# 112 Teaching Differently Can Feel Lonely—But You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

Let’s talk about something real:
Teaching in new and innovative ways often feels… lonely.

You start using projects, warm-ups with real-world hooks, student-centered strategies—and suddenly, you’re the odd one out. You’re in the copy room hearing colleagues complain about engagement… while you’re over here experimenting with anchor tasks and modeling standards.

It can start to feel like you’re doing this work in a vacuum.

 

👉 Watch here: Watch on YouTube
🎧 Listen here: In your Favorite Podcast App

I was the Only Math Teacher

I’ll never forget the year I got hired to teach at a brand-new charter school.
I was the only math teacher. There was no pacing guide, no curriculum, and no team to collaborate with.

I believed in project-based learning. I wanted to try student-centered instruction.
But I was doing it completely on my own. And it was exhausting.

What I needed wasn’t just resources—I needed people.
People who were on the same path.
People who understood why I was doing things differently.

That’s when I realized—if I didn’t have the support I needed, I’d have to build it.

Why Teaching Can Feel So Isolating

Trying something new often makes you feel like the outlier:

  • You’re explaining terms like “anchor task” to people who just want to stick to the textbook

  • You’re wrestling with standards and trying to make them engaging—without any roadmap

  • You’re pouring hours into design with no feedback loop to help you improve

You’re not wrong. You’re just early.

What Changed Everything for Me and My Teaching

It wasn’t a new curriculum.
It wasn’t a fancy tool.

It was finding other educators—even just one—who were doing the same work.
That shared language? That shared energy? It made me feel seen.
It made me feel like I wasn’t crazy for trying something different.

And now? I’m building that kind of space for other teachers.

What We’re Creating Inside the Teaching Membership

The Modern Math Teacher Membership is more than a resource hub. It’s a community.
A place where you can:

  • Ask questions without judgment

  • Learn from teachers teaching the same courses

  • Get excited about the work again

This is the space I needed all those years ago.
And if you’re feeling isolated—it’s here for you now.

Try This Week:

1️⃣ DM me “COMMUNITY” and I’ll personally connect you with sneak peeks + support
2️⃣ Find one other teacher—online or in-person—who you can swap ideas with
3️⃣ Pay attention: when you feel like giving up, that’s your cue to reach out

📥 Join a community of likeminded math teachers just like you with Early Access to the Modern Math Teacher Membership


You don’t have to keep doing this work alone.
And as always—keep it real. ✨

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

more episodes

Hi, I'm Kristen!

I’m a long time math teacher who believes that all students can grow in their confidence and capabilities in the mathematics classroom when you take a modern approach.

I empower teachers to transform their classrooms using project-based learning, to see how real + relevant problems get real results!

Plan your first Project Today!