The System IS Broken

The problem with math is NOT your child.

If your student feels confused, overwhelmed, or frustrated with math—even when they’re trying—the issue is not effort, motivation, or ability.
 The system is broken.

In this episode of Tier One Interventions, we unpack why so many kids struggle with math despite years of instruction, intervention, and support. From number lines and disconnected procedures to well-intended interventions that miss foundational understanding, we examine how traditional math instruction often works against the brain.

You’ll learn:

• 
  Why kids struggle with math even when they’re intelligent and capable
• How math is often taught in disconnected pieces instead of meaningful patterns
• Why math intervention and IEP support frequently fail to produce lasting results
• How early instructional choices impact confidence, retention, and reasoning
• What brain-aligned, connected math instruction actually looks like
  
  
  

This conversation is for parents, teachers, therapists, and homeschool educators who are tired of blaming kids—and are ready to understand what’s really going wrong.

Because when we stop asking “What’s wrong with the child?” and start asking “What’s wrong with the system?”
 Everything changes.

👇 Comment below: Where do you see kids getting stuck most often in math?

👉 Want to see the full instructional progression step-by-step?
 Join one Mastery Math Method Workshop for just $47.

https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/mastery-math-method-group-coaching

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – The problem is NOT the kids

01:18 – What we’re seeing in classrooms everywhere

03:42 – Why kids feel confused even when they’re trying

06:15 – The hidden flaw in how math is taught

09:08 – Number lines, procedures, and disconnected learning

12:34 – Why intervention doesn’t fix the real issue

15:50 – What kids actually need to understand math

19:22 – The cost of a broken system

22:40 – A better way forward

26:05 – Closing: what changes when we stop blaming kids

🎯 Ready to Change Math Outcomes in 10 Days?

👉 Join our FREE Masterclass for school leaders, teachers, and OTs:
 https://disabilitylabs.com/calendar

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🔗 Stay Connected

🌐 Website: https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/mastery-math-bundle
📧 Disability Labs Community: https://disabilitylabs.com/community/3d-learning-lounge-1

🎙️ Credits:
Host: Cheri Dotterer
Co-Host: Jonily Zupancic
Production: Disability Labs Podcast Network

🧠 Resources Mentioned:

Mastery Math Method Level One (Lifetime Access): https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/mastery-math-bundle
Mastery Math Method Level Two (Annual Subscription): https://disabilitylabs.com/courses/mastery-math-method-group-coaching

⚠️ Disclaimer: The content shared in this video is for educational purposes only and does not replace your district’s policies or individualized education plans. Always consult with your instructional team before implementing new strategies.

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Creators and Guests

Host

Cheri Dotterer

Hacking barriers to writing success, dysgraphia No ✏️ Required. 30-sec@time Speaker | Podcast Host | Author | Consultanthttps://t.co/eM1CXSUIoZ

Host

Jonily Zupancic

Middle School Math Instructional Coach

What is Tier 1 Interventions?

Math intervention, writing intervention, neurobiology, and cognitive-based learning - Jonily Zupancic and Cheri Dotterer are sharing how to incorporate them into your classroom. Jonily is a secondary math teacher and instructional coach for math K-12. Cheri is an occupational therapist specializing in neurology-based treatment across the lifespan and a Strategy-based Interventionist. Jonily secretly calls Cheri her Lesson Plan Whisperer because Cheri is always in her head, reminding her of the foundations of development before academics begin.

They met in 2018 and have been talking ever since. Together, they have discovered the Miracle Math Classroom. This classroom embeds all math standards from Kindergarten to twelfth grade, plus neuro-based interventions that improve proficiency and boost student engagement. Both gifted and learning support students thrive using the interventions they share, plus all students in between. Using cognitive enhancing techniques strategically placed in the lesson plan, students learn more and enjoy school more, and fewer students get removed from critical instruction for Tier Three Interventions.

Jonily has discovered how to teach all Kindergarten through algebra math standards using twelve, that’s right, twelve Reference Tasks. They include the Pizza Problem, 120-Chart, Paper Folding, Making Rectangles, Quick Dots, Locker Problem, Jesse and Kay, Geoboard, Candy Problem, Paint Problem, Staircase, and the Function Machine.

Cheri uses Body-Brain Anchors to ignite the flame inside everyone’s brain for learning. Whether a person is five or 90, her strategy-based interventions will ignite that flame. These Brain-Body Anchors include the Handstand Flip, Interlaced Bilateral Integration, and the Body Sentence Alphabet.

Together, they connect the puzzle behind math instruction and instructional delivery alongside these cognitive-enhancing activities to maximize math education for all students.

Join us live on the third Saturday of the month, sans July, for the math behind the Reference Task. Every live event is approximately 2.5 contact hours. The first 30-ish minutes become this podcast. To hear the entire training, join our membership program.

Please note: we will not record on holiday weekends. Join our mailing list for updates on dates.

To join us live, register at Tier1interventions.com. The 2.5-hour sessions include the PowerPoint slides, additional audio files of Jonily teaching the Reference Task, resources from Cheri, and much more. A subscription to these 2.5-hour Workshops is $97/month or $947/year.

Membership includes:
*Approximately 27.5 hours of direct training per year
*Audio files of Jonily's Hear Me Teach segments - complete
*PowerPoint Slides to grab and use in your Magic Math Classroom
*Resources from Jonily and Cheri for you and your students
*A copy of Math DYSconnected when released.

Or, you can listen to the first segment on your favorite podcast app for free; no membership is required. No matter how you listen, you will come away with golden nuggets that will transform your classroom.

Reach out to Jonily: [e-mail]
Reach out to Cheri: [e-mail]

Tier1Interventions.com