HEMS Seminars

Description: Have you been striving to increase student engagement for all students? Would you like your students to do more thinking and less mimicking? Do you want your students to become lifelong problem solvers? In this seminar we will collaboratively experience how to get even the most reluctant learners to successfully participate in your High School mathematics classroom. We will use Peter Lilijedhal’s set of practices in Building Thinking Classrooms to transform our classrooms. These easy to follow steps will create an environment that is focused on collaboration and student-centered learning where thinking is the norm and student learning is the goal.

Presenter: Kristi Peterson is in her 29th year in secondary math education. The first 9 years of her career she taught in the small rural community of Kearny, AZ and then transferred to Gilbert Public Schools. She has taught all courses from Algebra 1 to Calculus. For the last 6 years she has been the Secondary Mathematics Coordinator where she supported math curriculum, instruction and assessment for all 7-12 math classrooms in the district.  Her passion for helping students succeed through student centered math instruction has led her back to the classroom.  This year she will return to teaching at Mesquite High School where she looks forward to implementing the many strategies she has learned over the years.

This is a two-part series focused on High School Mathematics that earn participants professional development certificates for 9 hours.  

$50 stipends will only be provided to the first 25 teachers from Arizona schools who participate in both sessions due to the generosity of Lee and Arthur Herbst.

Please only register if you can attend both sessions. 

PostPoneD: TBD

Description: Is your class split into math haters and math lovers? Have you ever wondered how to get ALL your students engaged in mathematical thinking? Is it even possible for EVERY student to feel successful in math? Join us as we explore some evidence-based, doable teacher moves that can help transform your math instruction as it has ours! 

Presenters:

Lochani Senia has been afraid of math her whole life. A chance encounter with the UofA’s CRR in her 2nd year of teaching led her on a life-changing journey. She learned ways to make math come alive for her 4th and 5th graders. She saw their confidence and critical thinking skills soar, resulting in higher test scores for every student. But more importantly, she saw her students identify as mathematicians - something she had never felt.

Edna Vi Cole, currently a 3rd grade teacher at Liberty Elementary School District. Been a public school teacher for 10 years and has experience teaching students in grades 3, 4, and 5. A believer of the ideas built by Van de Walle and Jennifer Bay-Williams, thanks to the influence of her MEd Professor. She stumbled upon the CRR during the pandemic which gave her an avenue to hone in the skills of how to help students build connections with the math concepts they are learning. Always a believer of hands-on experience of learning mathematics, the CRR helped her put a name to the instructional structure that she has been wanting. This life-changing experience has led her to take on a journey as a math teacher and saw the spark and confidence as well as sense of community in her students when solving problems.

This is a two-part series focused on Elementary School Mathematics that earn participants professional development certificates for 9 hours.  

$50 stipends will only be provided to the first 25 teachers from Arizona schools who participate in both sessions due to the generosity of Lee and Arthur Herbst. If you missed part one, you can still attend part two, but will not be eligible for the stipend. 

Please only register if you can attend both sessions. 

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Description: Have you wanted to dig in deeper to Active Learning and how it works with junior and senior mathematics courses? This session is designed for upper level high school mathematics teachers who desire to increase student learning and engagement in their classroom through the use of active learning. Participants will have the opportunity to experience an active learning activity, engage in an activity and discussion about active learning, and develop an active learning activity in small groups. Participants will be provided with resources to assist with creating and transforming problems into active learning activities.

Presenter:  Andy Jeanson currently teaches Calculus 1, 2, and 3 at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (AZ). He is part of a "Teaching for PROWESS" grant to improve math education at the community college level. Prior to teaching at the community college, he taught 9 years at the high school level, teaching classes ranging from Algebra 1 to Calculus BC. He received his MA in Teaching and Teacher Education from the University of Arizona. Outside of teaching mathematics and providing students with positive learning experiences, he enjoys traveling with his wife and soon to be 1 year old, coaching cross country, running far distances, and watching sports.

This HEMS Workshop is focused on High School Mathematics that earn participants professional development certificates for 4 hours.  $25 stipends will only be provided to the first 25 teachers from Arizona schools who participate, thanks to the generosity of Lee and Arthur Herbst.

Please only register if you can attend the session.

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Description: Co-Teaching relationships can be either arduous or awesome. How can you ensure that your co-teaching experience will become awesome?  What specific actions do successful co-teacher pairs practice? Together we will discuss and develop the essential elements of a healthy co-teaching partnership, assess your current co-teaching practices, and develop effective models which meet the needs of all learners. Participants will analyze the pros and cons of various co-teaching models, determine which models work best for you and your co-teacher, and create a set of discussion points to guide the successful negotiation of the co-teaching partnership. This course is designed to equip teachers with the necessary tools and knowledge to be effective teaching partners in the classroom. This session is appropriate to all content areas and across grade levels.

