Episode 3.2: Where Joel and Misty finish their conversation with Steve Leinwand

On this fine episode of the More Math for More People podcast, you'll hear part 2 of Joel and Misty's conversation with Steve Leinwand. You won't want to miss!

They also discuss National Do Something Good For Your Neighbor Day.

Remember to sign up for some exciting CPM learning events this summer:
Residential Institute in Salt Lake City, UT, June 26-30.
Site-Base Leadership Academy in Minneapolis, MN, June 21-23
2023-24 Summer Learning Events - registration now open!

And if you are interested in being part of "Join Us on Their Journey", we're still looking for folks, so drop us a line at the email below!

The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
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Email: cpmpodcast@cpm.org

Transcript

Samson Q2U Microphone-2: 0:00

Hello and welcome to Episode Two of Season Three of the More Math For More People Podcast. It's May 16th, 2023. Cheers.

Intro: 0:29

Hello there. I'm Joel. And I'm Misty. And you're listening to The More Math For More People Podcast, an outreach of CPM Educational Program. We have a lot of conversations about math and math education on this podcast. We're passionate about continually improving the way math is taught, and we hope that you learn something in every episode that helps you become better at what you do. And we hope that you have some fun and laugh as well. That always makes things a little more interesting. Yep. We're pretty passionate about having fun, Joel. Mm-hmm. So please have a listen and we think it'll be well worth it. Boom.

Misty: 1:10

All right. It is our National Day of Segment on the More Math for More People podcast. So Joel,

Joel: 1:16

Yes.

Misty: 1:16

today?

Joel: 1:18

Today is national. Do something good for your neighbor day.

Misty: 1:21

Do something good for your Neighbor Day.

Joel: 1:23

Something good. I wonder if they have a do something bad for your neighbor day.

Misty: 1:27

very specific wording. Do something good, not do something nice, do something

Joel: 1:30

Hmm. Do something good.

Misty: 1:33

Interesting.

Joel: 1:33

Yeah, there's some connotation there. What is good?

Misty: 1:36

Yeah. Well, it is it's like a more of an action or a,

Joel: 1:39

Yeah. Yeah.

Misty: 1:40

know. Interesting. All right. So it's Do something good for your neighbor day.

Joel: 1:45

Do you interact with your neighbors?

Misty: 1:48

Yeah. Okay. This is, I don't interact with my

Joel: 1:51

Uhhuh?

Misty: 1:52

I do. This is a funny thing. I think about every once in a while, I do actually know the names of my two neighbors on each side of my house. I don't know any of my neighbors across the street, I mean, To be fair, one of the building, like there's a couple buildings across the street that are like apartments and some lots of people move in and out, but like clearly, there's a house that is across the street from me. People live there. They've lived here as long as I've lived here. I see them all the time. I could describe them to you. I don't have any idea their names, but that's just, that is, that is an introvert way of living.

Joel: 2:23

Mm-hmm.

Misty: 2:23

And clearly also, it's the kind of thing that I'm actually, I feel good that I know my two neighbors names because I've lived in my house for seven years and it's clearly a time when it would be awkward to say, and what is your name again? You know? So, I'm pretty happy about that. But yeah, I do know their names. We don't interact very much

Joel: 2:41

I actually made a a map

Misty: 2:43

a map

Joel: 2:44

when, I moved in because like you I felt like I don't wanna. Say, what was your name again? But

Misty: 2:50

Five years later.

Joel: 2:50

and so I keep it in the kitchen and it has everybody's name, and when somebody moves, I find out. And my

Misty: 2:57

This is very proactive. Joel, I'm

Joel: 2:59

thank you. And one thing that I do that I feel like is good for the neighbor during the holiday season, in the wintertime, that end of December, early January time, I'll go, I'll stay up till like two, three in the morning. And I've bought like those little round tins of cookies at Walgreens or whatever. Sometimes they're sale on Costco and I go deliver'em like a secret elf at that time onto their porches.

Misty: 3:24

So you're sneaking up to people's houses

Joel: 3:25

So I do sneaky good things.

Misty: 3:27

Wow. So you'd get caught at my house cuz I have a porch camera, so

Joel: 3:31

Oh, I wonder if they do too, I really try and

Misty: 3:35

all your neighbors are like, yeah, that guy over there, I forgot his name. But he comes up into our porches all the time and us cookies. He's very kind.

Joel: 3:44

that's funny. I didn't even think about the doorbell camera.

Misty: 3:47

Well, you'll have to come up with a different plan cuz it's not the middle of winter

Joel: 3:52

I know, I know.

Misty: 3:53

for your neighbors.

Joel: 3:54

Well, and I start.

Misty: 3:55

good for your neighbors. That wasn't directly

Joel: 3:58

Related to a

Misty: 3:59

Yeah, like a actual thing. Like I think that like it feels more open. Like I could do something good for

Joel: 4:03

more in the spirit. Absolutely.

Misty: 4:05

you know. Yeah.

