How can mathematics connect meaningfully to the culture and communities students live in?

In this episode we are learning to teach better with Dr. Siddhi Soni and Alyssa Harbin as we discuss their article, Barn Quilts Ethnomodeling Task, found in Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12. The task is a mathematics experience that connects geometric thinking with cultural traditions found in communities across the United States. Through this work, they show how mathematics can be rooted in local contexts, helping students see mathematical ideas as part of the world around them.

We explore how ethnomodeling supports culturally responsive teaching, what teachers can learn from community artifacts like barn quilts, and how authentic mathematical tasks can deepen student engagement and understanding.

If you’re looking for ways to make mathematics more meaningful and connected to students’ lived experiences, this conversation offers inspiration and practical ideas.

Plus, the Physical Media of the Epsisode, How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by Michael Schur.

Show notes can be found at https://amidonplanet.com/episode141/

It’s easy to feel like we have to manage everything - our students, our colleagues, our classrooms, our kids, and sometimes even how others think or respond. But what if some of that weight isn’t actually ours to carry?

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Gary Williams about The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and the simple but powerful idea behind it: letting people be who they are, while focusing on what we can control. We explore what this looks like in teaching, leadership, and everyday relationships, and how this shift can reduce stress while increasing clarity and presence.

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin or over-responsible, this conversation offers a grounded perspective on boundaries, agency, and showing up with intention.

Show notes can be found at https://amidonplanet.com/episode140/

What if mathematics education were about more than solving problems or passing tests? What if it were part of helping people live fuller, richer lives?

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Francis Su about his book Mathematics for Human Flourishing and the deeper purposes of learning (and teaching) mathematics. Drawing on philosophy, lived experience, and years of teaching mathematics, Francis invites us to see math as a discipline that cultivates curiosity, creativity, perseverance, hope, and ultimately love.

We explore how mathematics can nurture these virtues that support human growth, why belonging matters in mathematics classrooms, and how teachers can help students experience math as meaningful rather than merely procedural.

If you care about the teaching and learning of mathematics in ways that honor both intellectual rigor and human dignity, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical wisdom. Plus, the Physical Media of the episode, Fargo.

Show notes can be found at https://amidonplanet.com/episode139/