How to Build Teacher “Buy-In” for Math Improvement

Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman explore teacher buy-in and resistance in math PD, and how the Results Pyramid helps leaders create the experiences that shift beliefs, build trust, and move teams to action. K-12 Math Leaders: Download our free Math Coherence Compass to help your teammates, system leaders, and educators create aligned instructional practices—without adding another initiative. https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/ Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ K-12 Math Leaders: Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Partner with us to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units In this episode, Jon Orr and Yvette Lehman respond to a question they heard three times in a single week: what do you do when your math team pushes back on every new idea? Drawing on Change the Culture, Change the Game by Roger Connors and Tom Smith, they explain why widespread resistance is usually a culture problem rather than a personality problem, and how the Results Pyramid can help leaders design the experiences that shift beliefs and lead to lasting action. They contrast two teams they support: a 6–12 group that built trust through a co-constructed vision and three years of consistent messaging, and a 9–12 team stepping into the work feeling anxious and skeptical. Along the way, they share practical first steps for listening, building relational trust, and helping more people move above the line. In this episode, you'll explore: Why widespread resistance is a culture problem, not a personality problemWhat “above the line” and “below the line” thinking looks like in math PD and PLCsHow the Results Pyramid connects experiences, beliefs, actions, and resultsWhy math improvement plans that jump straight to actions often stallHow one district built trust by co-constructing a shared vision and repeating it for three yearsHow transparency around observations and data collection builds relational trustWhy listening to teachers’ fears is the first step toward buy-inHow trusted informal leaders can help pull a team above the lineHow teams can hold each other accountable without shutting down honest venting Think about the last time your team pushed back on a new math initiative. What past experiences might have shaped that response? Identify one interaction you lead regularly, such as a PLC, department meeting, or PD session, and ask: What experience am I creating here, and what belief is it reinforcing? Then decide on one change you could make next time to help pull people above the line. Show Notes Page Love the show? Text us your big takeaway! We’ve partnered with them to help bring more collaborative learning into classrooms. Whether you’re supporting one class or math instruction across multiple schools, find the right way to get started at wipebook.com/mathmoments. Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.