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Testimonials from Participants

What Teachers Are Saying
What Mathematicians Are Saying

Teacher Comments

“I have made new friends and have stretched my brain. I have explored in depth some of the concepts that I teach. The networking with other professionals in the field of math is something that I value that would not have happened in any other venue. I truly enjoy our once-a-month gatherings and am constantly sharing the good news with colleagues.”

“I truly believe in the joy of math, of problem solving, and comfort in risk-taking. The Math Teachers’ Circle provided me with content and professional and peer support to further promote this teaching philosophy.”

“The collaborative effort of solving a complex problem has been a new experience for me. In the past, I saw math as a skill to be mastered individually, and that still does dominate my teaching. However, I have found that math ‘comes alive’ when it is shared and used to reach a common goal.”

“There are so many critical mathematical principles that are glossed over or ignored by elementary and middle school teachers. When I was taught basic arithmetic, geometry, and algebra, I was never taught the underlying math inherent to these ideas. My understanding has been enhanced, and therefore my teaching has improved.”

“While the bulk of my math class is designed to teach skills in order to master the California State Standards, I now make it a point to include problem solving (‘Fun Fridays’ as I call it). My students enjoy working together and I enjoy listening to all the ah-has around the room.”

“My mathematical thinking and enjoyment of math definitely changed for the positive after participating in the Math Teachers’ Circle program. I realized that I could solve problems even without any advanced formal mathematical training. By learning problem solving methods, I feel like I am confident enough now when examining math problems to not panic and I actually look at the problem outside of the traditional ‘method’ box in order to try to figure out a solution.”

“All of the sessions were informative as well as friendly. No question was too small to ask. One of the sessions from last year opened up a brand new way of me looking at fractional components. I also made a comrade in mathematics through the Math Teachers’ Circle. We have both gone on to receive the Teacher of the Year awards in our district. I believe the confidence gained through participation in the circle has helped increase our middle school mathematics competency.”

“I now make a point of letting my students know that it is okay to not immediately know how to solve a problem, that we can examine it and ‘discover’ possible solutions and then test them out to see if one of them works. This encourages even the timid students to venture out with a possible suggestion for a solution. Using this method is much more fun for everyone and it definitely actively involves all of the students.”

“As a result of my Math Teachers’ Circle experience, I have spent more time working with kids on problem solving strategies and have reflected more on how I introduce topics. I try to introduce topics with Math Teachers’ Circle style problems whenever I can. It’s the best way of achieving my goal of getting the kids to think logically.”

“I have used specific lessons from the Math Teachers’ Circle in my class and in an after- school program. But more importantly, I am more regularly aware of providing opportunities for deep learning.”

“I teach using concepts and connections to prior knowledge more than I did previously. I am asking why, instead of just asking how. I also give my students more time to work together. I feel that all my positive changes have evolved from becoming a Math Teachers’ Circle participant.”

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Mathematician Comments

“The beauty of the program is that by exposing one teacher to the kind of open-ended problem solving you encounter in a Math Teachers’ Circle, you can potentially affect thousands of students over the course of that teacher’s career.”

“It is enormously rewarding to be able to share the intrinsic beauty, austere clarity, and intriguing complexity of mathematics with middle school teachers and see how they revel in conquering challenging problems and get to appreciate the fact that there are valuable lessons to learn even in failing to completely solve a problem. I believe the program has a profound effect on the kind of mathematics that these teachers present in their classrooms.”

“All of the organizers of the original Math Teachers’ Circle have had years of experience with math circles for students and strongly believe in the impact they have on kids. Yet the impact of the Math Teachers’ Circle program on teachers has greatly exceeded our wildest expectations. I believe the program has a profound effect on the kind of mathematics that these teachers present in their classrooms.”

“The Math Teachers’ Circle workshop was outstanding. The experience will be very valuable in helping us bring a fun, enriching, and rewarding mathematics experience to central Iowa mathematics teachers.”

“At the Math Teachers’ Circle workshop, we were exposed to exciting methods of doing mathematics. We want the students and teachers to share in the aesthetic beauty of this process.”

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AIM

The Math Teachers’ Circle Network is a project of the American Institute of Mathematics.