In this episode, Pryor High School mathematics teacher and 2024 Teacher of the Year Lori Martin shares her journey into teaching and the experiences that have shaped her student-centered approach to mathematics instruction. Lori discusses how her classroom has evolved through the implementation of flipped learning and Building Thinking Classrooms strategies, creating opportunities for students to engage more deeply in mathematical reasoning, collaboration, and problem solving.
Throughout the conversation, Lori explains how the use of vertical whiteboards has transformed student engagement by making thinking visible, encouraging risk-taking, and fostering meaningful mathematical discussions among students. She reflects on how pairing non-permanent vertical surfaces with a flipped classroom model has shifted classroom norms away from passive learning and toward active participation, allowing students to spend more class time exploring ideas, making conjectures, and learning from one another.
Lori also shares the challenges of changing long-established classroom routines, the lessons she has learned along the way, and why she believes these instructional shifts have been worth the effort. Hear how Lori’s commitment to creating a thinking-centered classroom is helping students build confidence, develop critical thinking skills, and experience mathematics as a collaborative and engaging endeavor.
Teacher Resources from this Episode
Non-Permanent Vertical Surfaces
Building Thinking Classrooms Tasks
Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching (CAMT)
Article References from this Episode
Bhagat, K. K., Chang, C. N., & Chang, C. Y. (2016). The impact of the flipped classroom on mathematics concept learning in high school. Journal of Education Technology in Society, 19(3), 134-142. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.19.3.134
Liljedahl, P. (2019). Conditions for supporting problem solving: Vertical non-permanent surfaces. In Mathematical problem solving: Current themes, trends, and research (pp. 289-310). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10472-6_13
Lo, C. K., & Hew, K. F. (2017a). A critical review of flipped classroom challenges in K-12 education: Possible solutions and recommendations for future research. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 12(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-016-0044-2
Wright, G. W., & Park, S. (2022). The effects of flipped classrooms on K-16 students’ science and math achievement: a systematic review. Studies in Science Education, 58(1), 95-136. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2021.1933354
Ok, Let's Teach Math 
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