Bow Tie Joe

Introduction: This week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight goes to an educator that wholeheartedly welcomed me into the Desmos community during the Fellowship experience. Her light-hearted candor and wealth of knowledge make her a for-sure spotlight recipient. The Edu-Rock Star that I’ll be recognizing this week is none other than Mrs. Kristen Fouss (@Fouss), a high school mathematics teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Educational Pursuit: Kristen draws upon a plethora of experiences as an educator having been in the trenches for over 20 years. She obtained her bachelors in education from Miami University in Ohio and then her masters in the art of teaching from the University of Cincinnati. School and education were a way of life for her family as her mother and grandmother were home economic teachers. Kristen always enjoyed being in school and from a very early age, was aware that she wanted to follow in their footsteps. High school was where she developed her proclivity for all things mathematical and made the decision to educate the youth in the same discipline.

Most Memorable Moment: Having eclipsed two decades worth of memories, Kristen commented that her career has been shaped by the small moments that occur each day. She remembers going home and crying multiple times during her first year. Finding a new friend/mentor her second year really spurned her growth and development. She migrated in her fifth year to a new school after getting married and once again, felt like a rookie having to learn the culture of the new organization she called home. She was voted as Favorite Teacher from the senior class, became involved with Twitter and the #MTBos, was chosen as a Desmos Fellow (twice!), and has been asked to present at NCTM. All of those little moments in between with her students have helped mold her into what she is now.

Personal Learning Interests: Kristen redefines what it means to incorporate technology into her pedagogical toolbox and is always seeking out current best practices that involve her students in the learning process.

The Fun Stuff

Kristen’s go-to Karaoke Song: Goodbye Earl by the Dixie Chicks

Kristen’s Inside Scoop: Kristen is an avid runner having completed about 20 half marathons and two full marathons.

Thank you, Kristen, for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. I was so fortunate that you recognized my shell shock at the fellowship and welcomed me into the community –  you have had a profound effect on my PLN! I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward.

Introduction: This week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight goes to an educator that is hands down going to go down in the record books some day. Unmistakingly ahead of her time, this educator is at the forefront of various conversations and initiatives so critical in the society we are currently operating in and I am humbled to call her my friend. I strongly urge you to check out her blog – you will not be disappointed. Without further adieu, the Edu-Rock Star that I’ll be recognizing this week is none other than Ms. Christelle Rocha (@Maestra_Rocha), a 7th and 8th-grade mathematics teacher in Los Angeles, California.

Educational Pursuit: Despite being considered a novice in the realm of education, Christelle possesses the intellect and wisdom of a seasoned veteran. She obtained both her bachelor and master’s degree from UCLA in Teacher Education. Since she was a child, Christelle was observant of the injustices in the educational system. When she began tutoring math students while in community college, she noticed that these injustices did not go away, and were much more prevalent in math. Regardless of someone’s background or level, math tends to be a barrier – this barrier being exacerbated for low-income students and students of color. Her passion for seeing students empowered through mathematics had cultivated her endeavor to pursue a mathematics degree, politically organize, and finally enter a math classroom.

Most Memorable Moment: Being a rookie hasn’t stopped Christelle from having an immediate effect on the lives of the students she interacts with. Her most memorable moment to date came from working with a special needs student throughout the last year where she wasn’t sure how to strategically support the student but was adamant about maintaining her high expectations. Over time, the student’s academic performance increased but was more remarkable and made the experience memorable was seeing the student exhibit more initiative to ask questions in and outside of class, strategically choose methods and models, and persevere through a problem. The increased awareness and accountability for their own growth was the icing on the cake for Ms. Rocha.

Personal Learning Interests: Christelle is open to learning everything and anything pertaining to education. More specifically, she is interested in how to make her classroom more accessible to parents, particularly the technological aspects of it. Outside of the realm of education, Christelle is focused on developing her abilities as a painter.

