More Math for More People

Episode 5.12: Use Your Common Sense and go watch Sum Shenanigans!!

• Season 5 • Episode 12

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What if “common sense” isn’t universal at all—but learned, personal, and shaped by context? Joel and Misty begin with their typical philosophical investigation of the national day. This time it's "Use Your Common Sense" Day.

That reframing sets the stage for a lively conversation with our colleagues Bri Ruiz and Adam Varnes as they launch Sum Shenanigans, a new CPM social series built to deliver practical math‑teaching strategies right where you already scroll.

We dig into the why behind the project: teachers don’t need more theory in abstract; they need clear, adaptable moves they can try tomorrow. Sum Shenanigans pairs long‑form YouTube conversations with quick Instagram reels, so you can choose depth or speed based on your day. The first topics hit two of the biggest challenges in student‑centered classrooms—pacing and collaborative learning. We unpack how to prioritize essential ideas, plan checkpoints, and protect thinking time, then shift to group routines, roles, and talk moves that lift more voices without losing mathematical focus.

From there, we preview upcoming episodes on supporting multilingual learners, working with students with exceptionalities, and sharpening core practices like formative assessment, circulating, and questioning. Bree and Adam keep the tone grounded and human—they’re not presenting as the final word, but as reflective practitioners sharing what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what they’re still testing. That openness is the point: we want to spark a wider conversation so teachers can add their own approaches, surface real‑world constraints, and co‑create better solutions.

Ready to jump in? Watch the long versions on YouTube, catch the bite‑size tips on Instagram, and tell us what you want next. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and drop a comment with your biggest classroom challenge—what should we tackle together?

To celebrate our launch, we have posted our first two episodes on YouTube, Supporting Study Teams and Pacing. Keep an eye out on Instagram for the Reels that will go up soon. We hope you enjoy the series as much as we have making it.

Send Joel and Misty a message!

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

SPEAKER_01:

You are listening to the More Math for More People podcast, an outreach of CPM educational program. Boom.

SPEAKER_04:

Hey Joel, it's November 4th. Which I think in most of the US is also election day.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's a Tuesday. First Tuesday of uh of November.

SPEAKER_04:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02:

Have you voted?

SPEAKER_04:

I already did. I sent mine in the other day. We're 100% mail-in voting in Oregon. So I mailed my ballot in a couple weeks ago.

SPEAKER_02:

Very cool.

SPEAKER_04:

Do you do you do uh ranked voting or just pick a few uh we have ranked voting for our Portland city of Portland offices now for like the council people is ranked right? We just did ranked choice voting for the first time uh last year, the year before. Yeah, I guess it was last year. For the people that came in this year.

SPEAKER_02:

I think I think we're kind of on the same cycle then because we're it's brand new like last election or whatever. Trying to figure it all out.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, indeed. Indeed. But we're here to talk about some other national day, I think.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, okay. What's that?

SPEAKER_02:

Today is use your common sense day, which is great that it's on election day, I think. But that's just a side note.

SPEAKER_04:

Use Okay, that's interesting. It's not use common sense, it's use your common sense.

SPEAKER_02:

Use your common sense day.

SPEAKER_04:

Wow. Hmm.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. It's an important It's important for living your life to use your common sense.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah. Common sense is one of it's one of those uh things that I think is very tricky. As as a person who uh struggles sometimes to understand all the things around social things with a slightly autistic brain, let's say. Common sense is not a thing that just because a person can't figure a thing out doesn't make it common sense. I think there's a lot of there's a lot of I feel like there's a lot of like shaming action around common sense. Oh my gosh, it's common sense person, you know, like that kind of reaction to things that clearly uh it's this exception expectation that we're supposed to know something, that we all just know this thing.

SPEAKER_02:

And we all think the same thing or something, and we all know the same thing.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, and I'm just gonna say that given on given the evidence of my life, yeah, and many lives around me that I have observed, that is not true.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Do you know who once remarked common sense ain't that common?

SPEAKER_04:

I I I'm gonna guess Mark Twain.

