Christy Alred,
2nd Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 
 
I love teaching mathematics because it challenges students and deepens their thinking. I love listening to students’ thinking and when they build on what they already know.  There is nothing better than watching a struggling student’s face light up when they get the correct answer.  

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  
 
 While participating in the CEMS program, I hope to strengthen my mathematical instruction and learn new, engaging practices. I want my impact to extend beyond the classroom.  I hope to be a teacher leader who collaborates with colleagues, strengthening their math instruction by sharing strategies and helping them analyze data to inform instructional decisions.

Kyleta Ball,
5th Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 
 
I love helping my students understand the why and reasoning behind math skills. I love how math is about taking risks. We take such risks through shifting mindsets, allowing room and comfortability for mistakes, and through hands-on experiences.   

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  
 
During the CEMS program, I hope to deepen my love for math and be able to gain knowledge to share with fellow coworkers. I also hope to be able to create a space to help parents understand and be more comfortable with helping their child do math. I am excited to build a stronger foundation within myself to be able to help my students become strong math doers.

Melanie Bryant,
4th Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 
 
I love teaching math because I get to watch my students build confidence and realize they are capable of more than they thought. I love watching them learn new skills and seeing how much they grow throughout the year.  
 
How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  
 
My goal is for my students to understand the importance of math, feel confident in their abilities, and believe in themselves as learners. I also hope to make a difference by implementing everything that I am learning about mathematics within the program. 

Brooke Dickerson,
6th Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics?

I love how math can be solved in many different ways using various strategies, but the answer is always the same. Because of this, teaching math to individual students is similar to solving a puzzle. I enjoy helping students find strategies that they comprehend and work for their individual needs and skill set.

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?

By joining the CEMS program, I hope to continue to gain more knowledge about elementary mathematics and various strategies that I can utilize in my classroom to improve student mathematics competency and comprehension. I am also excited about being able to share my newfound knowledge and resources with peers within my school and district, with the hope of increasing mathematics proficiency.

Allie Fain,
Kindergarten

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 

I love seeing students gain a love and understanding for mathematics! It is so rewarding to watch the light bulb go off for students when they accurately solve a problem. I love to see my students grow as mathematicians throughout the school year

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

My goal in participating in the CEMS program is to bring effective mathematical practices and strategies to students in my classroom. I also believe participating in this program could help my colleagues grow as math teachers as I share the knowledge I gain. I hope to bring any information I learn from this program to teachers at my school, so they can grow as math experts as well.

Shannon Hughes,
2nd Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 
 
I love teaching math because it can be the fastest confidence booster! Kids can go from “I can’t” to “watch me” in real time, which is incredible to watch. As someone with ADHD, I’m drawn to math that’s hands-on, talk-it-out, and movement-friendly. I love watching students who struggle with focus realize they are actually quite brilliant. 
 
How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  
 
CEMS is fueling something I am passionate about! I want to design instruction that works with kids’ brains and not against them, especially those with ADHD or other executive function needs. I want to bring back strategies, tools, and research that I can share with my team, so our school becomes the place where every student feels seen, safe, and fully included in math. CEMS may be a math program, but I fully plan to let the ripple effect improve everything I teach. Math just gets to go first.  

Celena McCormick,
1st Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 

I love that mathematics is a subject where everyone can succeed because there are so many ways to solve a problem. Everyone thinks differently, and math celebrates that. Students can be unique in their thinking and how they solve the problem, and they still arrive at the same correct answer.

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

I hope to make a positive difference in my classroom and school community by growing as a math teacher and teacher leader. I want to help my students develop a love for mathematics and inspire my community to feel more confident and excited about teaching math. Through the CEMS program, I hope to strengthen our mathematical skills and use what I learn to support others as well.

Breunde Moultrie,
4th Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 
 
I love teaching math because I get to watch students truly make sense of numbers. It is exciting to see the different strategies and reasoning they come up with. Most of all, I love to witness growth. By the end of the year, nothing is more rewarding than seeing how much they genuinely love math.  
 
How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  
 
While in the program, I hope to make a difference by implementing the ideas and strategies in my classroom and also sharing these ideas and strategies with my school community so they can be consistently implemented at every grade level. I hope to create a strong foundation where all students get the opportunity to experience high quality math instruction. I believe consistency will make a lasting impact on building confident mathematicians.  

Jessica Plowman,
3rd Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics?

The thing I love most about mathematics is the flexibility that students get to have when solving problems. Each student, when using their own strategy, can become more confident in critical thinking and problem solving, which makes them more confident in themselves.  
 
How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

I hope to make a difference in my classroom and community by growing my content knowledge and teaching knowledge. This knowledge will then be intentionally used in my classroom to create stronger math students. Stronger math students become confident scholars who feel successful in school, giving them the confidence to pursue whatever educational path they choose. 
 

