Tag Archives: Math Teachers

Teachers who specialized in math.

RI teacher Nicolle Greene garnered PAEMST Award

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Elementary teacher Nicolle Greene of Warwick, Rhode Island, garnered a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching in 2020.  Photo Credit: PAEMST

It is always exciting when a fellow educator earns recognition for their work from the President of the United States. Nicolle Greene, an elementary school teacher from Rhode Island, earned this recognition in 2020, when she garnered a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (PAEMST).

At the time of her ward, Nicolle Greene had been teaching elementary school for 25 years, all in the Warwick Public School District in Warwick, Rhode Island. For the last five years of those, she served as a Math Interventionist at Holliman Elementary School. Prior to that she taught third grade and Special Education at E.G. Robertson Elementary School.

As an educator, Nicolle has a reputation for being passionate about helping her students love mathematics and recognizing its relevance in their everyday lives. She works to ensure mathematics is presented in a context that is meaningful and engaging to her students, provides a classroom culture that promotes student engagement and discourse, and encourages mathematical thinking that meets the needs of all students which enables them to be successful learners in her classroom.

In addition to her work with students, Nicolle provides professional development for colleagues, modeling lessons within the classroom, and serving as a member of school and district leadership teams. She also has been active within her state through various initiatives with the Rhode Island Department of Education and as President-Elect for the Rhode Island Mathematics Teachers Association (RIMTA). Most recently, Nicolle collaborated with Berkeley Everett, creator of Math Flips, to facilitate a session for RIMTA’s Annual Spring Conference.

The honored educator earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Special Education and her certificate as a Mathematics Specialist, all from Rhode Island College. She also earned her Master’s degree in Reading and Literacy from Providence College.

In addition to her PAEMST honors, in 2015, Nicolle was recognized as Warwick’s District Teacher of the Year. Congratulations, Nicolle!

To learn more about the Awards, click on this link to PAEMST.

Texas teacher Kristin “Kristy” Butler earns PAEMST award

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Texas middle school teacher Kristin “Kristy” Butler has been named a recipient of the prestigious 2020 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Photo Credit: Kristy Butler

I am always excited to share the story of an exceptional teacher who has earned  recognition for their work in the classroom. Kristin Butler, an elementary school teacher from Trophy Club, Texas, has earned such recognition. In 2020, she garnered a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

Kristen, who prefers to be called “Kristy,” has been an educator for the past 18 years. She has spent the last three years teaching sixth grade mathematics at Medlin Middle School. Prior to that, she taught mathematics at Travis Middle School for ten years. There she served two years as a mathematics instructional coach and interventionist. The first three years of Kristy’s teaching career were spent at Tannahill Intermediate School.

Kristy is best-known for building relationships with students and creating innovative, technology-driven lessons. She has a growth mindset, and is continuously looking for ways to engage and relate to her students. Her role as a Pear Deck Regional Coach has strengthened her passion for using technology in her classroom.

Kristy’s campus involvement goes beyond the classroom. She serves on her school’s committees for Campus Improvement, Character Council, and Teacher Appreciation. She has spent many years writing curriculum and serving as Mathematics Department Chair. She presents professional development workshops at her school and at district conferences, and she also  serves as her district’s New Teacher Mentor Coordinator. Kristy has served as a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. In addition, she has also completed the Teaching Trust Ed Fellows Leadership Program.

Kristy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education from Texas Christian University, and her Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is also certified to teach English as a second language.

Math teacher M.B.W. Tent also writes books for young people

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Many fine educators have also earned a name for themselves as published authors. One of these is M.B.W. Tent, a math teacher who has published several books for young people.

M.B.W., whose first name is Margaret, was born on Nov. 2, 1944. She was raised in western Massachusetts. As a young girl, she graduated from Amherst Regional High School. Following high school, she earned both her Bachelor’s degree and her Master’s degree at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

For many years, M.B.W. taught school at Altamont High School in Birmingham, Alabama. She has said she has enjoys bringing the history of mathematics into her teaching.

