MCTM Scholarships and Awards

The Miriam Schaefer Scholarship Award

Award Guidelines and Application Form
2008 Award Winners
2007 Award Winners
2006 Award Winners
Scholarship Committee

Back to the top
Award Guidelines (updated for 2009!)

Purpose
The goal is to financially assist students currently enrolled in a teacher education program with a mathematics education major or minor if at the elementary level. Secondary education students must be pursuing a mathematics major. The award is to be used for tuition, books, labs, and fees necessary to fulfill requirements for a BA or BS degree with teacher certification.

Eligibility
Each applicant must be a Michigan resident and currently enrolled at a Michigan college or university in an elementary or secondary teacher education program with a mathematics specialty. Applicants must be a college/university junior or senior in good academic standing by June 1, 2009, with an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher. In addition, secondary education majors must have successfully completed the colleges/university's required calculus sequence, while elementary education majors must have at least mathematics minor. In determining eligibility, applicants enrolled in the final year of a five-year teacher preparation program will be considered a senior. The classification (junior or senior) for an applicant who has earned a degree in another area and has enrolled in a teacher education program will be determined by his/her July 1 status in the teacher education program.

Award
A check for $1,500 will be paid to the scholarship recipient(s) with their school as the second payee. The term of each scholarship is for one year and shall not be renewable.

Requirements - Applicants must submit:

Completed Miriam Schaefer Scholarship Appliation Form
Typewritten essay - two to four pages in length using 1.5 spacing to include the following:
- Your personal statement - this will explain your interest in teaching mathematics and should give a personal history that led you to this field. Include a statement of why you wish to work with your selected level of student. Briefly describe your professional development goals to stay current in the field.
- Your teaching statement - this will begin with your philosophy of teaching. How will you teach and why will you teach in this manner? It is necessary to make evident in your statements what you have learned about how students learn mathematics. Exhibit your knowledge of current state and national standards. Reflect on your assessment strategies, use of cooperative learning, technology concerns, understanding of multiple representations and connecting mathematics to everyday life.
- Provide an example of what a typical lesson would look like in your classroom. Include learning objectives, how the objectives meet state and national standards, support materials and their function as well as assessment techniques that will exhibit evidence of student learning.
List of extracurricular and/or community activities and interests (not to be included in the essay), name of organization, dates of service and your role.
List of extracurricular activities related to teaching or to the support of student learning, name of organizations, dates of service and your role.
Transcripts of grades from all colleges and universities you have attended,
Official statement from current college transcript office verifying anticipated senior status as of June 1, 2009.
Three (3) letters of recommendation on official letterhead from persons who can best attest to your potential for becoming a teacher of mathematics at the level you plan to teach. This would include, but not be necessarily limited to, persons such as mathematics and mathematics education professors, education/academic advisors, supervisors of classroom field experience, or a supervisor for a job in which you worked with children/students in an educational, teaching, tutoring, or coaching situation. At least one of the letters must be from a mathematics or mathematics educator from whom you took a course. At least one letter must be from a supervisor who has observed you managing a classroom or working with students at a level in which you will be certified to teach.

Application Deadline
Submit the completed Miriam Schaefer Scholarship Application Form in one envelope, postmarked no later than May 15, 2009 to:

MCTM Scholarship Committee
Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics
3300 Washtenaw Avenue, Suite 220
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-4294

Back to the top
2008 Miriam Schaefer Scholarship Recipients

Ashley Campbell - Central Michigan University
Ashley, a graduate of DeWitt High School in 2004, is currently a senior at Central Michigan University where she has a triple minor encompassing mathematics, reading and child development in elementary education. While at Central, she has been a member of the staff of Central Michigan GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science) Education Center. Not only has she built the GEMS website, but has also correlated the 70 guides in the GEMS series with the Michigan math and science standards. As one of her professors states, "She has a thorough knowledge of the standards and how they correlate to curriculum."

Mathematics has always been one of her favorite topics. While at Central, she has earned all A's in her mathematics courses. One professor states that "... beyond the mere grade, she is a real self motivator with a great sense of numbers, and the ability to help others develop this core sense."

