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PODCAST

DebateMath Podcast

Chris Luzniak & Rob Baier

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

education mathematics

All Episodes

7:18

Bonus #1: Hot or Iced?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/09/30

Text us your thoughts!In this bonus debate, Chris engages Vanessa Vakharia in a friendly debate about the best way to have a latte -- iced or hot?-You can find Vanessa Vakharia on social media @TheMathGuru and visit her website: MathTherapy.com Listened to the episode? Now, it’s your turn to share! Find us on Social Media: @DebateMath to share your thoughts.Don’t forget to check out the video version of this podcast on our YouTube channel!Keep up with all the latest info by following @DebateMath or

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3:27

Fast Break #11 - What Is the Most Fun Operation to...

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/09/23

Text us your thoughts!In this quick follow-up to last week’s episode, we invited our guests to model a short, fun classroom debate. In just a few minutes, you can hear a sample debate that captures the spirit of productive mathematical argumentation—thoughtful, curious, and includes reasoning. Tune in for a rapid-fire glimpse of what these debates can look like in action as we ask the question: What Is the Most Fun Mathematical Operation to Teach?You can find Christina Lincoln-Moore on social media:

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49:53

Debate 56 - Should Math Teachers Become Admin?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/09/17

Text us your thoughts!Today we debate with administrators! What do you consider the qualities of a good leader? What do you wish administrators thought about more? Or have you ever considered becoming an administrator? Maybe someone has encouraged you to take the leap or you’re considering it on your own. We’ve known very few administrators coming from math education. Why is that? And do math teachers make good administrators? In this episode, we are joined by a pair of school leaders who started as

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2:44

Fast Break #10 - What is the Best First Step?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/09/02

Text us your thoughts!In this quick follow-up to last week’s episode, we invited our guests to model a short, fun classroom debate. In just a few minutes, you can hear a sample debate that captures the spirit of productive mathematical argumentation—thoughtful, curious, and includes reasoning. Tune in for a rapid-fire glimpse of what these debates can look like in action as we ask the question: What is the Best First Step (solving 3(x+4)-8=33)?You can find Stacy Estep via email:

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34:10

DebateMath Lesson #9 - Math Court?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/08/27

Text us your thoughts!Continuing our back-to-school season kick-off, we wanted to keep exploring new ways to bring debate and argumentation into your math classroom. Last episode, we shared Math Wrangles. This episode, we’re excited to share a routine called Math Court. What is Math Court? How does it work? And might teachers find them powerful for student thinking and discourse? Tune in as our guests walk us through the details in our Mini Lesson!You can find Stacy Estep via email:

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2:20

Fast Break #9 - What is the Coolest Way to Solve a...

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/08/12

Text us your thoughts!In this quick follow-up to last week’s episode, we invited our guest to model a short, fun classroom debate. In just a few minutes, you can hear a sample debate that captures the spirit of productive mathematical argumentation—thoughtful, curious, and includes reasoning. Tune in for a rapid-fire glimpse of what these debates can look like in action as we ask the question: What is the Coolest Way to Solve a Ratio Problem?You can find Tifin Calcagni via email:

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38:22

DebateMath Lesson #8 - Math Wrangles?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/08/06

Text us your thoughts!As we kick off the back-to-school season, we wanted to spend some time exploring new ways to bring debate and argumentation into your math classroom. Last year, we shared a few discussion and debate routines to help get meaningful conversations started. This year, we’re taking things a step further by highlighting how brilliant educators are building deeper activities around mathematical argumentation and debate. In today’s episode, we’re diving into a routine called Math

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4:16

Fast Break #8 - What is the Best Way to Study for a...

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/07/15

Text us your thoughts!In this quick follow-up to last week’s episode, we invited our guests to model a short, fun classroom debate. In just a few minutes, you can hear a sample debate that captures the spirit of productive mathematical argumentation—thoughtful, curious, and includes reasoning. Tune in for a rapid-fire glimpse of what these debates can look like in action as we ask the question: What is the Best Way to Study for a Test?You can contact Rev. Jessica Solomon via email:

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54:28

Hot Seat #13 - Does Math Education Over-Rely on Brain...