Presenters: 

Donald Willoughby is a 23 year United States Air Force retired Master Sergeant. He has a Bachelors and Masters in management with a post-baccalaureate in Special Education. He has worked in the special education field since 2017, having worked with multiple levels of students with specific learning disabilities. Currently, he teaches Essentials of Geometry and Intermediate Algebra in the resource classroom and co-teaches in the Geometry and Intermediate Algebra general education classrooms at Mesquite High School in Gilbert, AZ. 

One of the most important things I have learned from teaching in a co-taught environment is that the teachers must create a cohesive and positive classroom environment. This cohesiveness will set the tone for the classroom and provide a much more productive learning experience. As a special education co-teacher, I can be placed in any classroom to help out with the students with learning disabilities. This means I am constantly learning new curriculum, so I am better capable of providing services for the students.

Mary Beth Cristian has 25 years experience in sales and business management and 10 years experience in the classroom. She has a bachelor’s degree in Economics, and Master’s degrees in International Business and Secondary Education. Mary Beth has taught Math, Economics, and Marketing for 10 years, many of which have included co-taught classes. For the past 3 years she has co-taught Algebra and Geometry with Don Willoughby at Mesquite High School in Gilbert, AZ.

Co-teaching has been a fantastic experience for me. When co-teachers have a strong partnership, student learning multiplies.  Don and I attended a similar co-teaching class our first semester working together. We worked through our questions, talked through the details, and made a strong joint commitment to our students. With this foundation in place, we have helped each of our students reach their full potential.  In the spring of 2021, every student we had in our co-taught classes was successful despite the challenges of returning to the classroom post-pandemic. I can only attribute this to the partnership and teacher efficacy that Don and I committed to early on in our co-teaching relationship.

This HEMS Workshop is focused on High School Mathematics that earn participants professional development certificates for 5 hours.  $25 stipends will only be provided to the first 25 teachers from Arizona schools who participate, thanks to the generosity of Lee and Arthur Herbst.

Please only register if you can attend the session.

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Making Mathematics Come Alive in Elementary School! - Are your students excited about math? Are you looking for ways to increase engagement and understanding? Have you read Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedhal (or do you plan to)? Would you like to create a classroom environment where children are thinking and thinking deeply? 

In this session, we will explore ways to transform your classroom into a thinking classroom through the use of rich mathematical tasks, inquiry, and play. We will collaborate together to shift our perspective about how we approach mathematics teaching and learning using the lens of building thinking classrooms and student centered activities. You will leave this workshop with the foundational tools you need to easily transform your mathematics classroom into a student centered thinking classroom. Come join us for two fun-filled sessions of collaborating and learning as we work together to help our students discover the wonder and joy of mathematics.

Presenter: Kerri Zitar is currently a 4th grade gifted teacher at Weinberg Gifted Academy in Gilbert, Arizona. She previously taught in 2nd grade gifted and 5th grade gifted classrooms. She graduated from Arizona State University with both Bachelors of Arts in Education and Masters of Arts in Education (Curriculum and Instruction). She holds endorsements in K-8 Mathematics, gifted education, early childhood education and Structured English Immersion. Kerri has worked with elementary students for 13 years utilizing problem-based learning, project-based learning, design thinking and maker education. In addition to her classroom experience, she has worked at the District level on assessment writing (math) and curriculum writing (social science/science integration units).

A note from Kerri: 

“Growing up, I never considered myself a “math person.” In fact, math was my least favorite subject. I avoided it when I could, and when I couldn’t, I often faced it with tears. When I became an elementary school teacher, I knew I never wanted any child in my classroom to feel about math, the way I felt about math as a student. Thus began my journey to be a better math teacher and math learner. I face my own math phobias on a daily basis, and I continue to work on building a stronger mathematical growth mindset. I am a lifelong learner. I love to share and collaborate with others. My motivation to continually improve as a teacher is simple. I want to be better so I can do better for kids”

This is a two-part series focused on K-5 Mathematics that earn participants professional development certificates for 9 hours.  

$50 stipends will only be provided to the first 20 teachers from Arizona schools who participate in both sessions due to the generosity of Lee and Arthur Herbst.

Please only register if you can attend both sessions. 