Joel: 4:06

I, it got me thinking a little bit too about teachers and education, but your neighbor could be the teacher next to you in the school or something like that. There's different areas where you could have a neighbor. That's right. Maybe you're on the bus and my seat partner is my neighbor.

Misty: 4:23

there you go. You

Joel: 4:24

Do something good. I know I'll carry my satchel of good things.

Misty: 4:29

You have a satchel of good things.

Joel: 4:31

Oh yeah. Doesn't everybody

Misty: 4:34

Well, mine's valise of good things.

Joel: 4:36

okay.

Misty: 4:37

Well, good. Well, okay, so what's your plan then, for today?

Joel: 4:41

I don't really have a plan. Yeah, I think it's gonna, I think it's just gonna have to come from the universe a little bit.

Misty: 4:47

It'll be

Joel: 4:48

Let's see. I'm not sure, maybe it'll be yard work, although the weather's been so iffy here in Salt Lake City, so I don't know if I personally that would be doing good if I went out in that weather and I, anyways, I'm digressing

Misty: 5:00

like a lot, but

Joel: 5:01

some landscaping day.

Misty: 5:02

Yeah.

Joel: 5:03

not do landscaping day. Let's do something good for your neighbor day.

Misty: 5:06

Yes, it's all right. All right. Just, but you're just gonna see what strikes you and do that. I appreciate that. I might consider building a valise of good things. That sounds like something maybe I should do in my life.

Joel: 5:17

I think that's a great idea.

Misty: 5:19

All right. There you go. Enjoy how you will.

Samson Q2U Microphone-1: 5:36

So as promised, we have the second half of our conversation with Steve Lein wand that we started in episode 3.1. So if you haven't listened to that, I highly suggest you go back and listen to that conversation. Our very animated conversation with Steve Le Wand in episode 3.1 from two weeks ago, and here is part two of that conversation. Enjoy.

6:01

I'm wondering, I I, what I'm hearing in a lot of what you're saying is some of it's frustration and some of it's wanting to do things and running into roadblocks and bumps and various other things, and I'm, and I'm wondering if there's some places that you're seeing some hope. Where are you seeing, where are you seeing that right now? All right, so there are a whole lot of places doing some amazing things, okay? Mm-hmm. You know, I don't mind naming South Burlington, Vermont as one example of a really good, smart collaborative department with incredibly strong leadership by John Painter and, and they have the support of the administration. And it's really exciting to see how they are moving, the integrated math, how they are doing stuff. All I know is that I was doing some work on, I'm trying to identify some really great teachers a bunch of years ago, and I ended up in South Burlington and walked into John Pinker's classroom. This is a dude who teaches AP stat, AP calculus, and then the special ed low level Algebra one. Hmm. So I'm in his low level Algebra one class. The kids walk in, there are only eight kids. He's got them all sitting in a semi-circle up, up in the front, doesn't let them hide in the back of the room. And the first thing that cups up on the whiteboard is a four by four. Ken. Ken. And the bail hasn't even wrong and he is ready to go. All right, let's go. We got it. Okay. I'm waiting. Turn to tell your partner what can you. To listen to these kids that everyone has written, offered all time Memorial. Sit there and go. I think that the second row, third column has got to be a bore. Oh, how do you know? And they justify. Well, it can't be a three because there's one above it. It can't be a two. And because of the sign, it couldn't be. It couldn't be a one. So, but I mean, that's. That's what's possible. When you look at the ways in which the internet gives us foreign wins, visual patterns, Robert k Pensky's, open, middle, those tasks are there. We can, we can spice things up, we can engage kids, we can do all kinds of things. And, and I get to see that in places, you know, like that, the work that that. Robert Blisky did before he moved on in Downey, California. I mean, it is a large California school district and they're doing some really exciting things and they have for years combined Algebra two and pre-Calculus in ways that make a whole lot of sense. I had spent a lot of time with the Success Academy Charter schools, so here we're talking about New York City. We're talking about 94% of the 40,000, 30,000 let's say. 50, 40 schools, about 20,000 kids. 94% are black or brown, and they are the highest performing school district in New York State. I mean, they are now sending kids to college at unbelievable rates. It is so hopeful because it's leadership, it's coherence, it's commit. And it's quality teaching and it's administrators that they're, they're never in their office. They live in the building. They're out there in classrooms. They're out there in teacher readings. They're the lead teacher. And so there are places like, they're incredibly exciting and they're not, none of the places I named are not, uh, Scarsdale and the Gross Points and all of those of the world. You know, it's easy to do south of San Francisco in some ways saying, you know, Even the kids that don't go to private school are still going to school ready to, ready to do it. I, I've been impressed in some ways with Palo Alto over the years, but again, there's such pressure from the parents to just not step outside of the traditional norm for fear that their kids will be disadvantaged. Yeah, I am. Like you said, I'm incredibly optimistic about some of the things going on, and I am incredibly frustrated by some of the other stuff, but that's what, you know, change agents don't win all their battles. They push and push and push, you know, the, the calculator stuff. Sometimes you have to break rules. Sometimes you have to just recognize that the rules only prevent change from happen. Or rules are there to prevent people from having to deal with any kind of controversy. You know, I'm this low level state math consultant in 1986. You don't call state board members at home. Yeah. You can't do that because you'd be stepping on all kinds of toes. You've screwed up with a, well, you know what? I knew that I had their support inside the department, and I knew I needed three additional board members. You know, one board member in particular, very well off. Two of the largest car dealerships in Fairfield County finished big legislator and I, I just called him at home one evening and said, so, Steve, I what? You know who I am? I've given reports on our state testing all to the board. I said, I need your help. He says, you know, you're not supposed to be calling me. I said, yeah, I understand that. I said, so you wanna call me up on it? Fine. They can fire me. I said, I think the union will protect me, but that's not what's going on here. This is about kids. I said, you tell me how you'd run your car dealerships if you didn't have calculators. How are you gonna decide the loans, how you do all those things? She said, well, of course. I said, so we're still that acting kids to do computation. I use those stories to remind people. There's safety in numbers and there's the need to take some risks in order to serve kids. And no. Does it work all the time? No, but I spent a lot of time strategizing with math coordinators and math supervisors. I think during the pandemic, again, change agent, um, mentoring, I, I spend during the pandemic probably two hours a. Talking with friends. I just got an email the other day from, Hey, we wanna pick your brain. Can, can we talk about some of these issues in a particular state? And so you, you try and empower people, you try and give them some ideas and you go from there. It gives me great pleasure. That's really cool. It is very apparent, Steve, that you are very, very passionate about this and very passion. Math education and moving it forward and what, and whatever that looks like, and what kind of a society do we have if we have the kind of mathematical literacy that led to people not understanding data, ignoring data, not believing data is important during this pandemic. It's just, it's just pathetic. Wow. We wanna, this is about all the time we have for today, so that's great. Thank you so much for coming. Yes. Thanks so much on the podcast and sharing your great ideas and thoughts and passion with us. We appreciate you so much. Super. Well, thanks for asking me. This is always fun to do and it'll be fun to see how this comes out. And I really look forward to showing up in Minneapolis at the cpm. You know, I go way, way back to when Judy Kish first started some of the mm-hmm. CPM stuff that I've looked at any number of additions of, of it over the years. Uhhuh and, you know, it's always been, it's always been ahead of its time and it's always tried to not get too far in front and it's been fun to see. Thank you. Awesome. Thank you for that. We look forward to seeing you there. Super. Thanks guys. Thank you. Bye-Bye.