SPEAKER_02:

It was Will Rogers.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, that would be my second guess. And this day after WC Phelps.

SPEAKER_02:

It is also commemorating his birth date.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, is that is that why it is on this day?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I think it's on this day because I don't know why it's on this day. I literally have no idea. It's common sense.

SPEAKER_04:

It's just on this day because I mean it's common sense, man.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Exactly. That's what I feel like people are like common sense, and I'm like, no, that is not. Yeah. Also, people it I think that it comes up a lot when you're dealing with like young people, like whether they're like younger people or teenagers or tweens or any of those things, it's like that's sort of like, oh, it's just common sense. I'm like, no, you're actually talking about something that you experienced and learned that they haven't learned yet. Right. And and calling it common sense.

SPEAKER_02:

I think my maybe some of it too is for for the the reason that it's on this date is because there is way back in 1776. Whoa, it was it was a a clear blue day, light breeze from the east. Um In what wait, where and I said in 1776. That's not that's not time. That's not a place. Oh, yeah, that's right. Anyway, there is a pamphlet called The Common Sense. Oh that's Thomas Payne, right? Yes.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay.

SPEAKER_02:

Interesting. I wonder if that has been.

SPEAKER_04:

Was it published on like November four fourth in 1770?

SPEAKER_02:

It doesn't really say that, but sure.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, it's in uh the the fact that there's a your in there, like changes it slightly to me because it's like use your common sense. Like it doesn't imply that everyone has the same common sense.

SPEAKER_02:

Could you use some common sense?

SPEAKER_04:

Use young use some common sense. Again, that's sort of like come on, use some common sense, man.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, this is nice.

SPEAKER_04:

So what is so what does your source say about what what this day is encouraging or promoting? Well, anything useful to this conversation?

SPEAKER_02:

Maybe in in terms of how to celebrate, you could spend some time in introspection and kind of like recognizing areas of maybe things you want to avoid in the future, help yourself make decisions in the future. The second one is laugh, shrug it off, and carry on. That's a way to celebrate. So maybe you didn't use common sense.

SPEAKER_04:

So laugh about it.

SPEAKER_02:

And that you're like put it away and and go make your next decision.

SPEAKER_04:

It's an act of introspection and self-forgiveness day.

SPEAKER_02:

Or this is my favorite, I think. I'm not I'm probably not gonna sell I think I'll celebrate with number two. Number three is host a common sense meme evening.

SPEAKER_04:

What? What does that even mean? A common sense meme.

SPEAKER_02:

It says have a blast laughing about silly things people do. So so clearly you're laughing at people not using common sense. Right.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, that's that's the whole that's the whole fallacy of this whole idea. I mean, I get it. Okay. I mean, I I think I get it. Like the whole thing is that like using common sense is hard and doesn't actually happen. It's it's kind of a fallacy. So like you can just use your own and do well, not do whatever, but you know what I mean? Right. Like it's more like common sense meme party. I don't I mean, there's so many things in that statement that I give me pause. Like, first of all, do people hold meme parties? Are we that old, Joel? That we're just like there's meme parties and we're not invited to them.

SPEAKER_02:

I think I uh I'm that old that I never got invited when they were like popular.

SPEAKER_05:

That's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02:

I thought I thought you meant like we've passed the meme party stage. I'm I'm no no no no well.

SPEAKER_04:

I think both of those things. I mean, one, we're past the meme party age, and two, we're not invited because we're past the meme party age. But is it such a thing even that there are meme parties? That's what I'm wondering.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and wouldn't that be like a meme party? Like it'd be silent, like people pretending they're trapped in boxes and things like that. Oh no, that's mine. No, that's a mime party. Yeah, I gotta go.

SPEAKER_04:

The meme mime party would be even more interesting. Yeah. All right, well, okay. So, how how are you going to celebrate? Use your common sense.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna shrug it off, and I'm gonna carry on. That's how I am definitely celebrating this.

