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In June 2026, Math Medic Foundation hosted its inaugural Summer Teacher Lab (STL), an innovative professional learning experience focused on strengthening equitable mathematics instruction. STL brought 20 secondary mathematics teachers and 20 high school students together in the same classroom for four days of learning. Each morning, students engaged in mathematics instruction while teachers observed…

In June 2026, Math Medic Foundation hosted its inaugural Summer Teacher Lab, an innovative professional learning experience designed to strengthen equitable mathematics instruction by bringing teachers and students together in the same learning environment. Over four days, 20 secondary mathematics teachers from across the United States and 20 high school students gathered together in the…

We are excited to welcome Dwaina Sookhoo to the Math Medic Foundation Board of Directors as a Member at Large. Dwaina is a high school mathematics teacher, doctoral researcher, and lifelong learner who is passionate about creating equitable mathematics experiences for students. We recently sat down with Dwaina to learn more about her background, her…

A 26-century old fable becomes part of a new fable on more effective math instruction. In ancient Greece around the 6th century BC, there was a storyteller named Aesop who formulated a collection of stories titled Aesop’s Fables. In one of the most famous fables, a tortoise challenges a speedy hare to a race. As…

In Part 1 of this series, The Language of Expectations, we explored how everyday teacher language communicates beliefs about who is capable of doing mathematics. In Part 2, When Students Say “I’m Just Not a Math Person,” we focused on how our responses in key moments can either reinforce or disrupt fixed ideas about ability.…

At some point in the school year, almost every math teacher hears it. Sometimes it’s said quietly, almost as an aside: “I’m just not a math person.” Sometimes it’s said with a shrug: “I’ve never been good at math.” And sometimes it’s said with finality: “My brain just doesn’t work that way.” These statements can feel discouraging, especially…

Math teachers care deeply about equity. We plan carefully, select meaningful tasks, and work hard to build classrooms where students feel safe to try. And yet, some of the most powerful messages students receive about who they are as mathematicians don’t come from our curriculum or assessments but from our everyday language. The words we…

When students think mathematically, they’re not just recalling facts or repeating steps, they’re making sense of ideas, connecting patterns, and applying reasoning in new ways. But for too many students, math still feels like a subject of repetition where success comes from mimicking procedures rather than creating or critiquing ideas. As we’ve explored in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, students remember what…

Introducing the Summer Teacher Lab: A Transformative Week of Learning for Teachers and Students In Summer 2026, Math Medic Foundation, in collaboration with Math Medic, will launch the Summer Teacher Lab, a powerful, weeklong professional learning experience in Grand Rapids, MI. Inspired by the groundbreaking Elementary Mathematics Lab developed by Deborah Loewenberg Ball at the University of Michigan, this…

Picture a student in your class who finally blurts out an answer. Maybe they hesitated, maybe they looked nervous, but at last, they say: “Is it… 42?” If you’re like me, you’ve probably responded instinctively: “Yes, that’s right!” or “No, not quite.” Then you moved on. But here’s the problem: if the only thing students…