M.B.W. has published a number of educational books about mathematicians for students of elementary school age. Her works include Emmy Noether: The Mother of Modern Algebra (2008); The Prince of Mathematics: Carl Friedrich Gauss (2009); Leonard Euler and the Bernoullis: Mathematicians from Basel (2009); Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: The Polymath who Brought us Calculus (2019). She also published A 1928 Road Trip from the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts to the National Parks of the West (2011).

As an author, many of M.B.W.’s books have earned favorable reviews from professional organizations such as the Mathematical Association of America and the Association for Computing Machinery. In addition, her books are frequently cited in academic publications, and they have garnered praise from such renowned mathematicians as Charles Ashbacher, William Dunham, Peter Neumann, Peter Lax, and Cathleen Synge Morawetz.

Former math teacher Drew Allbritten served in Michigan House of Reps

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Former middle and high school math teacher Drew Allbritten also served in the Michigan State House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Western Michigan University

Many fine educators have gone from the classroom into positions of prominence in government. This is certainly true of Drew Allbritten, a former math teacher from Michigan who was elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives.

Drew was born on April 24, 1947. He studied at Western Michigan University, where in 1968, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Math and Sociology. In 1970, he earned a Master’s degree in Counseling and Personal Management, and in 1982, he earned his PhD in Educational Leadership, also from Western Michigan University.

From 1968 to 1971, Drew taught mathematics and science in public middle and high schools in Wyoming and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Later he worked as a college administrator.

On Nov. 7, 21978, Drew was elected on the Republican ticket to represent the 93rd District in the Michigan State House of Representatives. In the one term her served there, from 1979 to 1980, Drew served on the Committees for City Government; Consumers; and Social Services & Youth. He also served as the Minority Vice-Chair of the Committee on Urban Affairs.

From 1991 to 1998, Drew served as the Executive Director of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE). While in this role, he worked to increase federal funding for adult education by 35%. When he left that position, Drew became the Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Educators, serving there from 1998 to 2002. While in this position, he influenced political issues related to education in Georgia. In 2003, Drew became the Executive Director of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), an organization dedicated to serving professionals, organizations, and parents of children with physical, mental, and emotional challenges. This organization is based in Arlington, Virginia.

To read more about Drew Albritten, see this article about him published by Western Michigan University.

Florida teacher Ashely Hernandez earns prestigious Milken Award

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Congrats to Ashley Hernandez, a high school math educator from Florida who has earned a prestigious Milken Award for 2021-2022. Photo Credit: Herald Tribune

Congratulations are in order for Ashley Hernandez, a high school math educator from Florida who has earned a prestigious Milken Award for 2021-2022. The award honors exemplary teachers nationwide, and has been given to only about 60 educators this year.

Ashley, whose career as an educator spans 14 years, currently teaches Geometry and Advanced Placement Statistics in grades nine through twelve at Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida. “Teachers like Ashley Hernandez have a special gift for making students feel heard and valued,” asserts Stephanie Bishop, Milken Educator Awards Vice President. “Her positive attitude and compassion for the transitions and challenges that high schoolers face create an environment where students can excel in their academic journey and beyond,” Bishop continues.

In addition to her responsibilities in the classroom, Ashley serves on her school’s instructional leadership team and she is a member of her district’s leadership academy. In addition, she delivers professional development sessions on student engagement and instructional technology. Throughout the pandemic, Ashley worked tirelessly to help her school’s staff master internet tools such as Zoom, Blackboard, Gradebook, and Microsoft Teams. And as if all this were not enough, Ashely she leads the PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) data team on her campus

It is her work with the PBIS that caught the attention of the Milken Awards committee. “She does so much beyond the confines of the classroom,” says Bishop. “Ashley really embodies everything that we’re looking for in an American Educator Award recipient. She is doing everything in terms of not only exemplifying academic excellence, but she is just going above and beyond to make sure that students hold needs are being met at that school,” Bishop concludes.

Ashley earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Math Education from the University of South Florida in 2008. She has also earned two Master’s degrees from American College of Education, one in Curriculum and Instruction in 2013 and the other in Educational Leadership in 2018.