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Chalk & Talk

Chalk & Talk

Anna Stokke 76 Episodes Sep 11, 2026

Chalk & Talk is a podcast hosted by math professor Anna Stokke, featuring conversations with leading educators about the importance of math, effective teaching methods, and debunking common myths about math and teaching. The show aims to help parents, educators, and students sort myths from facts in education. Each episode explores topics related to math education and evidence-based teaching practices.

Episodes

How Two Teachers Turned Math Achievement Around with Max and Todd (Ep 80)
How Two Teachers Turned Math Achievement Around with Max and Todd (Ep 80) Sep 11, 2026 4709 In this episode, Anna is joined by two elementary school teachers from California who are appearing anonymously so they can speak candidly about their experiences. Both teach at a school where math achievement has remained consistently low. After watching many of their students struggle with the curriculum they were expected to use (Illustrative Math), they began exploring research, learning about
Math Fact Crisis, Two Years Later with Brian Poncy (Ep 79)
Math Fact Crisis, Two Years Later with Brian Poncy (Ep 79) Aug 28, 2026 3535 In this episode, Anna is joined by returning guest Dr. Brian Poncy to discuss math fact fluency and whether improving students’ fluency with basic number operations leads to better overall math achievement. Brian shares new results from the first year of a large implementation of the free Facts on Fire program in a Texas school district. They discuss what the data shows, how the program has evolve
The Science and Craft of Great Teaching with Nidhi Sachdeva and Paul Kirschner (Ep 78)
The Science and Craft of Great Teaching with Nidhi Sachdeva and Paul Kirschner (Ep 78) Aug 14, 2026 4357 In this episode, Anna is joined by returning guests Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva and Dr. Paul Kirschner, authors of the upcoming book Becoming an Expert Teacher: Deliberate Practice for Effective Teaching. They explore what makes an expert teacher and how teaching expertise can be deliberately developed. They discuss the importance of deep subject knowledge, mental models, deliberate practice, and reflectio
Five math myths that are holding students back (Ep 77)
Five math myths that are holding students back (Ep 77) Jul 31, 2026 1321 In this solo episode, Anna Stokke explores five common misconceptions in math education that may sound convincing but aren't supported by high-quality evidence. This episode is based on a chapter she wrote for The Practice Project, which is a joint initiative of the American Enterprise Institute and researchED, dedicated to improving classroom practice through research-informed professional knowle
The Story Behind Mississippi’s Education Turnaround with Rachel Canter (Ep 76)
The Story Behind Mississippi’s Education Turnaround with Rachel Canter (Ep 76) Jul 17, 2026 3592 In this episode, Anna Stokke is joined by Rachel Canter, Director of Education Policy for the Reinventing America's Schools Project and author of the report Inside the Mississippi Marathon. They explore how Mississippi transformed from one of the lowest-performing states in fourth grade reading and math to one of the highest-performing in the U.S., despite Mississippi being one of the poorest stat
How high expectations drive student achievement with Doug Lemov (Ep 75)
How high expectations drive student achievement with Doug Lemov (Ep 75) Jul 3, 2026 3911 In this episode, Anna Stokke is joined by Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like a Champion and one of the most influential voices on effective teaching practice. They discuss educational equity and why strong teaching, clear behaviour routines, high expectations, and academic rigor are essential for helping every student succeed. They also discuss practical classroom strategies, including how to use co
Mailbag II:  Math standards, teacher content knowledge, and more with Jonathan Regino (Ep 74)
Mailbag II: Math standards, teacher content knowledge, and more with Jonathan Regino (Ep 74) Jun 19, 2026 3185 In this special two-part Chalk & Talk mailbag series, Anna Stokke is joined by Jonathan Regino, Pre-K–12 Supervisor of Math at Interboro School District, to answer questions submitted by listeners. In Part 2, Anna and Jonathan tackle topics such as calculators in IEPs, math fact fluency, teacher content knowledge, the importance of mastering fractions, the role of NCTM in math education, and w
Mailbag I: Choosing math resources and handling mixed classes with Jon Regino
Mailbag I: Choosing math resources and handling mixed classes with Jon Regino Jun 12, 2026 2465 In this special two-part Chalk & Talk mailbag episode, Anna Stokke is joined by Jonathan Regino, Pre-K–12 Supervisor of Math at Interboro School District, to answer questions submitted by listeners. Together, they answer questions from teachers and parents about math resources, explicit instruction, teaching mixed ability classes, supporting advanced learners, and more. Drawing on their experi
Inside one of England’s top-performing non-selective schools with Robert Peal (Ep 72)
Inside one of England’s top-performing non-selective schools with Robert Peal (Ep 72) May 29, 2026 3809 In this episode, Anna Stokke is joined by Robert Peal, joint head teacher of West London Free School, one of England’s highest-performing non-selective schools.  Robert is also the author of Progressively Worse and co-author, with Nick Gibb, of Reforming Lessons:  Why English Schools Have Improved Since 2010 and How This Was Achieved. Anna visited West London Free School recently and invited Rober
Conviction vs. evidence: What’s driving math education’s worst policies with Thomas Briggs and David Shuck (Ep 71)
Conviction vs. evidence: What’s driving math education’s worst policies with Thomas Briggs and David Shuck (Ep 71) May 15, 2026 3767 In this episode, Anna Stokke continues the conversation from the previous episode on what happens when requests for evidence are dismissed with the phrase “research shows.” She is joined by Thomas Briggs and David Shuck from the Center for Educational Progress to explore why ineffective or unsupported practices persist in education. Thomas and David introduce an important distinction between misun
What to do when “Research Shows” shuts you down: A guide for parents and teachers (Ep 70)
What to do when “Research Shows” shuts you down: A guide for parents and teachers (Ep 70) May 1, 2026 1354 In this episode, Anna Stokke explores what to do when a math program or education initiative doesn’t seem to work, but you’re told "research shows" that it does. Drawing on her personal experience as both a parent and educator navigating “research shows” claims, Anna explains how parents, teachers, and advocates can ask for evidence, evaluate what counts as credible research, and respond when weak
We know more about teaching than ever—so why is change so slow? with Joanna Barbousas (Ep 69)
We know more about teaching than ever—so why is change so slow? with Joanna Barbousas (Ep 69) Apr 17, 2026 3699 In this episode, Anna is joined by Professor Joanna Barbousas, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Education, Impact and Innovation, and Dean of the School of Education at La Trobe University in Australia. Early in her career, Joanna noticed that many capable students struggled to access the curriculum due to gaps in foundational reading and language skills—an insight that has shaped her work ever since. Now,

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