SPEAKER_04:

I think I'm gonna make they have those like live, laugh, love things, you know. I'm gonna put that like, what do you say? Laugh, shrug it off, carry on. That's what that's what that's what mine's gonna be. Oh man. All right, well, on that note, you should go out and enjoy national use your common sense. Your common sense day. Enjoy, so we're here today with Bree Ruiz and Adam Barnes, who actually work for CPM. They work for Rustral. They're our coworkers.

SPEAKER_02:

They work for us?

SPEAKER_04:

They work well that's um this is. All right, they work for CPM. They work for CPM along with us. They work with us at CPM. They're also professional learning specialists. Yes. And they're here with us today to talk about the so I'm still gonna mess this up. It's a it's a it's a video, right? They're doing videos, and they're gonna tell us more about this. I know it's called some shenanigans, and I know it's on YouTube and Instagram, and that's pretty much all I know about it, really. So they're gonna tell us some more about what it is and why they're doing it and all those things. So welcome to the podcast, Bree and Adam. Thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_03:

Absolutely. And for the record, I wouldn't mind working for either of you. Um you don't know what kind of bosses we are.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_03:

I feel really, really lucky to be working with all three of you. Well, thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

For my record, I would like to see a little bit more uh before I quit.

SPEAKER_04:

That's fair. That's fair. You don't know what kind of you don't know what kind of leaders we are yet. So that's fair. Oh awesome. So so welcome and tell us some more. So some shenanigans. It's it's a new this is a new thing for CPM. We haven't this is a new feature, a new support system. What are we gonna have? So tell us about what some shenanigans is and and yeah, yeah, what's it all about?

SPEAKER_03:

Adam ethos me starting us out.

SPEAKER_00:

Go for it.

SPEAKER_03:

Awesome. So some shenanigans is a series, like you said, that's gonna be on Instagram and YouTube. And a little bit of background, Adam and I are not only on the professional learning scene, but we are also on social uh CPM's social media team and over the last couple months have been working to sort of develop our social media platforms a little more and kind of diversify the content that we've been putting out. Um and one of the things that we've been sort of thinking about is how do we sort of share our professional learning with not just CPM teachers, but just all map teachers. If anyone who knows CPM knows that we value ongoing professional learning. And you know, we even quote the elements, we say curriculum is important and we think we have an awesome curriculum, but or how you use that curriculum is um super, super important. So when teachers go through the foundation series, we follow up with these teacher tips throughout the years that serve as reminders or little nuggets to encourage folks to try something new or really like support challenges that many teachers, not just CPM teachers, but many teachers and all student-centered classrooms face. So Adam and I thought, well, we have this great bank of tips that I know like we sometimes even just pass these on to teachers that were um supporting. And we thought, what um better place to start in terms of getting our professional learning out there than to sort of package these tips up and um share them as reels and as YouTube videos. And that's how some shenanigans sort of started. So they're gonna be these yeah, sorry, that's a bit of a lot, but um that's cool. Yeah, we're really excited to share like these timely, like relevant and practical tips that teachers um were hoping could listen to and then even like implement in their classroom on the next day. So that's sort of the essence about what shenanigans or what some shenanigans is.

SPEAKER_00:

That sounds great.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I think it also kind of I mean, it comes down to our slogan, right? CPM slogan, more math for more people. Right. And so when Brie and I were really brainstorming about some social media ideas, it really came down to how can we support not just CPM teachers, how can we support all math teachers? And so that's kind of where this idea uh came from. And, you know, quite honestly, working for CPM can feel like just professional development that you're receiving with not very many opportunities for output, right? We can share with teachers, we can coach and things like that, but we learn all these great things going to the different conferences, going in and out of classrooms from our own resources that we are always continually fine-tuning and learning from. And so Bree and I thought that, you know, this some shenanigans series would also be a great opportunity for us to have an outlet and to share our experiences with the teachers, you know, not just along the tips that we have, but any other uh topics that teachers might be interested in hearing about or want suggestions on. And like Brie said, the goal is that, you know, if we listen to an episode, that you can go and immediately start applying things in your classroom.

