Transform Your Tier 1 Math Classroom

Math achievement is not a Tier 2 or Tier 3 problem — it’s a Tier 1 structure problem.

In this episode of Tier 1 Interventions, Cheri Dotterer and Jonily unpack what it truly means to transform a Tier 1 math classroom. Drawing from real classroom results in high school Algebra 1, this conversation explains why traditional pacing guides, textbooks, and scope-and-sequence models fail most students — and what to do instead.

You’ll learn:

• Why math achievement collapses when Tier 1 instruction is misaligned with how the brain learns
  
  
• How the Novel Model restructures math instruction for deeper understanding and retention
  
  
• Why exposure matters more than mastery early in the year
  
  
• How to teach more math in less time without increasing pressure
  
  
• Why Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions cannot fix a Tier 1 design problem
  
  
• How chunking, structure, and story transform number sense and confidence
  
  

This episode is essential viewing for:
 ✔ Math teachers (K–12)
 ✔ Instructional coaches
 ✔ Administrators & curriculum directors
 ✔ Special educators & interventionists
 ✔ Occupational therapists supporting math learning

If you’re ready to stop blaming students — and start fixing structure — this episode lays out the roadmap.

🔗 Get involved with Tier 1 Interventions coaching:
 Check the link in the show notes to join live sessions or access the full year of professional learning.

 Join one Mastery Math Method Workshop for just $47.

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

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

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Mission Accomplished: Why This Conversation Matters

01:00 – Teaching Algebra 1 Again: Real Classroom Context

02:00 – What “Mission Accomplished” Actually Means

03:00 – The Real Math Crisis (It’s Not About Math)

04:15 – Cognitive Ability, Percentiles, and Placement Reality

06:30 – Why Average Students Are Failing Under Traditional Models

08:00 – The Structure Problem in Math Education

09:30 – Why Pacing Guides and Textbooks Are the Issue

11:00 – Saying the Same Thing on Purpose: How Learning Works

12:00 – Introducing the Novel Model

13:15 – Teaching More Math in Less Time

14:30 – Engagement, Retention, and Number Sense

15:45 – Why Tier 2 and Tier 3 Can’t Fix Tier 1

17:00 – Tier 1 Interventions Explained

18:30 – Planning in Chunks, Not Sequences

20:00 – Lockers, Rectangles, and Pizzas: A Core Chunk

21:30 – What Story Are You Telling in Math?

22:45 – Designing the School Year Like a Novel

24:00 – Exposure vs Mastery: The First 15 Days

25:30 – How Any Teacher Can Implement This Now

26:45 – Coaching Opportunities and Next Steps

🎯 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 Live sessions (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.

Keywords

Tier 1 math instruction, math achievement, math intervention, Algebra 1 instruction, brain-based math, math pacing guide, math scope and sequence, Novel Model, Mastery Math Method, math structure, K-12 math, math education reform, Tier 1 interventions, number sense, math retention

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