Season Two, Episode 7: Everyone can learn mathematics with John Mighton
About this episode
John Mighton discusses how every student can learn mathematics through effective teaching strategies.
Summary In this episode of Chalk Dust , Rebecca Birch and Nathaniel Swain are joined by renowned mathematician, educator and founder of JUMP Math, John Mighton. Drawing on classroom footage from Canadian primary classrooms, John shares the instructional principles that underpin his work: breaking complex ideas into manageable steps, ensuring every student experiences success, and building confidence through carefully sequenced learning. The discussion explores the relationship between motivation and achievement, challenging the idea that some students are simply “maths people” while others are not. John argues that confidence is not a prerequisite for success but a consequence of it. Through examples from lessons on place value and long division, he demonstrates how micro-scaffolding, structured inquiry, and deliberate practice can help students tackle sophisticated mathematical ideas while remaining engaged and optimistic. Throughout the episode, Rebecca, Nathaniel and John discuss the role of challenge, the importance of maintaining students in an optimal learning zone, micro-scaffolding, and how effective teachers create classrooms where every learner can participate in…
More episodes of Chalk Dust
- Season Two, Episode 10: Professor Anna Stokke on Effective and Engaging Math(s) Instruction
- Season Two, Episode 9: Every Class is a Reading Class
- Season Two, Episode 8: Getting Hands-On
- Season Two, Episode 6: The Knowledge Rich Classroom of Laura Stam
- Season Two, Episode 5: The choreography of learning
- Season Two, Episode 4: The power of precision
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