Register Here

Reigniting Student Interest in Mathematics - Think back to a time when you were really excited for the first day of school because you were ready to learn new things.  Let's bring that feeling back for your students as some of your high-school students today may be more concerned with playing the “game of school” and getting good grades above all else. As maths teachers we are in a crucial position for curbing this trend by re-examining our class structures and grading. In this seminar, we will discuss ways we can revise our assessment processes and explore best practices with the goal of reigniting student interest and intellectual curiosity and moving the focus of the maths classroom back to learning and thinking. This presentation is intended for all high school math teachers with specific examples of activities from Algebra, Algebra 2, and Trig/Pre-Calculus.

Presenter: Thomas Gribble has been teaching and coaching the school’s math club at University High School in the Tucson Unified School District since 2017. He is a Southern Arizona Teacher of the Year nominee, a Teacher Technology Liaison, Microsoft Innovative Educator, and a graduate of both UArizona’s Teach Arizona Master’s Program and the CRR’s New Teacher Induction Program. Thomas works with his colleagues and members of the mathematics community to examine ways to make math feel more relevant and approachable to all students.

This is a two-part series focused on High School Mathematics.  $50 stipends will only be provided to the first 20 teachers from Arizona schools who participate in both sessions. Please only register if you can attend both sessions. In addition to professional development certificates (9 hours), participants will receive the stipend due to the generosity of Lee and Arthur Herbst.

Presenter: Thomas Gribble

Dates: Saturday, August 28, 2021 and Saturday, September 11, 2021

Time: 12:30pm-4:30pm

Location: UArizona Campus, Tucson, Arizona - Building and Room Number to be Announced to Participants

Earn: 9 hours of professional development credit for recertification and a $50 stipend for full participation in both sessions.

There is nothing quite like the excited buzz of the classroom as students work through challenging mathematics together. Which begs the question: How can this be accomplished in an online setting? Together we will explore ways to build relationships, engage in meaningful group work, and gain comfortability with online tools to ensure students are provided the opportunity to collaborate in our virtual classrooms. Grounded in the practices of Complex Instruction, these skills can be applied in a virtual or physical classroom, to guide collaboration in all settings. This presentation is intended for all high school math teachers with specific examples of activities from Geometry and Algebra.

Presenter: Larissa Peru has been teaching at Desert View High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District since 2013. She has taught Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus AB/BC as well as coaching Academic Decathlon. She is a teacher leader for her site, a Desmos Fellow, a Raytheon Leaders in Education Award Winner, and a recent graduate of the UA Teachers in Industry Master’s Program. Larissa aspires to help educators in all stages of their journey create positive spaces where students feel empowered to learn math and appreciate the role it plays in every facet of their lives.

This is a two-part series focused on High School Mathematics.  $50 stipends will only be provided to the first 40 teachers from partner school districts who participate in both sessions. Please only register if you can attend both sessions, and sessions will be capped at 70 participants.  In addition to professional development certificates (9 hours), participants will receive the stipend due to the generosity of Lee and Arthur Herbst.

Register Here

March 13, 2021, 8:30am-1:00pm: HEMS-MS: Identity, Curiosity, and Community in the Middle School Classroom (Part 1 of 2, please only register if you can attend both sessions) and April 17th.

• If you attended part 1, you do not need to register again.  If you missed part 1, but would still like to attend, you may do so with the understanding that you will not be eligible for the stipend.
•  Description:  How do we encourage mathematical identity, curiosity, and community in our classrooms (virtual or physical)? How do we support our students' growth as young mathematicians without wearing ourselves thin?  Together we will grapple with these questions and engage in activities to promote student identity and  community. All activities and strategies presented can be easily incorporated into your virtual or physical classroom. This session is intended for all middle school teachers with specific examples of activities from 6th, 7th, and 8th grade curriculums.  This is a 2 part workshop, please only register if you can attend both parts. 
  • This is a two-part series focused on Middle School Mathematics.  $50 stipends will only be provided to the first 20 teachers from Arizona school districts who participate in both sessions (March 13 and April 17th). Please only register if you can attend both sessions, and sessions will be capped at 70 participants.  In addition to professional development certificates (9 hours), participants will receive the stipend due to the generosity of Lee and Arthur Herbst. We have found that teachers working in the US on particular types of visas are required to complete additional forms and/or may not be able to receive the stipend. We welcome their participation, even if they may be unable to receive the stipend.
• Presenter: Justin Powell has been teaching at Lauffer Middle School in the Sunnyside Unified School District since 2014. He has taught 7th grade math, 8th grade math, Algebra, and Geometry. He is a teacher leader for his site,  IMPACTS, as well as a member of Arizona K12 Teacher Solutions.
• Location: Remote zoom meeting
• Earn: 9 hours of professional development credit for recertification for 2 (4 hour) sessions and an hour of implementation,

Register Here