Ashley considers the role of the teacher in education to be the facilitator of learning. She believes that a teacher should not strictly transfer knowledge, but must motivate students to want to learn and discover on their own. Ashley demonstrates "... a comfortableness with mathematics" in the words of her professor and adds that she also "...demonstrates a clear understanding of just how kids develop and learn." Her leadership in the Association for the Education of Young Children has helped to cultivate this ability.

She hopes to have a classroom centered on real life applications. Ashley has three major goals for her classroom. In her fi rst goal, she hopes to teach in a way that not only supports student learning but instills in her students an appreciation of mathematics. Secondly, she plans to use problem solving as her focus. As one professor stated, "she has a willingness to engage in problem solving" and "has a sound understanding of teamwork, determining appropriate group goals and completing tasks." Her third goal will be an emphasis on the relevance of mathematics. The most challenging thing Ashley sees in her future as a teacher will be overcoming the popular view that math is hard, monotonous, and never fun. According to one of her professors, she will accomplish this and then adds, "Bottom line, Ms. Campbell is the type of teacher I'd like my kids to have".

Back to the top

Jason Gregersen - Northern Michigan University
As a young man Jason's early interest in mathematics was encouraged by his parents. On a long family road trip one summer his mother taught him the basics of algebra. Jason spent most of his high school career at Peshtigo High School in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Before his senior year he transferred and graduated from Riverside High School in Milwaukee. After graduation, Jason enlisted and spent four years as a machine gunner in the United States Marine Corp. While in the Marines he experienced what it meant to be a leader and a mentor. After the Marine Corp., Jason worked as a machinist thus allowing him to use mathematics in the real world. Another benefi t of this work was meeting his wife. Shortly after being married Jason, his wife, and their newborn daughter moved to Marquette where Jason began college at Northern Michigan University majoring in secondary education.

As a student at Northern Michigan, Jason quickly demonstrated a strong mathematical ability. After taking a diffi cult Geometry course one of Jason's professors said, "he was among the top students in the class; indeed his was the only A in the class that semester. I would rank Jason among the top 10 - 15% of the more than four hundred or so students I've taught in this course over the past thirty-fi ve years". Along with his strong mathematical ability, Jason's level of involvement in different organizations and projects demonstrates that he has the ability to become an excellent teacher. Jason has presented twice at the NCTM conference in Duluth, MN. First on modeling trig functions with Geometer's SketchPad, and then on using screen capture software to design educational videos. Jason's interest in using technology in the classroom has also lead him to work intensively with a professor at NMU this summer in developing an online statistics course which features pod casting as its key medium. In addition to his other activities, Jason also works as a tutor for the math lab at CMU. One of his clients sustained a traumatic brain injury. The family said the following, "... Jason has shown admirable patience, kindness, respect ...and has developed tutoring videos to be emailed for our use."

As Jason, now a father of three, ends his career at NMU, he describes his personal teaching style as an inquiry/discovery style heavily laden with technology. He hopes to incorporate fi ve key principles in his classroom: motivation and self-efficacy, maintaining an orderly learning environment, a focus on blended philosophies of learning, communication and personal growth. His professor adds, "I sincerely look forward to his future work."

Back to the top

Jill Immink - Hope College
Jill comes from Hamilton, MI where she graduated from Hamilton High School in 2005 as co-valedictorian. During her years in high school she was active in the National Honor Society as well as athletics. In addition, she participates in mission trips for her church and also shows sheep at the Allegan County Fair. At Hope College she continued to be involved in many extracurricular activities as a middle hitter/blocker for their volleyball team. As a team member see worked at summer volleyball camps and even played in Brazil. As a member of the Hope collegiate chapter of Habitat for Humanity, she did several house building mission trips. One professor describes Jill as, "... energetic, outgoing and a serious student who excels in the classroom." In addition to being an outstanding mathematics student and member of the Pi Mu Epsilon Honor Society of Mathematics, Jill also is a Computer Science Engineering Mathematics Scholar. This summer she became Hughes Science Education Scholar. In this capacity she will work on conducting curriculum development-based research for ten weeks expanding textbooks and developing projects for a course titled Multivariable Mathematics.