Shelby Raulston,
4th Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 

I cannot adequately sum up what I love about mathematics. Truly, the answer is infinite. Ultimately, what I am most passionate about is instilling confidence in my students by pushing them to solve complex problems, keeping them engaged in fun lessons, and helping them to see that mistakes allow thinking to happen.

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

The difference I hope to make while in the CEMS program is for my students, school, and community to see gains in mathematics proficiency. I want to erase (or at least lessen) the stigma behind doing mathematics for conceptual understanding. I also hope to help my students, colleagues, parents, and community see that EVERYONE is a MATH PERSON.

Dionne Reese,
5th Grade (Math Only)

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 

The thing I love about teaching math is getting that “aha” moment when we are going over a new skill. I like seeing when it finally clicks with the students that have been struggling.

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

I hope to make a difference in the classroom and the community by creating an inclusive space where all viewpoints are welcomed and encouraged.

Tiffany Singley,
Kindergarten

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 

I love helping students overcome their fear of math and realize it is something they can understand and enjoy. I enjoy showing students how math is more than adding, subtracting, etc. It is a way of thinking and problem-solving that applies to real life.

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

I hope to make a difference in my classroom and school community by creating a supportive and inclusive mathematics learning environment where all students feel valued and capable of success. Through the CEMS program, I want to grow as an educator so I can better meet the needs of my students and colleagues and encourage a love for mathematics. I hope to use the CEMS program to grow as an instructional leader and reflective practitioner.

Lee Smith,
1st Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 

What I love about mathematics is that math allows one to use different strategies to solve a problem. Math allows one to see the world differently and how math is intertwined in everyday life. Math is not a procedure with no connections.

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

I hope to make a difference by changing the old ways of thinking that only smart people can do math, math is boring, and how am I going to use this in life attitude. I want others to find joy and love in teaching and solving math.

Venetia Smith,
4th & 5th Intervention

What do you love about teaching mathematics?
Mathematics has always been more than a subject for me. It is a language for understanding patterns, analyzing complex problems, and reasoning logically. I love how mathematics fosters opportunities for my students to grow.  I enjoy watching my students’ logic and reasoning expand as they justify their thinking.

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

Advancing my content pedagogy and instructional strategies will enable my students to develop a strong conceptual understanding of mathematics, which will lead to improved problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Additionally, I hope to develop the skills needed not only to teach mathematical content effectively, but also to serve as a mentor by coaching novice teachers and teacher candidates.

Tameka Stephens,
5th Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 

I love teaching mathematics because it gives students the confidence to think critically, persevere, and realize they are capable of more than they imagined. Seeing students shift from “I can’t” to “I did” is the most rewarding part of my work. I am passionate about making math meaningful, engaging, and accessible for every learner.

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

Through the CEMS program, I hope to deepen my instructional expertise and serve as a catalyst for strong, equitable math practices across my school community. My goal is to empower both students and colleagues by fostering a culture of high expectations, collaboration, and a belief that all learners can thrive in mathematics.

April Washburn,
5th Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 

I can honestly say that teaching mathematics was the scariest part when I began teaching. I was worried about how to teach it and was intimidated by it. I think that was because I was still searching for the answers I had growing up in math class… the why. While I always deep down liked math, I did not embrace the love of teaching it until I immersed myself in the AMSTI trainings and especially during my time as a math coach. I appreciate all I learned from them and have tried to put it to good use now in my 5th grade classroom.

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

I hope to take what I am learning and share it with my coworkers as well as allow the information to guide me to being a better teacher for my students. I want them to know that math is not something to fear or be intimidated by.

Sydney Welch,
3rd Grade

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 
 
I love teaching mathematics because it helps students build confidence as they learn to think critically and solve problems independently. It is rewarding to watch students have those “aha” moments and realize they are capable of tackling challenges they once found difficult. 
 
How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  
 
I hope to make a difference by bringing research-based strategies and deeper mathematical understanding into my classroom, helping students build confidence and problem-solving skills. I also aim to collaborate with colleagues to share best practices, support a culture of continuous learning, and positively impact our school community’s approach to teaching mathematics. 

Samantha Wyatt,
Kindergarten

What do you love about teaching mathematics? 

I love teaching mathematics because it involves a lot of thinking and problem-solving. Watching my students make sense of ideas and gain confidence in themselves is such a rewarding experience.  

How do you hope to make a difference in your classroom and school community while in the CEMS program?  

I plan to make a difference in my classroom and school community while in the CEMS program by making sure all students feel valued, challenged, and safe. By collaborating with colleagues and families, I plan to create a more inclusive school community that focuses on learning and growth for everyone.