What Counts FAQs
Who is What Counts for?
What Counts is designed for middle and high school math teachers interested in strengthening teacher-student relationships, student voice, and classroom culture in secondary math classrooms.
Does What Counts focus on instructional strategies?
While the podcast includes classroom examples, What Counts is a narrative-style podcast that primarily explores the relational and cultural conditions that shape math instruction. It complements instructional strategies by examining how teacher-student relationships influence engagement, participation, and classroom climate.
Why focus on relationships in math instruction?
Many math teachers experience tension between pacing guides and relationship-building. What Counts explores how teacher-student relationships influence engagement, participation, and the emotional aspects of learning math in middle and high school classrooms.
Does this podcast address math anxiety and student confidence?
Yes. Several episodes examine math anxiety and the emotional landscape of learning math through educator and student stories. The series considers how confidence, belonging, and classroom culture shape students’ experiences in math instruction.
How do students develop confidence in math?
Students develop confidence in math through classroom experiences that reinforce belonging, high expectations, and trust. Teacher-student relationships and classroom culture influence whether students feel safe participating, asking questions, and persisting through challenges. The series also addresses concepts sometimes described in research as “math identity,” referring to how students see themselves as capable learners in math.
How can I improve teacher-student relationships in my math classroom?
What Counts shares real classroom examples from Florida educators who describe how they build trust, address foundational gaps without shame, and create relationship-centered math classrooms that support participation and engagement.
How can math teachers increase student engagement without lowering rigor?
Many educators worry that focusing on relationships may reduce academic rigor. What Counts explores how teacher-student relationships and clear classroom norms can strengthen participation and persistence while maintaining high expectations in secondary math instruction.
What role does classroom culture play in math learning?
Classroom culture influences whether students feel safe taking risks, asking questions, and working through mistakes. What Counts highlights how peer norms, teacher expectations, and relational trust shape the environment in which math learning occurs.
Can this be used for professional development?
Yes! What Counts was developed as a professional learning resource for math teachers and can be used individually or within professional learning communities to support reflection, discussion, and instructional growth.
How do teacher-student relationships affect math learning?
Research and classroom experience suggest that teacher-student relationships influence student engagement, participation, and how students experience learning math. What Counts explores how relationship-centered math instruction shapes confidence, belonging, and classroom culture in middle and high school math classrooms.
Who is behind the What Counts podcast?
What Counts was developed by Impact Florida as part of the Math Narrative Project. The podcast was produced by De LeCourt, a strategic storytelling studio that designs high-trust narrative infrastructure for education, science, and research institutions.