SPEAKER_01:

Nice. Nice. Cool.

SPEAKER_02:

So what so what's uh what's available right now that somebody can go see?

SPEAKER_00:

So at the time uh that this podcast will be published, uh, we should have two episodes out. The first one will be on pacing. And so I guess is a good time to kind of touch on, you know, the kind of the format. So we will Brie and I do long form conversations where it just gives us more opportunity to kind of you know really get dive deeper into a topic. Like I said, the first one is pacing. So Bree and I dive deep into, you know, uh, what is pacing and then what are some strategies for that? Again, not just for CPM teachers, but but any math teacher. So we do a longer form video that will go on YouTube. And then uh we do a shorter reel. It's kind of like the TLDR, right? Of I don't have time for a full video, what you got? You know, how teach me something in two minutes, right? Make it quick. So yeah, each episode will kind of have those formats, a longer form version on YouTube and then a shorter form that'll go on Instagram. So all of that to say, at the time of this uh podcast publishing, we should have uh two episodes. So pacing and Brie, what's the next one after pacing?

SPEAKER_03:

I think they had one on collaborative learning, no?

SPEAKER_00:

Collaborative learning. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. So that might be the first one. We'll see. We're still working out the calendar, the frequency, that kind of thing. I think, Adam, we kind of landed on every two weeks a new episode-ish.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that'll be our goal. But you know, we are more interested in the quality of it. So we want to make sure that we're getting you know high quality. And uh, I guess you'll just have to go check out our YouTube page to see what episodes are actually out. Absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, it's a mystery you'll have to solve yourself.

SPEAKER_02:

And I think pacing and collaborative learning are hot topics right now. I know when I'm in the classroom that that's kind of what we're talking about.

SPEAKER_04:

So teachers will be able to do that.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah. For sure, for sure. So, so when I if I how so we'll put some links in the by in our description of right of how to find it, but it's on our CPM YouTube and our CPM Instagram. What other kinds of topics are you planning to investigate throughout the year or to or have conversations around?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, so um one of the topics that we just recorded was how to support multilingual learners in a student-centered classroom, which is you know also a question that comes up a lot. Supporting students with exceptionalities is another episode that we're recording this week that I'm really excited. I know we're both really excited to dive into. And then just some other topics. I know formative assessment, circulating around your classroom, questioning, those are um some topics that we'll be talking about throughout this full year.

SPEAKER_00:

So but there's always opportunities for more topics. So, you know, of course, after you've headed on over to our YouTube channel and you've seen what those first two episodes are, you know, drop a comment below. Let us know what else you want to, what else you want to uh hear hear about. Absolutely. For sure.

SPEAKER_03:

Absolutely. We're hoping for some engagement for some tea, we're hoping for some engagement where teachers might share some of the things that they use in their classroom to support whatever you know we're talking about. And we're hoping that they might share episodes with our teacher friends as well. Um, again, we want these to be bite-sized, like where I'm picturing, you know, that a couple minutes after you're decompressing after a long day of teaching and you might scroll for a couple minutes. And if you come across our video, we want it to be direct um and digestible and something that might, you know, yeah, you can just take a nugget from and like Adam said, apply the next day, hopefully.

SPEAKER_04:

And I think that you've had some uh some guests on your or you're letting you have some guests on your on your shows as well.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, we were very fortunate to have another coworker of ours um who works with us, uh Danielle Boggs. No, not for us, with us. Uh Danielle Boggs joined us for the multilingual learners episode. So that will get that will get posted here pretty soon. And then yeah, we do have plans to have others on the show with us and you know, again, give some perspective on on the all the different topics that Brie mentioned earlier.

SPEAKER_01:

Nice.

