Fluency & Flexibility aren't the math F-bombs you think they are w/ Christina Tondevold
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One of the most misunderstood words in math ed right now is "fluency", so Vanessa invited an expert on the podcast to demystify it: educator Christina Tondevold. Christina calls herself a "recovering traditionalist" - she committed to stop teaching students in the same ineffective ways she was taught as a student.
They discuss a ton of practical strategies you can bring to your classroom, such as:
- showing students how connected math is (in class and in their lives)
- building fluency on 3 balanced pillars: efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility
- teaching students to learn math by teaching them to be problem solvers
If you enjoy this conversation, sign up for Christina's free 3-day virtual summit August 10-12, 2026 featuring Vanessa and a ton of other incredible speakers!
About Christina: (Website)
Christina Tondevold is a Recovering Traditionalist - she previously taught mathematics traditionally and expected the students to parrot back what she taught them. Now she gets to work with teachers in developing students’ mathematical understandings in a balanced way by developing conceptual understanding while working on procedural fluency through her site BuildMathMinds.com where you can get PD at Your Fingertips.
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- Math Therapy: Text the Podcast
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- 0:00Christina Tondevold
- 2:52What is a "recovering traditionalist" teacher?
- 7:43Finding balance between teaching methods
- 13:35Show students how connected math is
- 19:38What is fluency?
- 25:373 pillars: efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility
- 30:43"But the kids need to get the right answer!"
- 34:21What's our ultimate goal in teaching math?
- 39:32Where do we go from here?
- 44:06Q1
- 46:25Q2
- 48:36Outro
- 50:13Outtake - baseball