This fall she will be a senior at Hope College and will graduate in the Spring of 2009 obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree with a mathematics major and geology/earth science minor both in secondary education.

Jill shares that while learning has always been an interest of hers, she discovered continually throughout her educational pursuits that mathematics is her passion. From the time she was young, she has described herself as a problem-solver with a love of logic. Even more prevalent though is her desire to pass her love for math and for learning on to young adults. It is her goal to demonstrate the importance of this discipline to her students, both in the classroom and the real world. Jill plans to do this by challenging her students with meaningful activities while differentiating instruction to meet their individual learning needs. One professor writes, "... She has the heart of someone who wants to help students." In balancing instruction and guidance with discovery and fl exibility, she plans to help each and every one of her students meet his or her potential. Another professor writes, "Jill has expressed a strong desire to make mathematics engaging, practical and interesting for her students. I believe she has the intelligence and the refl ective nature needed to be an outstanding mathematics teacher."

Back to the top

Jessica Petkus - Olivet College
Jessica represents Olivet College where she will earn a teaching degree in elementary education with majors in Mathematics and English. Support throughout her life from her family has encouraged her to excel in academics. Her own motivation comes from an internal sense of needing personal satisfaction. She possesses a real joy for learning as well as a deep satisfaction in helping others understand diffi cult topics. Spending time with children as a babysitter and camp supervisor helped her discover a passion for children. When she was a student at Milford High School she also realized a growing interest in mathematics. She viewed each problem as a puzzle and math was the fi rst homework she would complete after school.

Upon entering Olivet College, Jessica had fi rst selected an English Elementary Education Major as she loved to read and interpret and learn from what she was reading. She thoroughly enjoyed interpreting and analyzing texts. As Michigan emphasized that all teachers needed to be highly qualifi ed, Jessica decided to choose another major and mathematics was the topic as she remembered enjoying it immensely in elementary school. As she continued her study of mathematics at Olivet, Jessica discovered that the way she was taught mathematics in grade school was extremely ineffective compared to the way mathematics is being taught in today's classrooms. Rather than learning algorithms alone, her mathematics methods courses revealed to her that mathematics in today's classroom is based more on problem solving skills and life application. A math problem could be solved using multiple strategies and paths-thus her passion for mathematics and teaching the subject greatly increased. She saw the benefi t that problem-solving mathematics could have on the lives of children. In a way, mathematics was also becoming an interpretive genre of study like English. Jessica loved this area of study and found that she could teach math in several ways that would reach a variety of learning styles. One of her supporters states, "Jessica is very creative in her delivery of lessons. She is able to take the base curriculum and adjust it to the needs of her group". Another professor states that "Jessica asked thoughtful questions and was hungry for a greater depth of understanding... and then designed lessons based on the GLCEs that were developmentally appropriate".

Jessica has been extremely active as a student at Olivet. Some of her accomplishments include working with the college's community service organization, tutoring math for a church-based organization and helping at Fern Person's Elementary School. One professor sums her involvement in the following words, "Jessica exemplifi es Olivet College's motto of Individual and Social Responsibility not only in her life's goals, but also in her day-to-day actions."

Back to the top

Elizabeth Trexler - Michigan State University
From the moment she came into the world, Elizabeth has always wanted to be a teacher. With a mother and grandmother as role models, Elizabeth would teach her imaginary students in her basement as a young child. Her love of mathematics developed early in life and by 5th grade she was attending middle school taking math courses two grade levels above her peers. This trend continued throughout her middle and high school career. As a senior she was dual-enrolled at Wayne State University taking advanced calculus. Elizabeth graduated from Grosse Pointe South High School in 2005, and came to Michigan State University knowing that becoming a secondary mathematics educator would be the most rewarding career she could possibly choose. By the Spring of 2009 she hopes to have obtained her Bachelor's degree in mathematics with a minor in economics. She is also pursuing a specialization in peace and justice studies with an emphasis on socioeconomic inequality. She strongly feels that being knowledgeable about this issue is pertinent to education as many urban districts combat issues of inequality.

