How Time Debt Is Derailing Your Math Leadership Goals

Making Math Moments That Matter

Are you letting daily emergencies steal time from what really matters in your role as a math leader?

From a soaked teenager's phone to the all-too-common chaos of K–12 math leadership, this episode draws a sharp parallel between personal emergency funds and the way we manage our time. For many district leads, coaches, and administrators, every day feels like putting out fires — reacting instead of leading. But without intentionally budgeting time for priorities, real change in student learning and instructional quality gets pushed aside. If your calendar feels like it’s been hijacked by last-minute requests, this conversation will hit home.

You’ll walk away with:

• A mindset shift: Why your “time emergency fund” might be working against you — and what to build instead.
• A simple but powerful “rocks in the jar” approach to reclaim your calendar and drive meaningful progress.
• A practical framework ("If-Then-How") for setting priorities that lead to measurable, year-end results.

Press play now to start protecting your time for what moves the needle — not just what screams the loudest.

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

Show Notes Page

Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.
Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you’ll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.
Take the assessment

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.