From multiplication lattices to geometry proofs, my students have become confident and competent in mathematics.

For younger students I like to use flash cards, organizers and manipulative such as tangram blocks or dice to help them understand the basis of multiplication, division, fractions, decimals and probability. We work on practice problems or students generate their own problems to solve. I continue to teach a topic until my students understand it inside and out. Whenever possible, I like to incorporate real life scenarios such as planning a vacation route and calculating distance, time and speed. Or we may create a shopping list and add the total price of the items, multiple the tax and calculate the change needed from the register.

For high school students, I specialize in Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II / Trigonometry. I also like to include the history of mathematics to show students where these theorems originated as well as the real life applications of math. Often I hear, “Well, why do I need to learn this?” This questions brings an opportunity for research and together we will explore all of the careers or situations in which we can use what is being taught in school. For example, if a student wanted to be a Vet Tech, then they would need math for something as simple as billing, to something as complex as analyzing blood work into order to properly proportion the amount of anesthesia needed during the surgery of an animal. These examples make math relevant and students start to see how essential it is to our lives.