Dylan Kane on Pre-Teaching, Fads, Working Memory, and Conceptual Understanding (Ep. 003)

Dylan Kane is a seventh-grade math teacher in Leadville, Colorado, and the voice behind "Five Twelve Thirteen" on Substack, where he writes thoughtfully about the craft and science of teaching mathematics. As an active classroom teacher with a deep understanding of how students learn, Kane brings practical wisdom to the ongoing discussions about math education.In this conversation, Dylan joins Thomas to explore what makes for effective math instruction, why curriculum fidelity has become a concerning trend, and how teachers can balance procedural fluency with conceptual understanding. Drawing on his classroom experience and reflective practice, he discusses everything from the limitations of administrative oversight in education to specific teaching strategies like pre-teaching, choral response, and retrieval practice.Kane also addresses why educational blogging has changed over the years, what schools get wrong about communicating with parents, and what Generative AI might mean for the future of computation and math education. Whether you're a math teacher looking for practical approaches, an administrator thinking about curriculum implementation, or anyone interested in how students learn mathematical concepts, you'll find valuable insights in this honest conversation about the realities of teaching.Check out Five Twelve Thirteen here: https://fivetwelvethirteen.substack.com/Read an enhanced transcript with helpful links at Eduaide.Ai.Recorded 27 February 2025