Math is Figure-Out-Able!
Math teacher educator Pam Harris and her cohost Kim Montague answer the question: If not algorithms, then what? Join them for ~15-30 minutes every Tuesday as they cast their vision for mathematics education and give actionable items to help teachers teach math that is Figure-Out-Able. See www.MathisFigureOutAble.com for more great resources!
Math is Figure-Out-Able!
#MathStratChat - January 28, 2026
In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on January 28, 2026.
Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.
Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.
Twitter: @PWHarris
Instagram: Pam Harris_math
Facebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics education
Pam 0:00
Hey, fellow mathers! Welcome to the podcast where Math is Figure-Out-Able. I'm Pam.
Kim 0:06
And I'm Kim.
Pam 0:07
And this is a MathStratChat episode where we chat about our math strategies. Every Wednesday evening, I throw out a math problem on social media, and people from around the world chat about the strategies they use and comment on each other's thinking.
Kim 0:19
Hey, this Wednesday, our math problem was -35 minus 37. How would you solve this problem? Pause the podcast, solve the problem, and then come on back. -35 minus 37.
Pam 0:35
Ta-da dum. Alright, Kim. What you got?
Kim 0:38
I am picturing a really cold space, and I'm calling this -35 degrees.
Pam 0:44
Okay.
Kim 0:44
And the temperature, in my mind, the temperature is dropping 37 degrees. So, I've gone...
Pam 0:51
Very vertical. Yeah, sorry.
Kim 0:53
Yeah, dropping on a number line. And I'm going to say that... I actually I'm thinking if it had dropped 35 degrees, I'd be at -70. And I'm going to drop 2 more degrees, so I'm at -72 degrees.
Pam 1:07
Is that a real temperature? That sounds really cold.
Kim 1:10
Somewhere maybe. I don't know about that?
Pam 1:13
Somebody's going to say, "Yeah, we have it all the time." Northern Alberta, you guys get that?
Kim 1:18
-72? Gosh, no. No, no, no.
Pam 1:20
I mean, they have -50, they were telling me.
Kim 1:23
I don't know about that.
Pam 1:24
Okay, fantastic. I like how you thought about that. I'm going to use... I'm going to think about elevation.
Kim 1:33
Mmhm.
Pam 1:34
And let's say that I'm sitting at sea level, and I walk down 35 feet. So, that's where I'm starting.
Kim 1:41
Mmhm.
Pam 1:41
At -35.
Kim 1:43
Mmhm.
Pam 1:44
And then I fall down 37 feet from there.
Kim 1:48
Ow.
Pam 1:48
And I like your 35, but that's actually not what I was thinking. I was thinking that I would fall down 40.
Kim 1:55
Mmhm.
Pam 1:55
From -37. So, yeah, that would be quite a fall, wouldn't it?
Kim 1:57
Mmhm.
Pam 1:57
So, that'd be -77. But I didn't really fall down 40. I only fell down 37, so I'd have to pop back up 3.
Kim 2:10
Yeah.
Pam 2:12
So, -74. Is that right? I feel like you got 72. Why did I get 74? Oh.
Kim 2:16
Where were you?
Pam 2:15
I wrote down 37 instead of 35. Start at 35. Drop down 40. So, now I'm at 75. I totally said that wrong. And so, now I have to pop back up the 3 that I went over, and so that's 72, -72.
Kim 2:22
Nice. Yeah.
Pam 2:32
Cool. Alright.
Kim 2:33
Okay. Context is helpful. We can't wait to see what you do each week. Please join us on MathStratChat, and let us know how you think about the problems, and comment on other people's thinking.
Pam 2:43
Y'all, we post the problems on Wednesdays around 7:00 p.m. Central. When you answer, tag me, and use the hashtag MathStratChat. Then join us here to hear how we're thinking about the problem. We love having you as part of the Math is Figure-Out... Figure... Oh, my goodness. Part of the Math is Figure-Out-Able movement because Math is Figure-Out-Able. Even when we can say the word correctly.