The Fun Stuff

Christelle’s go-to Karaoke Song: Feeling Good by Michael Bublé

Christelle’s Inside Scoop: Although she doesn’t get the opportunity to go out very often, Christelle loves to dance salsa and bachata.

Thank you, Christelle, for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. Never did I imagine that our impromptu trip that night in San Francisco would translate into the friendship we have nowadays and the positive impact you have had on my PLN! I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward – you are going to change the narrative for our society.

Introduction: This week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight and final one for 2018, goes to an up and coming educator, eager to join the front lines in 2019. I have had the pleasure of getting to know this up and coming educator as he graced the halls of NBHS as a student teacher in a world history classroom. With no further adieu, the Edu-Rock Star that I’ll be recognizing this week is none other than Mr. Luke Wiley, (@LukeWileyED), a high school social studies teacher at anywhere that’s hiring!

You’re welcome Luke! 😉

Educational Pursuit: Luke is steadily at work to complete his master’s degree in social studies education from Rutgers University in May. He has decided to join the ranks due to a feeling that he struggled to find along his educational path: a real connection between the content being discussed in class and its applicability to our everyday setting. He hopes to provide students with

Most Memorable Moment: Having logged only four months of mileage on his educator journey, Luke’s most memorable moment has been when his students are able to recall something he told them after a long weekend away!

Personal Learning Interests: Juggling the fast-paced nature of student teaching, Luke hasn’t found much time to read any good literature lately. He would like to spend some time reading more books, both fictional and non-fiction.

The Fun Stuff

Luke’s go-to Karaoke Song: Remix to Ignition by R. Kelly

Luke’s Inside Scoop: Luke once ran a mile in four minutes and eleven seconds. He is also an AVID Blokus fanatic, having lost to me on many occasions.

Luke, welcome to the ranks! We are extremely excited to be gaining such a dynamic, passionate educator who is surely going to change the game and move education forward. While I am saddened that your time here at NBHS is coming to a close, I am very much looking forward to watching your impact unfold on the Twitter-Verse and I am grateful for the friendship we have nowadays and the positive impact you have had on my PLN!

Introduction: This week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight goes to an educator that I met in my first year as an educator and boy did we HIT IT OFF! The years have since flown by and I know that we will forever be connected by our love for education and doing the right thing. The Edu-Rock Star that I’ll be recognizing this week is none other than my brother from another, Mr. Christopher Szalma (@clszalma78), a high school special education mathematics teacher at Pemberton High School.

Educational Pursuit: Chris has eclipsed the one decade mark in education after first entering the Marines out of high school. He obtained a Bachelors in Math and Secondary Education from Monmouth University in addition to his Masters in Special Education from Rowan University. After exiting the Corps, Chris worked many jobs and it wasn’t until the birth of his daughter that he decided that he needed a career. Similar to his reason for joining the Marines, Chris became a math teacher because of the challenge it posed with the current viewpoint it has with students and he wanted to change the way students felt about learning mathematics.

Most Memorable Moment: Every time Chris thinks there is a most memorable moment of his career, another moment comes along and surpasses it.

Academically, having students that absolutely despised mathematics only to turn around at the end of the year and say “it’s not my favorite class, but it’s not my least favorite class anymore” is a victory that validates his efforts in the classroom.

From a different lens, serving as a class advisor for the Class of 2017 was not only an exhilarating but humbling experience. Witnessing the personal growth students make as they mature and develop throughout high school is truly rewarding. Chris encourages everyone that reads this post to participate in their school community as an extracurricular advisor at least one time. Time outside of the classroom spent fundraising, organizing prom, and attending graduation are definitely memories that will last a lifetime.

Personal Learning Interests: Chris is always looking to develop innovative ways to reach students that have shown an aversion to the idea of education and have given up on school. He makes it his personal mission to ensure these students are given the tools to be successful not only in his classroom but in life as a contributing member of their community and our society.

The Fun Stuff

Chris’s go-to Karaoke Song: Big Poppa by Notorious B.I.G.

