Everyone wants to see children and young adults succeed in math, but it can be difficult to sort myths from facts in education. Join math professor, Anna Stokke, for conversations with leading educators and researchers about the importance of math, effective teaching methods, and debunking common myths about math and teaching. Chalk & Talk is a podcast for anyone interested in education, including educators, parents, and students.

Latest episodes

Making Sense of PISA 2025 with Montserrat Gomendio (Ep 81)

October 2, 2026 · 1 hr 24 min

In this episode, Anna is joined by Dr. Montserrat Gomendio, former Deputy Director for Education at the OECD, to discuss the newly released PISA 2025 results. They explore why student achievement is falling in many countries. They…
How Two Teachers Turned Math Achievement Around with Max and Todd (Ep 80)

September 11, 2026 · 1 hr 18 min

In this episode, Anna is joined by two elementary school teachers from California who are appearing anonymously so they can speak candidly about their experiences. Both teach at a school where math achievement has remained consistently…
Math Fact Crisis, Two Years Later with Brian Poncy (Ep 79)

August 28, 2026 · 59 min

In this episode, Anna is joined by returning guest Dr. Brian Poncy to discuss math fact fluency and whether improving students’ fluency with basic number operations leads to better overall math achievement. Brian shares new results from…
The Science and Craft of Great Teaching with Nidhi Sachdeva and Paul Kirschner (Ep 78)

August 14, 2026 · 1 hr 13 min

In this episode, Anna is joined by returning guests Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva and Dr. Paul Kirschner, authors of the upcoming book Becoming an Expert Teacher: Deliberate Practice for Effective Teaching. They explore what makes an expert teacher…
Five math myths that are holding students back (Ep 77)

July 31, 2026 · 22 min

In this solo episode, Anna Stokke explores five common misconceptions in math education that may sound convincing but aren't supported by high-quality evidence. This episode is based on a chapter she wrote for The Practice Project, which…
The Story Behind Mississippi’s Education Turnaround with Rachel Canter (Ep 76)

July 17, 2026 · 60 min

In this episode, Anna Stokke is joined by Rachel Canter, Director of Education Policy for the Reinventing America's Schools Project and author of the report Inside the Mississippi Marathon. They explore how Mississippi transformed from one…
How high expectations drive student achievement with Doug Lemov (Ep 75)

July 3, 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

In this episode, Anna Stokke is joined by Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like a Champion and one of the most influential voices on effective teaching practice. They discuss educational equity and why strong teaching, clear behaviour routines…
Mailbag II: Math standards, teacher content knowledge, and more with Jonathan Regino (Ep 74)

June 19, 2026 · 53 min

In this special two-part Chalk & Talk mailbag series, Anna Stokke is joined by Jonathan Regino, Pre-K–12 Supervisor of Math at Interboro School District, to answer questions submitted by listeners. In Part 2, Anna and Jonathan tackle…