SPEAKER_02:

I I really like uh how we're expanding this project of all of us, right? Like so there's a a way that we're trying to connect and net network teachers together and be able to interact. So I love what you said about please leave comments, please add to the conversation all those things. So I really appreciate this idea.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. Um yeah, we're I know excited. Oh sorry, missing that. No, go ahead. I was just gonna say we're excited to kind of, as I mentioned earlier, develop our social media platforms a little more and just um get more teachers in the conversation. We know that's where we, you know, all quote unquote hang out these days. And so, you know, just to get that that knowledge uh in one space and get people talking, we're we're excited to sort of support that opportunity.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, yeah. That's that's the long lines of what I was gonna say. Like, I love that we're really looking at what are the what are different ways, what are all the different ways that we can reach out to teachers, help support them in their classrooms, and and and create a network and an engagement so that people have those support systems of each other as well as the as the content and the and the various things that we're talking about. So yeah, it's great, really complimentary.

SPEAKER_00:

And I also think it's important that, you know, Brie and I point out like, I don't think either one of us feels like we are the absolute experts in any of these topics, right? And so we really made a conscious effort to not have the episodes feel like that. We wanted it to be more conversational and as if you were just listening to two teachers, you know, sharing ideas and going back and forth on a topic. So we we hope that teachers listen. And if they find something that's directly um tangible for you to go back into the classroom with, great. Otherwise, you know, maybe it may spark a different idea that also works in your classroom. But again, the the the point that Brie and I were trying to make with this series is we just want to start the conversation. And we feel like, you know, we don't have to continue or carry it ourselves, it'll get carried along. But that was kind of the main goal.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02:

With the with the title of some shenanigans, and to me, shenanigans means kind of getting into trouble, causing a ruckus. What shenanigans are you actually gonna get into?

SPEAKER_00:

So I might be the guilty one for the title because of the the the dad jokeiness of it. We did one, but you know, we when we were coming up with a title, we wanted something that was that kind of communicated what it was about, but also was kind of playful, right? It's again, it's it's meant to start conversations, it's not meant to be, you know, super heavy or things like that. It's just you're just listening to a couple of teachers, a couple educators talk. So that was kind of kind of how the name came about.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes. I I agree. I think we want it to be approachable, silly. Like Adam said, we're not the experts in these topics. We just know what we've tried. We know what challenges we faced. And I know we learn from each other as we have these discussions, and we want others to join in on the conversation and feel comfortable listening and contributing. And I'll also add that we're definitely developing our social media skills as soon as we work on this project. So um join in now to see that journey and how things evolve. And yeah, it's it's it's been really great, and we're excited to launch it.

SPEAKER_04:

You can join in now so that you can be the one on the I saw them when nice, nice. Absolutely. Is there anything else that people should know about some shenanigans other than it's spelled S-U-M? So that's in case it wasn't that clear. Shenanigans. Anything else that people should know, or just go take a look at it from the link?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I would just encourage everyone to check out our YouTube, check out the reels on Instagram. Again, leave comments, feel you know, feedback, share your ideas, share your thoughts, uh, share uh what you'd like us to talk about, and uh maybe even some guests that we can start reaching out to and bring other bring other educators on to have these conversations.

SPEAKER_04:

Awesome. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00:

Very cool.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast and talking with us about this new CPM uh outreach with some sharing. We really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. It was great talking about it. It was great talking with you. Not for you.

SPEAKER_03:

Thanks for having us. We're excited. Follow us at CPM Math on Instagram. And Adam, you're gonna help help me out with the YouTube.

SPEAKER_00:

Uh on YouTube, you can just search uh CPM educational program and we should show up.

SPEAKER_04:

Awesome. So that is all we have time for on this episode of the More Math for More People podcast. If you are interested in connecting with us on social media, find our links in the podcast description. And the music for the podcast was created by Julius H. It can be found on pixabay.com. So thank you very much, Julius. Join us in two weeks for the next episode of More Math for More People. What day will that be, Joel?

SPEAKER_02:

It'll be November 18th. Latvia Independence Day. And I'm pretty excited about this because a great co-worker of ours, Rita, is very knowledgeable about Latvia. And has shared many things about that community and where she's from, and our history is gone and continues to go support Latvia. So I'm excited to talk it through and hear what we all have to say about Latvia.