Teaching Reveal Math: What I’ve Learned (and What Makes It Work Better)

hometownhappyteach
2 days ago
3 min read

Teaching With Reveal Math- What's Working and What I've Learned

It’s hard to believe we’re already in our third year of using Reveal Math in my district. Like with any new curriculum, the first year was all about navigating the learning curve and figuring out the pacing, adjusting to the online platform, and finding ways to make it all fit with how I teach.

Now, three years in, I’ve found what works, what I skip, and what I adapt to better meet the needs of my students. Reveal Math has definitely grown on me, especially once I started using the editable teacher tray to customize my lesson flow.

There are still parts of the platform I wish were a little more user-friendly, but I’ve learned how to work around those bumps. More importantly, I’ve found ways to make the curriculum feel less scripted and more personal for both me and my students.

My Honest Experience with Reveal Math

At the core, I think Reveal Math does a solid job of helping students build conceptual understanding. I've noticed that my students are thinking more deeply about math, asking stronger questions, and engaging in problem-solving more confidently than they did with our previous program.

That said, the pacing, structure, and platform took time to get used to, especially when I was trying to tailor lessons to meet the needs of my class. Every group of students is different, and no “out-of-the-box” curriculum fits perfectly without a few adjustments.

A Game-Changer: The Editable Teacher Tray

One feature that really shifted things for me was the editable teacher tray. If you're using Reveal Math, you might have discovered this already, but if not, it's worth exploring. Once I realized I could toggle components on or off, and even rearrange the lesson flow, I felt like I could truly make the curriculum work for my teaching style.

I use the tray to organize:

The core lesson slides
Review problems or warm-ups
Key vocabulary
The learning target and essential question for the day

How I Customize My Reveal Math Lessons

To make prep more efficient, I created a routine for myself. I like to start each lesson with a consistent visual anchor—usually a slide that includes:

The essential question
Learning target
Vocabulary words

This helps set the tone for the day, gives students clarity, and supports my classroom routines. Over time, I’ve created a collection of resources that align with each Reveal Math lesson so I can quickly drop them into the tray and be ready to go.

What’s Working in My Classroom

This past year, I’ve seen more engagement and more meaningful discussion in math. Starting each lesson with a clear goal, using consistent vocabulary visuals, and customizing the Reveal tray has helped my students feel more confident in what they're learning and helped me feel more organized in what I'm teaching.

If you're just getting started with Reveal Math or looking for ways to make it feel more flexible and teacher-friendly, know that it gets easier, and that there are ways to make it work for you.

Final Thoughts

Adopting a new curriculum is never simple, but with some experimenting (and a little customizing), Reveal Math has become a much more manageable part of my math block. Whether you're navigating it for the first time or just looking to streamline your lessons, I hope this post gives you some helpful ideas.

If you're interested in seeing how I set up my lesson slides, I’ve shared the materials I use on TPT as a way to save time and stay consistent.