Breaking the Cycle of Math Anxiety

“I’m not a math person” is a phrase almost every educator has heard.

It’s a phrase that reflects a belief passed from one generation to the next: that math capability belongs to someone else. But once that belief sets in, it has the power to shape an entire life. This collection explores how math anxiety takes root in the classroom and what it will take to break this cycle once and for all.

Podcast Episodes

In this three-part podcast series, former broadcast journalist and educator Lauren Keeling confronts her own math anxiety and sets out on a journey to uncover where these feelings came from — only to find a story far bigger than her own.

Part 1

As Lauren finds herself in an unlikely situation, she’s forced to confront a feeling that took hold before she can remember: that she’s not a math person. But what does that actually mean, and where does the belief begin? Join her as she begins her journey to find out.

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Part 2

Now in Toronto to undergo math therapy, Lauren begins to unpack where her relationship with math went wrong and why it left her so anxious. To her surprise, she realizes that math itself was never the problem. So what was?

Coming Soon

Part 3

Lauren’s personal journey out of math anxiety concludes with an exploration into how students experience math. From classroom practices to wider school systems, what needs to change to make math feel less isolating?

Coming Soon

Bonus Episode

Find Your Marigold

Join Lauren live from Boston in this Heart Work special with instructional coaches Nicole Silva and Janna Murphy for a candid conversation about their work in Marshfield Public Schools. Together, they reflect on what it takes to lead a shift to a knowledge-building literacy program aligned with the science of reading and the impact of embracing change, even when it feels impossible.

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Library

Articles

Read more from voices across education and learning science working to better understand math anxiety and how to address it.

A student engages in a lesson activity, holding up his drawing.

How Great Leadership Starts with Great Partnership

Navigating instructional change isn’t easy. It can be an anxious, messy, and even contentious process. In this blog post, Lauren asks how leadership can strengthen that work by building trust and inviting teachers into the process — and explores how meaningful progress depends on shared ownership rather than top-down direction.

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What Reading Comprehension Is Really About

with Natalie Wexler

In this interview, renowned education writer Natalie Wexler discusses how the science of reading became a national focus, why reading comprehension depends on knowledge, and what it takes to embrace meaningful change.

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Lauren sits with a group of teachers discussing what they've learned during the training session.

A Letter to My First-Year Teacher Self: What I Wish I Knew Then

A career in education has a way of shaping you in unexpected ways. If you’re in your first year or know someone who is, this letter is for you. Lauren Keeling’s reflection on her early teaching days is a reminder that the lessons that matter most are often the ones we didn’t expect.

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An Honest Talk on What Reading Change Really Takes

with Megan Gierka and Nicole Ormandy

In this interview with Lauren Keeling, Implementation Specialists Megan Gierka, Ed.D., and Nicole Ormandy, M.S.Ed., reflect on what it takes to bring the science of reading from theory to practice — and how real progress starts with small wins, clear goals, and partnership between leaders and teachers.

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The Case for Knowledge Building in Reading Instruction

For every young reader, there’s a quiet moment when learning to read stops being about sounding out words. But what follows? Lauren explores the shift and reflects on how we move from the “reading wars” toward a model of literacy that honors both the science of reading and the humanity of why we learn to read.

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Reading list

The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It

Natalie Wexler

Reading Recess Podcast

Nicole Ormandy & Megan Gierka

Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong Podcast

Emily Hanford

Library

The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It

Natalie Wexler

Reading Recess Podcast

Nicole Ormandy & Megan Gierka

Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong Podcast

Emily Hanford

Library

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About the Host

Lauren Keeling is a seasoned education professional with a unique blend of experiences. A former broadcast journalist, elementary teacher, and principal, she now combines her passion for education with her love of storytelling at Imagine Learning. Above all, Lauren is a dedicated literacy advocate pursuing a doctorate in Leadership with a focus on Public and Non-Profit Organizations to further her impact on education nationwide.

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