What Happens When the Math Teacher Needs Math Therapy? with Vanessa Vakharia

We spent the summer reading Math Therapy together—and now we’re sitting down with the author herself, Vanessa Vakharia, to talk about what happens when we take these ideas off the page and into our classrooms.

And, apparently, what happens when the math teacher needs a little Math Therapy of her own.

In this conversation, Vanessa and I start by talking about how Math Therapy has almost become a co-creation. The book may be published, but the work keeps evolving as teachers take these ideas, adapt them, and make them their own. It's one of the reasons we both love podcasting: our thinking doesn't have to stop just because the book—or an episode—is finished.

Then Vanessa turns the tables on me as I outed myself as someone who didn’t think she had trauma but most definitely did. 

We unpack one of the experiences I've shared throughout this series: my infamous Honors Geometry polyhedron project and the impact that one experience had on my own mathematical identity.

That leads us into a fascinating conversation about what it means to be "honors," why those labels carry so much weight, and why even experienced math teachers can feel anxious about teaching certain courses. (Hello, Honors Algebra 2.)

But we don't stop with what happens inside school.

We also dig into some of the cultural messages our students are receiving right now—from TikTok trends that make crying in math class part of the joke to shirts with messages like "I'm too pretty to do math."

So what the heck are we supposed to do when our students walk into class carrying all of that with them?

Vanessa shares practical ways we can provide the just-in-time Math Therapy our students need and gives us questions we can start asking immediately.

In This Episode
I'm not the best time keeper but you can expect these things to be basically right

• Around 14 minutes, we dig into what it means to be an "honors" student—or teacher—and why those labels can create anxiety of their own.
• Around 18 minutes, we tackle the math stereotypes showing up in social media and pop culture and the messages they're sending our students, particularly girls.
• Around 22 minutes, Vanessa shares what we can do right now in our classrooms to combat those stereotypes and give students just-in-time Math Therapy.
• Around 24 minutes, she gives us questions we can use to start those conversations with students.
• And around 28 minutes, Vanessa shares her advice for teachers wondering, Okay, I've read the book. I've listened to the series. Now what do I actually DO?

My Biggest Takeaway

Math Therapy isn't something we "do" to students.

It's an ongoing conversation.

It's something students and teachers create together—and it will look different in every classroom because our students, experiences, and teaching styles are different.

The goal isn't to perfectly implement someone else's version of Math Therapy.

It's to notice the messages students are receiving about who gets to be good at math and intentionally create experiences that help them write a different story.

Keep the Conversation Going
After you listen, I'd love to know:

What message about math do you think your students most need help unlearning this year?

Come share your biggest takeaway from my conversation with Vanessa inside The Modern Math Teacher community.

Grab Math Therapy
If this is your first episode in our summer book study, you can absolutely go back and listen to the entire series—and grab your own copy of the book to read along:

📖 Physical Book: https://amzn.to/42VJRl6
 🎧 Audiobook: https://amzn.to/49nV55D

And remember: you don't need to implement everything.

✨LEAVE A REVIEW FOR VANESSA IF YOU HAVE GRABBED YOUR BOOK ALREADY!✨

Take what resonates. Make it yours. Start somewhere.

Because math is Moore than just solving for X.

Keep it real.

Connect with Vanessa

Catch Vanessa’s weekly podcast: Math Therapy on your favorite podcast player and connect with her on instagram @themathguru. Looking to connect with other teachers doing math therapy? Join her facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FPDrA2KeN/

This podcast is a member of the Teach Better Podcast Network. Better Today. Better Tomorrow. And the Podcasts to Help You Get There.

Connect with Kristen:

• Follow on Instagram @moorethanjustx
• Join the Facebook Community: The Modern Math Teachers Movement

More About the Modern Math Teacher Podcast

Kristen Moore, classroom teacher and instructional coach at Moore Than Just X, empowers modern secondary math teachers to transform the student experience with the strategies and the confidence to implement project-based learning, mastery-based assessment, and student engagement strategies in their classrooms.

Whether you're a math education newbie or a seasoned veteran, you'll find something new and inspiring in every episode. You’re already a listener, why not join the Movement inside ✨The Modern Math Teachers Movement Facebook group. Join the community of math teachers who are not afraid to shake things up and make math class the best part of the day for our students. So tune in each Tuesday, have some fun, and let's elevate our math teaching game together!

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