This summer she is participating in the Broad Urban Teaching Fellowship, a program coordinated through MSU and the Detroit Public Schools. She is also an undergraduate teaching assistant for the Department of Mathematics at MSU. She feels that this experience has strongly influenced her goals and strategies as a future high school teacher. This upcoming year, she will be president of the Epsilon Kappa chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, of which she has been a member for the past two years. She has also participated in two Alternative Spring Breaks-one to San Francisco to work with HIV/ AIDS victims and one to Puerto Rico to help teach children English, while learning about the local environment and culture. This year, she will serve as a co-education chair for the MSU Alternative Spring Break program as well.

Her teaching philosophy draws upon many of these experiences both inside and outside the classroom. Her goal is to help her students realize that math extends beyond the classroom into all aspects of life. Promoting literacy is a goal all math teachers should have according to Elizabeth. Literacy is not only having the knowledge to complete a task, but being able to understand and apply this knowledge outside the original context. She hopes to realize this goal through the use of technology as well as instilling curiosity in her classroom presentations.

According to one of her professors, Elizabeth has developed the knowledge base to "appreciate the complexity of working with diverse students," and has "developed the knowledge, skills and disposition required for promoting literacy for all students."

Back to the top
2007 Miriam Schaefer Scholarship Recipients

Toni Vellmure - University of Michigan - Dearborn
Toni Vellmure has been defined as a nontraditional student. She is currently a senior at the University of Michigan- Dearborn, having graduated from Grosse Ile High School in 1988. One of her professors indicates that she has "a special personality, and a certain amount of maturity not typically present in more traditional university students" and that she entered college "not immediately on the heels of high school." She is a single mother raising seven children ranging in age from sixteen to seven year old twins. This past winter she volunteered in a pre-algebra classroom at Lincoln Park Middle School, and this summer she will assist college professors in instructing future college students who have difficulty with mathematics through the Bridge program. Now she is finishing her fourth year at the University of Michigan - Dearborn where she is a member of Pi Mu Epsilon and will earn her Bachelors of Sciences in Mathematics, Bachelors of Arts in Economics, a minor in Statistics, and a secondary teaching certificate. She plans to earn a Master's in Mathematics Education and desires to teach high school in the Metro Detroit area.

According to Toni's beliefs, teaching mathematics in high school should incorporate both a deep understanding of the subject matter and a good understanding of the students in the classroom. She feels that teachers need to be prepared, organized, and possess deep understanding of concepts in order to meet the new state content expectations. Toni believes that teachers need to know where their instruction is heading and how each topic will lead into the next. Most importantly, she believes that the teacher is also a learner. She sees herself learning from her students as they learn from her. One professor states that "she is sensitive to individual differences and has an interest in developing learning activities that allow for differentiation among students with different abilities.

Toni also believes that classrooms need the elements of caring and respect. She feels a caring teacher keeps the students believing in themselves. According to two of her professors, Toni has a thoughtful and mature approach to creating effective mathematics lessons and will be a demanding but caring teacher who will be an asset to the profession. In the words of another professor, "Toni will set high but achievable goals for her students, and she will work on cognitive and affective levels to assure the success of her students."

Back to the top

Amanda Robinson, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Amanda Robinson has been defined by one of her professors as one of the strongest elementary education students she has ever had in a math class. She graduated from Lansing Christian School in 2004 and is currently a senior at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Amanda has a teaching philosophy that focuses on engaging students in developing a respect for the usefulness of mathematics. To achieve this philosophy, she feels that skills should be connected with broad concepts and applied to real world situations. She feels that "using student exploration as an instructional method allows students to be active contributors in the classroom, to delve into and take responsibility for their own learning". She encourages divergent thinking through open-ended problem solving and plans to set high expectations for student performance. Her goal is to offer meaningful mathematics instruction to alter students' learned resistance. She feels that students' naturally curiosity fits the framework of using mathematics as a tool for exploration.

