Episode 214 - The REAL Purpose of Teaching Math (And Why It Matters More Than Ever)

The Build Math Minds Podcast

When your students ask "When will I ever use this?"—especially with AI doing calculations faster than any of us—how do you answer? In this episode, I share a conversation that just validated how I think about the purpose of teaching math.

Spoiler: It's not about long division. It's about building thinkers, not calculators.

You'll hear the difference between students who DO math versus students who THINK about math, why building flexible thinkers actually speeds up your teaching (not slows it down), and how to shift your instruction to focus on what really matters. If you've ever questioned why we teach certain math skills, this episode will give you a whole new perspective.

Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/214