DebateMath Podcast
Welcome to the DebateMath Podcast, the show where we’re redefining what it means to debate in mathematics & education, where multiple sides of ideas are explored, evidence matters, and we all grow and learn from hearing each other.
We know the world–and our classrooms–are not binary. So we lean into the gray area in our discussions. We invite on guests with differing viewpoints on the way math is taught, and listen in as they debate with each other.
Come dig into any debate, where we listen to learn, not to prove someone wrong, but to deepen our understanding.
DebateMath Podcast
Hot Seat #11 - Is Everyone Really a Math Person?
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You’ve probably heard it before — maybe from a teacher, a colleague, a speaker at a conference, or even yourself: “Everyone is a math person.” It’s become a kind of rallying cry in math education. A statement of belief. But is it really true? Or are we over-doing it? It came from a place of countering the narrative that we often hear from students, saying “I’m just not a math person” or “I’m just not good at math.” But is everyone really a math person? And is it OK not to be into math? What are the consequences — good or bad — of telling students that everyone is a math person? We wanted to explore this in more detail with our latest Hot Seat debate: Is Everyone Really a Math Person?
- You can find Vanessa Vakharia on social media @TheMathGuru and visit her website: MathTherapy.com
- You can find Chris Nho on social media @nhoskee
- Chris mentioned the TRU Framework (truframework.org)
- Rob mentioned A Mathematician’s Lament by Paul Lockhart
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