One of Amanda's professors states that she is "extremely bright, thoughtful and creative; very organized and conscientious; and quite skilled at working productively in collaboration with others. She (possesses) a combination of focus and sensitivity that at once supports and guides others". In the words of a professor, "Amanda has a powerful command of knowledge related to child development and educational psychology." Another professor indicates that she is "courageous and willing to take risks" and also highlights Amanda's understanding that teaching should be "informed by research and theory as well as practice and has taken the initiative to become an informed educator, specifically in the area of mathematics." One area of interest and research has been investigating inquiry-based methods in mathematics to aid in her development of inquiry-based projects for an independent study course for middle school students.

Amanda, according to her professor, is "passionate about mathematics and is excited about making it come alive for her future students so they understand that mathematics has meaning in their everyday lives." This summer Amanda will be teaching mathematics through inquiry to sixth grade students at MASCOT a camp for advanced students. She is also a member of Kappa Delta Pi at the University of Michigan. She was the only student in her class to join the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Amanda defines her teaching philosophy through the following quote by Daniel Mark Childs: "A truly great teacher is perpetually rocking the boat in the cause of furthering the waves of understanding that flood over the walls of defense and denial built up around young people's thirsty minds."

Back to the top

Gina Zambo, Aquinas College
Gina Zambo, a 2003 graduate of Gabriel Richard High School, will be graduating from Aquinas College with a Bachelor of Arts with a Learning Disabilities Major and Mathematics minor with Elementary Certification. She chose this combination because she felt that there is a deficit in special education mathematics. Gina indicates that "this is the perfect match because I can apply the multi-sensory techniques I have acquired in my learning disabilities classes to make learning mathematics more tactile and exciting." Her professor states, "Gina has a strong personal commitment to excellence in teaching all children, but especially those with learning disabilities".[She] recognized that children with learning disabilities need mathematics teachers with deep subject matter understanding." Her teaching philosophy stems from three beliefs: all students have the right to learn; teachers should provide respectful, caring environments; and teachers should hold high standards and be dedicated to providing students with a strong educational foundation. Gina was selected as a MathARTS (Mathematics! Algebraic Reasoning for Teachers and Students) scholar. She worked in a 6th grade classroom in both general mathematics and special education mathematics. In addition, Gina is close to completing 300 service hours as a Michigan Service Scholar. One professor states that "Gina has a strong personal commitment to excellence in teaching all children, but especially those with learning disabilities." Another professor indicates that Gina "has unusual maturity and perspective about teaching and knows intuitively how to relate to students and establish an optimal learning environment for all students." He adds, "She takes advantage of every opportunity possible to volunteer and work with students outside of the placements required by the certification program of the School of Education."

One of Gina's main goals is to have her students learn to value mathematics while becoming confident in their abilities. She wants to challenge their minds, but also support them throughout the process. Gina, according to one of her professors, "works for understanding."

Gina quotes Poisson, "I have a passion for math, and I want to instill that passion in my students". Her professor supports this passion by noting that her "concern for students is supported by her strong academic preparation, her work ethic and her contagious love of mathematics." She will have the opportunity to show her love of mathematics this coming fall during her internship at Allen Park Middle School where she will have 6th and 8th grade mathematics classes including some special education mathematics classes.

Back to the top

Amanda Smith, Central Michigan University
As a future mathematics educator in secondary education, Amanda Smith believes that to be the best instructor possible, she must have an organized, complete plan for optimum instruction, an understanding and commitment to her students, and an enthusiasm for learning. She graduated from Hartford High School in 2004 and is now a senior at Central Michigan University. She strongly believes in the power of self-discovery and tactile learning. She recognizes the fact that students can learn from each other and independently when provided with the tools necessary to succeed. In her words, Amanda says that "my future classroom will be very focused on giving my students the tools to be successful while facilitating their learning as they discover and begin to appreciate mathematics for themselves." One professor indicates that Amanda "was very good at asking the right questions, and she was very good at helping the other group members formulate their ideas." He also indicates that she "enjoys mathematics" and was "ranked first among all secondary mathematics education majors in his class."

