Michael Pershan
@mpershan.bsky.social
math teacher, writer
teaching blog: pershmail.substack.com
reading/writing blog: michaelpershan.substack.com
website with links to publications etc: michaelpershan.com
teaching blog: pershmail.substack.com
reading/writing blog: michaelpershan.substack.com
website with links to publications etc: michaelpershan.com
Pinned
Michael Pershan
@mpershan.bsky.social
· Aug 27
Really grateful to the crew at @hexliterary.bsky.social for giving this weird story a home. I can't say enough nice things about hex! I love what they're doing.
hexliterary.com?p=2829
hexliterary.com?p=2829
You can sometimes tell when a fiction writer shows up in a short humor place. www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/ple...
Please Consider My Mom, Kathy, for the Next Golden Bachelorette
Kathy is a soon-to-be-retired small animal veterinarian in the greater Des Moines area. She was once reviewed as a top veterinarian for rats on a l...
www.mcsweeneys.net
November 13, 2025 at 4:48 PM
You can sometimes tell when a fiction writer shows up in a short humor place. www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/ple...
Reposted by Michael Pershan
Played basetball, got ass kicked, had fun.
November 13, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Played basetball, got ass kicked, had fun.
I want to highlight this from my post. There are lots of perfectly good explanations for "why" are tied to the particulars of the specific case. I think an important part of teaching any subject is pushing everyone to step towards generalization.
pershmail.substack.com/p/understand...
pershmail.substack.com/p/understand...
November 12, 2025 at 10:08 PM
I want to highlight this from my post. There are lots of perfectly good explanations for "why" are tied to the particulars of the specific case. I think an important part of teaching any subject is pushing everyone to step towards generalization.
pershmail.substack.com/p/understand...
pershmail.substack.com/p/understand...
Well this story is definitely bad, but is it good bad or bad bad?
November 12, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Well this story is definitely bad, but is it good bad or bad bad?
This book is very funny.
Nearly four years ago, I wrote a book about a failed comedian and joke writer who went hard right and then became hugely popular. Really wish it all didn't come true.
www.amazon.com/Passing-Righ...
www.amazon.com/Passing-Righ...
Passing On The Right: My Ups, My Downs, My Lefts, My Rights, My "Wrongs" ... and My Career (So Far) in this Bizarro World of Comedy
Passing On The Right: My Ups, My Downs, My Lefts, My Rights, My Wrongs ... and My Career (So Far) in this Bizarro World of Comedy [Sacks, Mike] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Passing On The Right: My Ups, My Downs, My Lefts, My Rights, My Wrongs ... and My Career (So Far) in this Bizarro World of Comedy
www.amazon.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:04 PM
This book is very funny.
Reposted by Michael Pershan
we have an amazing 73 word micro by Sarah Chin !
it's called 'Ages' & u should read it right now
xraylitmag.com/ages-by-sara...
it's called 'Ages' & u should read it right now
xraylitmag.com/ages-by-sara...
AGES by Sarah Chin
Thirteen was the year I discovered spite. Fourteen, eyeliner. Fifteen, seduction in a slow blink. At sixteen, I mailed seventeen birthday cards to myself, all unsigned. My mother asked who loved me th...
xraylitmag.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:27 PM
we have an amazing 73 word micro by Sarah Chin !
it's called 'Ages' & u should read it right now
xraylitmag.com/ages-by-sara...
it's called 'Ages' & u should read it right now
xraylitmag.com/ages-by-sara...
Reposted by Michael Pershan
another great read from mpershan! you don't have to like him or respect him or even tolerate him, but it's worth giving his blog posts a glance
#iTeachMath ♾️
#iTeachMath ♾️
I wrote about shallow, vague, fuzzy definitions of "conceptual understanding" and a better way to think about it. pershmail.substack.com/p/understand...
"Understanding" Shouldn't Be Vague or Mysterious
Let's do some pedagogy.
pershmail.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:09 PM
another great read from mpershan! you don't have to like him or respect him or even tolerate him, but it's worth giving his blog posts a glance
#iTeachMath ♾️
#iTeachMath ♾️
I feel like it might be fun to do a daily reading log post. Or maybe I'll just log on here once a day and remind people that Karen Joy Fowler's "King Rat" is a remarkable story.
November 11, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I feel like it might be fun to do a daily reading log post. Or maybe I'll just log on here once a day and remind people that Karen Joy Fowler's "King Rat" is a remarkable story.
Reposted by Michael Pershan
Veteran teacher @mpershan.bsky.social provides such great insight from intersection of teaching practice and principles of cognitive science. Also, he's funny. Not as funny as he thinks, but still funny.
I wrote about shallow, vague, fuzzy definitions of "conceptual understanding" and a better way to think about it. pershmail.substack.com/p/understand...
"Understanding" Shouldn't Be Vague or Mysterious
Let's do some pedagogy.
pershmail.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Veteran teacher @mpershan.bsky.social provides such great insight from intersection of teaching practice and principles of cognitive science. Also, he's funny. Not as funny as he thinks, but still funny.
I wrote about shallow, vague, fuzzy definitions of "conceptual understanding" and a better way to think about it. pershmail.substack.com/p/understand...
"Understanding" Shouldn't Be Vague or Mysterious
Let's do some pedagogy.
pershmail.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:42 PM
I wrote about shallow, vague, fuzzy definitions of "conceptual understanding" and a better way to think about it. pershmail.substack.com/p/understand...
Reposted by Michael Pershan
What does "conceptual understanding" of math mean? Here is a really good start.