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/07/09

Text us your thoughts!You’ve probably heard it before—claims about how the brain learns best or teaching moves justified by neuroscience. These ideas have shaped classrooms, professional development, and even policy. But here’s the question we’re asking today: Have we gone too far? In this Hot Seat, we’re joined by two guests who will be arguing that math education over-relies on brain-based research—and that this reliance may actually be limiting how we think about teaching, learning, and students

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2:37

Fast Break #7 - Bar Graphs or Pie Charts?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/06/24

Text us your thoughts!In this quick follow-up to last week’s episode, we invited our guest (Deborah) to model a short, fun classroom debate. In just a few minutes, you can hear a sample debate that captures the spirit of productive mathematical argumentation. Tune in for a rapid-fire glimpse of what these debates can look like in action as we ask the question:Which is better: bar graphs or pie charts?You can find Dr. Deborah Peart Crayton on social media: @mathersgonnamath Check out her website:

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36:27

Hot Seat #12 - We Are All Born Mathers?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/06/18

Text us your thoughts!In our last Hot Seat, our guests challenged the idea that everyone is a math person. Has the idea gone too far? And in today’s Hot Seat, we’re following up on this idea with a subtle but powerful shift in language—and mindset. What if we had a word other than mathematician or math person? Join us as our Hot Seat guest invites us to rethink not just what we call our students, but how those words shape their relationship with mathematics, as our guest argues: We are all born

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3:22

Fast Break #6 - Is 100 a Good Approximation for 147?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/06/10

Text us your thoughts!In this quick follow-up to last week’s episode, we invited our guests (Vanessa & Chris) to model a short, fun classroom debate. In just a few minutes, you can hear a sample debate that captures the spirit of productive mathematical argumentation. Tune in for a rapid-fire glimpse of what these debates can look like in action as we ask the question: Is 100 a Good Approximation for 147?You can find Vanessa Vakharia on social media @TheMathGuru and visit her website:

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48:24

Hot Seat #11 - Is Everyone Really a Math Person?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/06/04

Text us your thoughts!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

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3:31

Fast Break #5 - What is the Best Way to Solve a...

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/05/13

Text us your thoughts!In this quick follow-up to last week’s episode, we invited our guests (Jay & Steve) to model a short, fun classroom debate. In just a few minutes, you can hear a sample debate that captures the spirit of productive mathematical argumentation. Tune in for a rapid-fire glimpse of what these debates can look like in action!Check out their website: 21stcenturymathassessment.comYou can find Jay Meadows on exemplars.com or on LinkedIn.You can email Steve Leinwand at

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69:36

Hot Seat #10 - Should We Overhaul Assessments?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/05/07

Text us your thoughts!Let’s talk about state assessments. These exams carry enormous weight. They influence school ratings, district decisions, curriculum, teacher evaluations, and often, whether students feel successful or not. They’re designed to measure learning. To provide accountability. To ensure standards are met. But is that what we’re really getting from these tests? Is the way we assess learning narrowing instruction, distorting priorities, and sending the wrong message about what it means

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2:39

Fast Break #4 - What is the Best Way to Graph 2x + 4y...

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/04/15

Text us your thoughts!This month’s debate is a recording from a LIVE debate that took place at the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (WVCTM) Conference in March of 2026.In this quick follow-up to last week’s episode, we invited each of our guests to model a short, fun classroom debate. In just a few minutes, you can hear a sample debate that captures the spirit of productive mathematical argumentation—thoughtful, curious, and includes reasoning. Tune in for a rapid-fire glimpse of

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42:33

Debate 51 - Should We Pause Grade Level Instruction...

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/04/09

Text us your thoughts!This month’s debate is a recording from a LIVE debate that took place at the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (WVCTM) Conference in March of 2026.When students don’t have the prerequisite skills, do we hit pause? Or do we stay the course and fix gaps in real time? You’re working on solving equations, but integer operations are falling apart. Or you’re introducing functions, and foundational algebra skills are missing. If you pause grade-level content, are you

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2:58

Fast Break #3 - What is the Best Way to Add 379 + 488?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/03/18

Text us your thoughts!In this quick follow-up to last week’s episode, we invited each of our guests to model a short, fun classroom debate. In just a few minutes, you can hear a sample debate that captures the spirit of productive mathematical argumentation—thoughful, curious, and includes reasoning. Tune in for a rapid-fire glimpse of what these debates can look like in action!You can find Pam Harris on social media: @pwharris or @pamharris_math You can find Kim Montague on social media:

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46:55

Debate 50 - Is There Fake Math?

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/03/12

Text us your thoughts!We throw around many phrases in education. And specifically in math education, we might hear people say some students are “doing real math.” Or we hear educators looking for “authentic math experiences.” On the other hand, we criticize “rote procedures” or “worksheet math.” But underneath all of that is a loaded question: When does math count… and when is it just pretending? Is math about the memorized algorithm? Is it plugging numbers into a formula? Is it word problems that

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3:29

Fast Break #2 - What is the Best Manipulative for...

DebateMath Podcast ·

2026/02/18

Text us your thoughts!In this quick follow-up to last week’s episode, we invited each of our guests to model a short, fun classroom debate. In just a few minutes, you can hear a sample debate that captures the spirit of productive mathematical argumentation—thoughful, curious, and includes reasoning. Tune in for a rapid-fire glimpse of what these debates can look like in action!You can find Robert Kaplinsky on social media: @RobertKaplinsky and check out more of his work at OpenMiddle.com and

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