Chris’s Inside Scoop: Chris is an avid baseball and football card collector. He owns every Hess truck since the year he was born. No, he does not have a hoarding problem!

Thank you, Chris, for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. It’s been a strange transition not clowning around in the hallways with you and changing the game together this year but I am grateful that we still remain in touch and for the profound impact you have had on my personal life and PLN! You will always be the OG TWINNIE! I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward.

Introduction: This week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight goes to an educator that is out of this country, literally! This past summer I found myself at Desmos HQ, surrounded by some of the most brilliant math educators in North America and that’s where I met this week’s spotlight.  It is my pleasure to introduce you to an Edu-Rock Star from the North, Mr. Nico Rowinsky (@rowmath), a high school mathematics teacher from Toronto, Canada.

Educational Pursuit: Despite having earned his bachelor’s of science and education from the University of Toronto, Nico is surprisingly not Canadian. What inexplicably linked the two of us was his Latin heritage – a heritage that has fueled his tenure of almost two decades, and counting, in the field of education. Nico’s parents served as teachers in Uruguay who inspired him to love learning. Education always seemed to be a natural choice.

Most Memorable Moment: Nico’s fondest memories involve years after his students depart his classroom and he encounters them randomly where they share with him a memory of being in his classroom. Those moments of gratitude that they share with him cannot be compared to any feeling. It gives him a sense of meaning and reason and he wishes it upon all teachers.

Personal Learning Interests: Nico currently has his sights set on enhancing his Ed Tech knowledge base, particularly in Desmos, coding, and coding related activities. In the rest of his free time, he dabbles in behavioral economics.

The Fun Stuff

Nico’s go-to Karaoke Song: All These Things I’ve Done by The Killers

Nico’s Inside Scoop: Nico has been to many U2 concerts…too many to mention.

Thank you, Nico, for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. I am grateful that I took you up on your offer to go exploring for some late night grub out in San Fran. Having you around all of the events always made it feel like I had a brother there and I am grateful for the friendship we have nowadays and the positive impact you have had on my PLN! I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward.

Introduction: This week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight goes to my country loving, Desmos Fellow colleague. Struggling to recall exactly how we connected at the Desmos Fellowship, I’ve been enjoying her contributions on the Twitter and figured I’d share her contributions with my personal learning network. The Edu-Rock Star that I’ll be recognizing this week is none other than Mrs. Joanna Stevens (@MrsStevensMath), a high school mathematics teacher at Lincoln County High School in Stanford, KY.

Educational Pursuit: Joanna is rapidly approaching the one decade mark in the world of education having obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education from the University of Kentucky. She recalls her memories of tutoring throughout high school and college and realizing the enjoyment she found in helping students understand mathematics. These were typically students who deemed themselves “bad at math” and were surprised they were able to experience any level of success in the subject. She wanted to be a math teacher because she wanted to change the stereotype surrounding mathematics – there’s no such thing as a “math person”. We are all “math people” and capable of doing mathematics. This passion is what led to her entering the classroom in order to change the social stigma that has come to encapsulate mathematics.

Most Memorable Moment: A #BowTieTuesday first, Joanna has two unique situations she shared with me.

Something her students did: On Pi day, some of her precalculus students coordinated to wear football and basketball jerseys to represent the digits of pi;

Something she did: Jo ended the school year this year with a toast to their “bottle of dreams” (a water bottle with a cute label). Before they left her class, she wanted to make sure every student knew her pride, appreciation, and hope for each of them personally.

Personal Learning Interests: Currently, Jo is focused on embracing the role as “lead learner” in her classroom. She wants her students to recognize that she is learning every day as well. She would like to generate more “student talk” and less “teacher talk” inside of her classroom while promoting collaboration, perseverance, and problem-solving skills.

The Fun Stuff

Joanna’s go-to Karaoke Song: Tale as Old as Time from the classic Disney film, Beauty and the Beast

Joanna’s Inside Scoop: Joanna has cuddled a koala in Australia, hugged an alpaca in Peru, swam with manta rays in Hawaii, and spotted a sloth in Costa Rica.