Joel: 13:19

As we get to the end of a school year, end of a process, it's always good to think back and reflect upon things that you wanna remember that our future of forgetful selves wanna remember. And one fun activity I know of to help with this is writing a letter to yourself and so you would write down anything you wanted to remember, maybe some encouragement for the next process. I've done it with students before done it with other teachers before, and it's just a way that you can have that reflection time and then be reminded of that reflection later when the letter gets sent to you and to help put you back in that space of the things that you wanted to remember. And there's a website called future me.org, and if you go to that website, you're able to write yourself a future letter. Dear, future me you can have it go in a few months, a year, 10 years. Send it just to yourself. Send it to others if you wanted to, but since we're reflecting on ourselves, I'd suggest just have it sent to yourself. And write down those things that you wanna remember. So maybe it's a study team and teaching strategy you tried or a pacing idea in the curriculum, or maybe it was just pacing within a lesson that you wanted to remember, little things like that or the feeling that you have now at the end of the school year that you want to continue that energy in the fall. You could do this with students as well. Then have students write a letter to themselves that they would receive in a certain amount of time. Months, year, however you wanted to set it up. But I really recommend taking that time to reflect, taking that time to just process what you've been working on lately. Maybe it's something from the podcast, you wanna, remember, but write that down again. It's future me.org and write that letter to yourself and see if it helps you in the future. Just a friendly tip.

Misty: 15:36

Here is a repeat of one of our announcements from last podcast. We're still looking for some people for this segment, so if you are interested, please drop us a line. Thanks. Our second announcement is about a recurring segment that we want to do during next school year. It's called Join Them on Their Journey and this recurring segment. We would like to have a few people who are using CPM or working with teachers using CPM to give us a short recording periodically throughout the year about how things are going. So we're looking for teachers, both first year teachers or teachers who have a more than one year experience doing cpm. We're also looking for administration folks or an instructional coach who are working with teachers using cpm. And if you're interested in being part of this recurring segment, all you have to do is record a little recording and send it to us. It's really easy. So Drop us a line at CPM podcast at CPM dot. And let us know that you're interested or you can recommend slash nominate someone else that you think would be a good person for this recurring segment call. Join them on their journey so it's really easy. We can give you more information and more details if you contact us at CPM podcast CPM dot. So just send us an email if you're interested. We would love to hear from you

Outro: 17:10

So that's all we have time for on this episode of The More Math For More People podcast. For more information and to stay connected, find CPM on Twitter and Facebook. You can find our handles in the podcast description. The music for the podcast was created by Julius h and can be found on pixabay.com Thanks, Julius. Join us in two weeks for the next episode of more Math for More People. What day will that be, Joel?