November 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM
What does "conceptual understanding" of math mean? Here is a really good start.
Do I send out a blog post about math teaching now or when I wake up? Are teachers awake now?
November 11, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Do I send out a blog post about math teaching now or when I wake up? Are teachers awake now?
I am an extremely happy Stereogum subscriber. My music life is enriched in a big way by their writing. If you like new music I encourage you to subscribe. stereogum.com/2478838/ster...
Getting Killed By AI
Our new site is much better and we'd love your support.
stereogum.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:44 PM
I am an extremely happy Stereogum subscriber. My music life is enriched in a big way by their writing. If you like new music I encourage you to subscribe. stereogum.com/2478838/ster...
Do you think kids in cold climates understand negative numbers better? I think probably not, but what if!
November 9, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Do you think kids in cold climates understand negative numbers better? I think probably not, but what if!
Reposted by Michael Pershan
Where are you going: to pout because of the mean lady
Where have you been: ko'd by Joyce Carol Oates
Where have you been: ko'd by Joyce Carol Oates
November 9, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Where are you going: to pout because of the mean lady
Where have you been: ko'd by Joyce Carol Oates
Where have you been: ko'd by Joyce Carol Oates
Reposted by Michael Pershan
Email from a student who turned in a ChatGPT essay. Not even looking at the ChatGPT output in the apology 🥴
![Dear [Professor’s Name],
I want to sincerely apologize for my actions regarding my midterm submission.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:fs6z2b756buwsdsjkle6utfi/bafkreiecvhzfgr4tlwyy2mvpbvjncqkysytwsxvidaoressh7peonoso3y@jpeg)
November 9, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Email from a student who turned in a ChatGPT essay. Not even looking at the ChatGPT output in the apology 🥴
Reposted by Michael Pershan
NOOO. DO NOT TOUCH IT. WHY WOULD YOU *EVER* TOUCH IT?
YOU *KNOW* WHAT IT IS. WHY WOULD YOU TOUCH IT?
WHY?
WHY WOULD YOU TOUCH THE HUGE SAC OF 111,000 SPIDERS?
YOU *KNOW* WHAT IT IS. WHY WOULD YOU TOUCH IT?
WHY?
WHY WOULD YOU TOUCH THE HUGE SAC OF 111,000 SPIDERS?
World's biggest spiderweb discovered inside 'Sulfur Cave' with 111,000 arachnids living in pitch black.
www.livescience.com/animals/spid...
www.livescience.com/animals/spid...
November 8, 2025 at 8:28 PM
NOOO. DO NOT TOUCH IT. WHY WOULD YOU *EVER* TOUCH IT?
YOU *KNOW* WHAT IT IS. WHY WOULD YOU TOUCH IT?
WHY?
WHY WOULD YOU TOUCH THE HUGE SAC OF 111,000 SPIDERS?
YOU *KNOW* WHAT IT IS. WHY WOULD YOU TOUCH IT?
WHY?
WHY WOULD YOU TOUCH THE HUGE SAC OF 111,000 SPIDERS?
This week in synagogue we read the story of Sodom, here's my breezy telling of it from a few years ago. theamericanbystander.substack.com/p/burn-baby-...
Burn, Baby, Burn!
Let's talk about Sodom and Gomorrah
theamericanbystander.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:47 PM
This week in synagogue we read the story of Sodom, here's my breezy telling of it from a few years ago. theamericanbystander.substack.com/p/burn-baby-...
Reposted by Michael Pershan
In k-8 CS edu: “The fact that code blocks are present doesn’t mean that ‘computational thinking’ is being developed.”
Kids can complete coding puzzles and tutorials by rote. We shouldn’t be satisfied with that.
Kids can complete coding puzzles and tutorials by rote. We shouldn’t be satisfied with that.
The fact that chips or a number line are present doesn't mean that "conceptual understanding" is being developed. You can follow a rote procedure with integer chips or number blocks.
November 6, 2025 at 8:52 PM
In k-8 CS edu: “The fact that code blocks are present doesn’t mean that ‘computational thinking’ is being developed.”
Kids can complete coding puzzles and tutorials by rote. We shouldn’t be satisfied with that.
Kids can complete coding puzzles and tutorials by rote. We shouldn’t be satisfied with that.
I don't think curriculum people know what "conceptual understanding" is.
November 6, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I don't think curriculum people know what "conceptual understanding" is.
I love when a story starts by asking for a story. (From Amy Stuber!)
November 6, 2025 at 7:17 PM
I love when a story starts by asking for a story. (From Amy Stuber!)
Reposted by Michael Pershan
This is a great example of a technique I used to employ when I had to write something that was largely boilerplate or rote, give myself a little game to solve while producing the language. My go to was to build an acrostic down the left margin. This is next level stuff from this guy.
November 6, 2025 at 12:34 AM
This is a great example of a technique I used to employ when I had to write something that was largely boilerplate or rote, give myself a little game to solve while producing the language. My go to was to build an acrostic down the left margin. This is next level stuff from this guy.
It took me 7 months but I finally finished this thing. I don't really know how to evaluate it but for the moment I'm just grateful that we got more Chaim Grade in an extremely Jewish translation.
Come to think of it in 400+ pages of a novel about a multi-generational family I don't think anyone has died yet. Like come on Chaim Grade, kill someone already.
November 5, 2025 at 3:35 AM
It took me 7 months but I finally finished this thing. I don't really know how to evaluate it but for the moment I'm just grateful that we got more Chaim Grade in an extremely Jewish translation.