One of Amanda's goals is to clarify how students can relate the concepts of mathematics to their current and future lives. Her mid-tier mathematics instructor states that "Amanda did a nice job making subject matter relevant to the interests of her students. She incorporated a variety of teaching styles to coordinate subject matter and learning styles throughout the course of her mid-tier experience." She adds that her "excellent rapport with students", is a strength Amanda also demonstrated.

In addition to her secondary mathematics degree, she is also pursuing an Athletic Coaching Endorsement from Central Michigan University and has been active in several intramural sports. As a commitment to her students, she wants become actively involved in many aspects of the school environment that could include academic advising and coaching.

Amanda has also cultivated an interest in professional development and wants to continue her development in her content area so she will have a stronger base for teaching. Amanda is a member of Kappa Delta Pi where she is the Vice President, Pi Omega Pi and the Student Michigan Education Association. She feels that enthusiasm for the material and the desire to keep learning will help make her the high-quality teacher she wants to be. She looks forward to a teaching career that she describes as exciting, challenging, and rewarding - one where she can "facilitate mathematical growth for her students."

Back to the top

Bruce Salter, Aquinas College
Bruce is a 2003 graduate from Ionia High School and is a senior at Aquinas College. He is also a newly wed as of July 27th. He plans to incorporate his honeymoon with his presentation on cycloid like curves at the MAA Math Fest in San Jose, California in early August. He says he has always had the desire to be a great teacher, but his understanding of how he will succeed at this has developed since entering Aquinas. His professors truly opened the world of mathematics to him. As one professor states, "He has spent much of his life dreaming about being a high school math teacher, and will not be dissuaded from this dream." Another professor states, "Bruce has many talents with many careers open to him, I am very happy to see Bruce choose to become a teacher" and then adds, "I picture Bruce as a teacher who will continue to grow in his interest, curiosity, and excitement with mathematics." Bruce has plans to continue to be a life long learner so he can acquire more techniques and methods for teaching others.

Bruce has been an active member of the Aquinas College Math Club and is currently the president. As a member, he presented on the mathematics of Spiro graphs. He has also competed in numerous math competitions and has even helped organize practice sessions. His interest in helping others with mathematics has grown through his work as a tutor for the Aquinas College mathematics department. A professor noted that he seems to be a favorite tutor with many Aquinas students because of his mathematical knowledge and his ability to make connections with the students. Bruce supports and is a member of the Ionia Jaycees. His academic excellence is recognized by his membership in Pi Mu Epsilon.

Bruce feels that students learn the most when they are interested in what is being taught. One of his professors describe Bruce's interest in this way, "Bruce is a consistent student and often in class would ask good questions as he probed connections with other areas of mathematics." He wants to create activities and applications that connect the ideas of mathematics and hopes to motivate students to branch out and pursue their own meanings and connections. To reach this goal, he plans to use rich problem-solving techniques. A friend says, "He [Bruce] has a strong ability to dig into a problem and find all sorts of useful ideas." and continues, "His strong intellectual power, his curiosity and his patience makes him a unique package as a prospective teacher."

His greatest hope is to one day teach mathematics so that students gain an understanding of math in the way they see it best.

