Learning about how people think mathematically enables me to make sense of my experiences as a teacher more deeply.
Assistant Professor
I’m inspired to help teachers learn more about mathematics and student thinking. I hope to help pre-service teachers be more prepared for their future jobs than I was as a new teacher. I like being around students who are passionate about working to improve the world as teachers.
Learning about how people think mathematically enables me to make sense of my experiences as a teacher more deeply. There were a number of times as a teacher that I had questions about why my students gave particular answers and research has allowed me to better understand what I observed as a teacher. Research based models of mathematical thinking also help me to gain insight into how other people think about the world around them.
My students’ well-being is the more important to me than their understanding of any particular idea. It’s important to me that my students see the activities in my class as valuable and connected to their future. I spend a lot of time listening to my students’ thinking so I can see how they are understanding the topics in the course.
I hope they understand mathematics as a sensible, interconnected, beautiful subject that makes sense. And I hope they have a deeper appreciation of what goes into helping other people make sense of mathematics. I hope they also walk away with some practical, usable resources that they can take to the classroom.
I love going on outdoor adventures in the remote wilds of the United States. I’m one of five woman who are a certified packraft instructor! A packraft is a lightweight inflatable kayak that I can carry in my backpack. Being in nature has been an incredibly important part of my life. I hope my students have an activity that they love that they are able to do to create balance in their lives. Teaching can be a challenging career and I hope my students are able to balance their passion for helping others with activities that they love.
Learn more about Cameron Byerley.