Thank you, Joanna, for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. I am grateful to have met you and whatever conversation that had sparked us connecting which triggered the positive impact you have had on my PLN! I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward.

Introduction: This week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight goes to an educator that always knows how to keep things lighthearted and is a queen at building relationships. Having shared way too many laughs together in our doctoral classes together, the Edu-Rock Star that I’ll be recognizing this week is none other than Mrs. Avani Morales (@AvaniMorales), a 4th-grade teacher at Bridgewater-Raritan Public Schools.

Educational Pursuit: Avani has surpassed the one decade mark in the world of education after she had obtained her BS in Childhood Education & Special education from New York University. She then turned towards the banks and earned an Ed.M. in Literacy Education from Rutgers and nowadays you can find her working on her Ed.D. in Education, Culture, and Society from Rutgers as well.

Avani has had one passion in her life – teaching. From a very young age, she enjoyed the idea of helping others. The moment she realized education was truly her calling was when she started student teaching at NYU. She completed four semesters in four very different settings.

She started in a 2nd-grade classroom in the projects of the lower East side and then moved to a 4th-grade classroom in an independent school in Central Park. For her 3rd placement, she was in a 5th/6th-grade inclusion classroom in East Harlem and finally, she found herself in a 3rd-grade classroom in Greenwich Village. These experiences were transformational for her. She witnessed teachers called by their first name, students sitting at tables in groups as opposed to individual desks, collaboration instead of whole class lectures, and true communities that felt like families. These structures went against everything she knew about education growing up – in fact, her prior experiences were completely counter to that. This was what made her fall completely in love with teaching and she could not wait to have her own classroom.

Most Memorable Moment: In 2009, Avani was the recipient of the Paul B. Winkler Endowment, given to one teacher in the state of NJ specifically for emphasizing bias and prejudice reduction in schools. Having made it a priority year after year to open her students’ eyes, minds, and hearts to the world out there made it that much better when she was formally recognized for it.

Personal Learning Interests: Currently, Avani is engrossed in her doctoral research in Education, Culture, and Society. She possesses a burning desire to become an agent of change in education. She finds great satisfaction in what she is able to accomplish in 10 months with her 20 students a year but she’d like to have a much more “profound” impact in the field.

Avani, you continuously have a profound impact each and every day you come to school for your organization. 🙂

The Fun Stuff

Avani’s go-to Karaoke Song: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air by Will Smith

Avani’s Inside Scoop: Avani is the starting center in a co-ed flag football league! She did not grow up playing sports – her idea of athleticism was getting her knees up high enough during marching band (big facts, I did marching band for 10 years and it is NO JOKE!). She’s always had aspirations of being a part of an athletic team her entire life and she made that a reality at the age of 28. Now, she can’t get enough!

Thank you, Avani, for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. Your candid manner, ability to put a smile on everyone’s face, and insight you bring to our conversations has had an invaluable and long-lasting impact on my PLN! I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward.

Introduction: Surprisingly enough, I can’t recall how I connected on a personal level with this week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight. It sort of conceptualized organically and I’m beyond blessed that it did and to call her a very good friend at that. Her go-to attitude and ingenious professional development conceptions make her a no brainer when it comes to the spotlight! The Edu-Rock Star that I’ll be recognizing this week is none other than Ms. Stacy Saia (@SaiaStacy), a Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction back at my alma mater, Palmyra Public Schools.

Educational Pursuit: I take personal satisfaction in teasing Stacy about her vintage nature. She’s a seasoned veteran in the world of education, hurtling towards the two-decade mark! She began her career eons ago obtaining a Bachelors of Arts in Secondary Mathematics Education from TCNJ before moving on to obtain a Master’s in Education in Curriculum & Instruction from American Intercontinental University. Stacy’s route to education was an interesting one as well! She grew up playing school with her sister and it simply transitioned into their dream careers.

