
• Merch store: Shop here