Get to know me
About me
My practice, experience and my values
I began my career in education as a team teacher in a classroom with first and second grade students. Unlike most first year teachers, I had a great experience that year thanks to the co-teacher and friend that I worked with. She was also a first year teacher and we had become friends in college before working together. Having someone else experience exactly what you were going through was really a great emotional support and helped both of us to stay focused and confident in what we were doing.
After 2 years of co-teaching, I decided I wanted to try my hand with older students and so I began teaching a 4th and 5th grade combined classroom on my own. I continued teaching 4th and 5th grade for the next 8 years and really enjoyed my time as an elementary teacher.
After 10 years in elementary, I really felt like I wanted to specialize in math, so I spent the next 9 years in middle school teaching everything from 6th grade to Algebra, Special Education Students to Advanced Students. It was around this time that I discovered Carol Dweck and Growth Mindset. It was also during this time that I learned that if students practice a skill incorrectly when they are learning it, that it would take 3 times as much guided practice to correct it. The incorrect skill or method gets fixed in the brain and students aren't aware they are confusing something. These two ideas greatly changed how I was teaching math and I began to see far more success than colleagues who continued to teach math in traditional ways.
I realized that my effectiveness in the classroom needed to be shared with others far more often than I was able as a teacher with my own hectic schedule and crowded classrooms. So I was given an opportunity to be a Math Strategist. I really enjoy learning more about math, about education, and working with educators of all different personalities and backgrounds to explore creative ways to engage and help struggling students grow their understand and love of math. Hopefully, I'll soon be able to share more about this exciting new step in my path as an educator and math enthusiast!
Pictured below is my son, Matthew, and me at family bingo!
What does a Math Strategist Do?
How Can I Best Help You?
A Math Strategist is someone who supports and guides math teachers towards engaging content and classroom practices through research and classroom observations to help teachers and students grow their knowledge and love of math. I also work directly with students in one-to-one and group settings and often model lessons for teachers. Lastly, I support teachers in the Response to Intervention Process and with lesson planning and preparation.
