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Ever drive down a familiar road, hit the same old pothole, and think "Didn't they patch that up last summer? And it's already back?!" Well buckle your seatbelt, because today's guest is going to show you how the same is true in math education, and why we need to FIX THE DAMN ROAD!

Courtney Flessner has 30 years of experience behind the wheel of teaching practices, and is an advocate for supporting teachers with schools that help them grow and professional development that actually makes a difference. Today she joins Vanessa to discuss:

• Why teachers often default to teaching the way they were taught
• The power of vulnerability and honesty in helping students learn
• Whether a teacher's own math anxiety is "contagious"

This is a must-listen for any teacher that's felt like they want to keep growing but don't know where to start!

Links mentioned:

• Learning Together: Organizing Schools for Teacher and Student Learning (book)

About Courtney: (Instagram, LinkedIn)

Courtney Flessner is the Director of Keep Indiana Learning at the Central Indiana Educational Service Center. She spent 17 years working in public, private, and public charter schools as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and administrator. Her work focuses on supporting instructional leaders and elementary mathematics teachers in creating environments that foster ambitious and equitable mathematics teaching. She is passionate about changing the narrative that some people are simply “not math people” and inspiring educators to teach mathematics ambitiously - and maybe even have a little fun while doing so.

Contact us:

• Vanessa Vakharia: Instagram, TikTok, Email
• Math Therapy: Text the Podcast

More Math Therapy:

• Get the book: Corwin, Amazon
• Audiobook: Audible, Spotify
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