Five Teacher Moves for Amazing Middle School Math Talks

Have you ever experienced the magic of a math talk?

If you ask me, few things feed a teacher’s soul like a group of bright-eyed students with hands in the air, eager to share their mathematical thinking.

When student insights fuel deep discussions about math, they build more than conceptual knowledge and cognitive flexibility...good number talks have the power to elevate the vibe of an entire learning community.

If you’re ready to transform the first five minutes of your middle school math class, you're in the right place, because today we’re going to talk about getting the most out of my Daily Number Sense Routines.

New to Number Talks?

Before we begin let’s define our terms. What are number talks, exactly?

Simply put, number talks (also called math talks) are brief, whole-class discussions that invite students to share verbal responses to mathematical prompts.

Rather than focusing on one correct answer, the best prompts offer multiple points of entry and elicit many valid observations and strategies so several kids have a chance to contribute to the discussion.

Some prompts are designed promote mental math. Others help students practice things like pattern recognition, vocabulary knowledge, and comparative reasoning skills.

Number talks have become my favorite way to start class, and I’m so excited to share them with you!

Here are five of my favorite tips for facilitating amazing math talks in your middle school classroom.

Avoid Cold Calling

Though I understand the instinct to keep everyone on their toes, cognitive science tells us that an active amygdala produces anxiety that’s incompatible with academic learning. Thus, calling on kids who haven’t volunteered can create a climate of fear that actually dampens classroom discussion.

If you want kids to relax so they can show what they know, build trust by promising students that you’ll never put them on the spot or embarrass them in front of their peers.

Call on Students Strategically

When those hands go up, try to kick off the conversation with a student who needs the lowest point of entry first. After the “easiest” or most obvious answers are pointed out, students who have a higher ceiling can chime in to deepen the discussion.

In addition to offering wins to the students who need them most, this simple strategy sequences the conversation so that momentum builds gradually from simplicity toward increasing complexity.

Affirm Every Sincere Attempt

In order to cultivate a classroom community where everyone feels safe to participate, focus on keeping the cortisol low and building a safety net that protects kids from feelings of shame. That means reinforcing and defending every genuine attempt at a response.

Sometimes students will express misconceptions or repeat what has already been said. In those cases, instead of saying “no,” I try to use guiding questions to lead students toward a valid answer. Then I praise their contribution.

Record Student Responses

As I call on students to share their ideas, I’m also recording what they say on the board. Aside from making kids feel important and validated, this practice helps provide a visual representation of the conversation so everyone can keep track of what has already been said. It also exposes kids to important vocabulary words in print.

There are always a few kids who want to jot down what I write on the board. I don’t discourage that, but I don’t expect students to take notes. For kids with disabilities that impact reading and writing, and it can be hard to listen and write simultaneously. By being the class scribe, teachers can help reduce the cognitive load so students can focus their attention on the conversation.

Put Down the Red Pen

Although they can be just as revelatory of student thinking as any other formative assessment, I never grade my number talks. The way I see it, math talks are meant to be conversations, not quizzes.

For me, the ultimate goal of a number talk is to give kids a glimpse of the beauty of mathematics and help them explore it within the context of a safe and supportive learning environment. Grading doesn’t really help me achieve that end.

Although I think it’s important to provide students with a lot of public affirmative feedback during math talks, I’d recommend that you save the formal grading energy for actual assessments.

Get Started Today

If you’re ready to test the transformative power of number talks in your classroom, I’m here to help.

Consider hopping on my email list to grab a free week of daily number sense prompts.

If you’re ready to snag the entire bundle, you can get that here.

I hope you’ll feel free to reach out with any questions you have, and please let me know how the number talks go in your classroom!

For the love of math,

Dayna