Back to the top
2006 Miriam Schaefer Scholarship Recipients

Sarah Bryan
Wayne State University

After graduating from Inter-City Baptist High School, Sarah entered Wayne State University where she is in the 5th year of her program. She will graduate with a Bachelors of Arts in mathematics, a minor in Spanish, and will earn her teacher certification. Sarah chose to pursue a combined degree because she wanted to take as many mathematics classes as possible. She believes that having a strong content base is extremely important for teachers. One of Sarah's employers comments that Sarah has the ability to "pull together from her resources on the spur of the moment" while tutoring and that Sarah reveals a great knowledge of math. Sarah acknowledges that classrooms today are made up of students with different abilities, learning styles, motivations, and interests and hopes to integrate various teaching methods to target those differences. She hopes to help them discover their differences while encouraging them to set goals for themselves. She plans to structure her classroom learning environment to ultimately build confidence in her students' ability to learn and do well in mathematics. Through her tutoring experiences at the Learning Enrichment Center, she has realized that many students do not understand the benefits of mathematics. Because of this, she hopes to connect math to the lives of her students. She feels that the analytical and critical thinking skills developed through mathematics are extremely important and valuable. Aside from mathematics, she has had the opportunity to work with adolescents as a camp counselor and feels that the experiences of working at camp will help her connect to and understand her future students better. Sarah feels that as a new teacher entering the field, she still has much to learn. Therefore, she will take time to review and reflect on the effectiveness of her lessons and will implement the changes she needs.

Back to the top

Mark Henrion
Northern Michigan University

Mark is a senior at Northern Michigan University majoring in secondary education mathematics with a minor in secondary education physics. He attended Norway High School in Norway, Michigan. While at Norway he played football, basketball, and track and was selected to the Michigan Football's All-State Academic First Team. While at Northern Michigan University, he was an active member in the school community. He was involved in NMU's Student Leader Fellowship Program and was a mentor to an at-risk youth through the Department of Child and Family Services in Marquette, Michigan. He volunteered for Bothwell Middle School's Math Counts program in Marquette and was a volunteer coach for Bothwell Middle School's First LEGO League team sponsored by Northern Michigan University. For the past three semesters he worked as a tutor in Northern Michigan's math tutoring lab. During this time, he took part in the Michigan Autumn Take-Home Challenge. He also attended the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Mathematical Association of America's regional conferences. Mark is currently working as a tutor-counselor at Northern Michigan University's Upward Bound Regional Math and Science program. Mark feels that by working with these students he has had an incredible chance to act as a mentor, supervisor, and friend to these young people. Two years into Mark's education program, he began to understand that teaching is far beyond just knowing the subject matter. He feels that all the content knowledge in the world means nothing if he cannot convey these ideas to his students. He wants to create a class of active thinkers and learners who can reason, set up problems, and perform mental math operations. By constantly giving his classes interesting and unique problems, he hopes to instill all of these qualities in his students. In an effort to make interesting, innovative, and applicable mathematics the cornerstone of his classroom, he will also give his students group projects that allow them to come up with innovative solutions that do not come from a textbook. While establishing himself as an effective and motivated teacher of mathematics, he wants to be a constant, respectful role model for his students. One of Mark's professors views him "as the kind of teacher and role model one would choose for one's own children". Mark is everything we look for in the next generation of mathematics teachers. In addition to teaching mathematics, Mark wants to be an active member of the school community and as a result, hopes to gain a common ground with as many students as possible. He intends to show his students that he cares about them in and out of the classroom. Not only will he care that they learn mathematics, but that they succeed in all walks of life as well.

Back to the top

Gerard Kwiatkowski
Grand Valley State University

Gerard is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and Spanish with an emphasis in secondary education at Grand Valley State University. He is an alumnus of Hopkins High School class of 2003 in Hopkins, Michigan. Throughout high school and college he has had the opportunity to learn from some amazing teachers that he feels have prepared him well to follow in their footsteps and leave his mark on his students. Gerard is involved in the Latino Student Union at Grand Valley State University and spearheaded a translation effort for some after school family math nights at various Grand Rapids elementary schools. His future career goal is to work in a predominately Spanish-speaking high school teaching mathematics. He has had multiple opportunities to develop his teaching and communication skills through extra curricular programs including Peer Assistance Leadership Students at Hopkins High School, the Mathematics Lab and Upward Bound at Grand Valley State University. One of Gerard's professors comments that his "effort greatly enhanced these events and was a wonderful service to the families of those communities." Gerard feels that one of the greatest rewards of teaching math is the feeling of making a real difference in the student's academics while changing the stigma that mathematics is boring and not for everyone. In his classroom all students will be given the opportunity to excel and this will be accomplished through meaningful teaching methods and assessment. He plans to use a variety of modeling, cooperative learning, guided practice, problem solving, independent practice, as well as individual and group investigations in his lessons. He will focus on conceptual understanding and adaptive reasoning by asking open-ended questions and probing to see if students can relate what they are working on to something else they have seen in the past. Another professor sees Gerard as being "a bright and conscientious student with clear, well-defined goals and the motivational and leadership skills necessary to bring these goals to fruition."

Back to the top

Mai Bazzi
University of Michigan - Dearborn

Mai graduated from Fordson High School in Dearborn in 2001 and is now a senior at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She transferred from Henry Ford Community College to the University of Michigan in 2004. She is married and has a three year old son. Teaching mathematics has always been a dream of hers. She believes that it is one of her responsibilities as a future teacher to make every student in her classroom recognize that they all have the potential to understand all concepts of mathematics. She feels that effective math teachers do not simply transfer methods for solving math problems; instead they involve the students in the learning process. Her lessons will revolve around student understanding where she will facilitate their learning and help each student understand mathematical concepts in creative and innovative ways. Her plan is to use games such as "Baseball Mathematics" or "Flash Card Challenge" to teach addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division which will make learning meaningful. Her goal as a future teacher of mathematics is to work with the students in deriving their own strategies to solve different mathematical problems. Mai acknowledges that every student learns in ways that are unique and when using their own strategies, they will understand mathematics in ways that makes sense to them. Her classroom environment will be one in which the students will be comfortable sharing their work. She believes that mistakes are avenues for "teachable moments". Mai feels that it is important to include activities in her lessons that are relevant to the students' interests to enable students to see how mathematics is important in our daily lives. She has attained over 75 hours of community service at Riverside Academy in Dearborn tutoring ESL students in math and reading. Mai also tutored family member and neighborhood children in math. An employer of Mai's comments that "the careful attention and patience she displays to her students shows us just how much she really cares about the education these children receive." She has accumulated over 90 hours of community service in Dearborn Public Schools. She also assisted in family fun night at Riverside Academy working with students solving math puzzles and math games. One of Mai's instructors states that "teaching is Mai's passion".

Back to the top

Amy Brandt
Central Michigan University

Amy is currently attending Central Michigan University and is working toward her Elementary Education certificate with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Reading. She will begin her student teaching in the Fall of 2006. She is a graduate of Plymouth Christian Academy and has dreamed of being a teacher as long as she can remember. Amy wants her future students to explore number in a fun and interactive way. She desires to instill an understanding of the value of mathematics and number in her future students. She plans to accomplish this by incorporating real-life situations and hands-on activities into her classroom to allow students to develop their problem solving and mathematical reasoning skills, while learning to enjoy the discovery of mathematical relationships in a safe environment. She believes that students will be more likely to remember and retain information when they discover it themselves. One of Amy's professors comments that "she is quite knowledgeable about the current state and national standards for teaching and learning mathematics", and she did several pedagogically focused activities including examining the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards for School Mathematics and reading professional journal articles on the learning and teaching of geometry. Amy is active on campus as a member of the Collegiate Middle Level Association at Central Michigan University and is on the executive team for Campus Crusade for Christ. She has developed her teaching skills outside of the college classroom by substitute teaching, tutoring, and volunteering in local schools. She also values opportunities for further professional development and has attended numerous conferences and seminars including the Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning Conference and a pre-service teachers' conference at Central Michigan University. She is excited to join MCTM and learn more about teaching mathematics from other professionals.

Back to the top
Scholarship Committee

Darlene Kohrman (Chair)
Char Beckmann
Sheila Eisenhauer
Terri Faitel
Sue Hollar
David Johnson
Rheta Rubenstein
Ed Silver
Judy Wheeler

Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 3300 Washtenaw Avenue, Suite 220,
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104-4200, Phone: 734.477.0421, Fax: 734.677.2270, E-mail: alecia@ucia2.com