I hope you’re still playing Stacy. 🙂

Most Memorable Moment: Similar to spotlight’s in the past, Stacy made a comment regarding having to pick just one. Her favorite times with her students have been playing Survivor, probably recording it for Classroom Closeup because she had a lot of prior students come back to be a part of it.

As a Supervisor, her most memorable moments involve doing crazy shenanigans on large PD days, opening day game challenges, administrating Wheel of Fortune, PokemonGo, etc. She finds an immense amount of satisfaction watching teachers “go” at whatever the activity is, whether its competition, a huge gallery walk, or more simply, a chat of books, resources, and idea sharing. 

Personal Learning Interests: This summer Stacy became hooked on anything that she didn’t feel comfortable using yet which includes the following: Flipgrid, Adobe Spark, and everything else she learned about in the HiveSummit and DitchSummit this summer. Personally, she’d like to learn more about gamification, GoogleApps, and the EduProtocols because she feels that those ideas are what can best help her team this year.

The Fun Stuff

Stacy’s go-to Karaoke Song: Claiming only to do karaoke from the confines of her car, Stacy would opt for one of the following depending on her mood: Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” Journey’s “Any Way You Want It,” Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” or Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Stacy’s Inside Scoop: While she was initially hesitant to spill the good stuff, she eventually caved in and shared with me that despite being referred to as “prom shoes,” she’s a proud piney and a tomboy. If you’ve never had the chance to visit her office, you also wouldn’t know that she is a massive comic/toy nerd who knows entirely too much about superheroes, Star Wars, and comic books to be taken seriously.

Thank you, Stacy, for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. Your contributions to my professional learning network have been invaluable and I am grateful for our consistent banter supporting each other in all of our endeavors. I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward (and me too!).

Introduction: This week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight goes to an educator that I met through a mutual experience. We connected through Twitter and I noticed he had completed the doctoral journey that I am currently on in addition to being a fellow math educator and the rest is history! The Edu-Rock Star that I’ll be recognizing this week is none other than Mr. John Kerrigan (@kerrigan_john), a Director of Mathematics of K-12 at Middletown Township Public Schools and part-time lecturer at Rutgers University in the Math Department.

Educational Pursuit: John has just surpassed the decade mark in education, having earned his bachelors and masters degree in mathematics and mathematics education, respectively from Rutgers. He left the banks of the old Raritan to obtain a masters in educational leadership from NJCU but ultimately returned to obtain his Ed.D. in the Design of Educational Learning Environments from Rutgers. Having enjoyed learning mathematics as a child and having some very challenging high school mathematics teachers who challenged him to think harder than he ever had to before, John was compelled to pursue a career in education. Plus, John always had great admiration for all of his teachers for the work they did, so he just wanted to follow in their footsteps.

Most Memorable Moment: Having a plethora to select from, John settled on overseeing the senior internship program during his first year as an assistant principal. He was lucky to have many of these students as underclassmen in his math classes, some even more than one year. He found it extremely rewarding to learn more about their career interests and work with them on a more personal level to develop their abilities outside of the math classroom during their senior year. Now, these students keep in touch with him while they are in college to keep him updated on their educational and career pursuits.

Personal Learning Interests: As I had mentioned previously, now that John has completed his doctoral journey he is continuing to learn more about blended learning in both the K-12 and the university settings. At Rutgers, he is working on a project with “learning assistants” in two different types of undergraduate flipped classrooms. In the K-12 setting, he is working with his math coaches and teachers to model effective ways to blend mathematics instruction with the programs they have. It’s exciting and interesting work that inspires him to be better!

The Fun Stuff

John’s go-to Karaoke Song: Just about anything from the ’80s.

John’s Inside Scoop: John is an avid bicyclist and also enjoys quiet reading at the beach.

John, thank you for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. Our impromptu conversations regarding everything from EdCamp to the doctorate to life, in general, have had an invaluable impact on myself and my PLN. I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward.