About the Authors
Thomasenia Lott Adams, PhD, is an associate dean and professor of mathematics education in the College of Education at the University of Florida (UF). She has mentored many future teachers of mathematics and mathematics teacher educators, and has served as a mathematics coach for grades K–12. She is the author of an elementary mathematics text series, academic books, and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. She is a featured speaker in a variety of venues.
Dr. Adams is an associate editor for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (NCTM) journal, Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PreK–12. She previously served as editor for NCTM’s Mathematical Roots Department in Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School and coeditor for the Investigations Department of Teaching Children Mathematics. She was the Program Chair for the 2018 Annual Conference of NCTM. Her professional service also includes the roles of past president of the Florida Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, past board member for the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, and past board member of the School Science and Mathematics Association. She is also a past recipient of the Mary L. Collins Teacher Educator of the Year Award from the Florida Association of Teacher Educators. Dr. Adams has engaged in many other high-impact mathematics education projects. She is a leader in Dixon Nolan Adams (DNA) Mathematics and the mathematics program officer for the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning.
Dr. Adams received a bachelor of science in mathematics from South Carolina State College and a master of education and doctorate of philosophy in instruction and curriculum with an emphasis in mathematics education from the University of Florida.
To learn more about Dr. Adams’s work, visit www.dnamath.com and follow @TLAMath on Twitter.
Taylar B. Wenzel, EdD, is a faculty member in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate students. Her research focuses on the role of children’s use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies across reading and mathematics contexts and the use of lesson study with preservice teachers.
Dr. Wenzel is well known for her professional development partnerships with urban schools and programs in the Orlando, Florida, area. At each site, she teaches model lessons, facilitates professional learning, conducts research, and supports instructional change. She is the cofounder of the UCF Enrichment Programs in Literacy and Mathematics, a collaboration with other faculty members, through which undergraduate and graduate students provide intervention to students in the Central Florida area.
Dr. Wenzel regularly presents her work at professional conferences and invited keynote addresses. She is a consultant for numerous school districts and education agencies and has published articles, book chapters, and professional development handbooks.
Dr. Wenzel earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education with an emphasis in mathematics and science education from the University of Florida and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Central Florida.
To learn more about Dr. Wenzel’s work, follow @taylar_wenzel on Twitter.
Kristopher J. Childs, PhD, is a mathematics educator focused on inspiring change through mathematics. His work centers on helping educators understand and teach mathematics effectively. Dr. Childs is actively researching the selection, implementation, and discourse of rich problem-solving tasks and teaching mathematics for social justice.
He has vast experience at the K–12 and postsecondary levels in teaching and leadership positions. His experiences have afforded him the opportunity to gain hands-on, practical application in a variety of educational settings working with diverse student populations. He is committed to ensuring every student receives a high-quality mathematics education.
Dr. Childs earned a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. He completed a master of science degree in mathematics education at Nova Southeastern University and received a doctorate of philosophy in mathematics education from the University of Central Florida.
To learn more about Dr. Childs’s work, visit www.KristopherChilds.com and follow @DrKChilds on Twitter.
Samantha R. Neff is an adjunct professor in early childhood education at the University of Central Florida. She has been a collaborative team member in Seminole County Public Schools since 1997, writing mathematics instructional plans and participating in grant studies on formative assessment in mathematics and cognitively guided instruction. She is an elementary mathematics instructional coach in a Title I school. Neff works with teachers, students, parents, and administrators to enhance the teaching, learning, and assessing of mathematics to improve student achievement. Focused on mathematical practices that promote critical thinking and reasoning in the classroom, she has organized and implemented a flourishing professional learning community. Prior to coaching, Neff worked in K–5 classrooms for more than ten years. She is also a consultant for specializing in building mathematical content knowledge and assessment.
Neff was selected as 2019 District Teacher of the Year in Seminole County, Florida, and was a finalist for 2019 Florida Teacher of the Year. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhood education from the University of Central Florida.
To learn more about Neff’s work, follow @jasamneff on Twitter.
To book Thomasenia Lott Adams, Taylar B. Wenzel, Kristopher J. Childs, or Samantha R. Neff for professional development, contact [email protected].
Introduction
Juli K. Dixon, Edward C. Nolan, and Thomasenia Lott Adams conceptualized the Making Sense of Mathematics for Teaching books as a “response to requests from teachers, coaches, supervisors, and administrators who understand the need to know mathematics for teaching but who do not know how to reach a deeper level of content knowledge or support others to do so” (Dixon, Nolan, Adams, Brooks, & Howse, 2016, p. 1). These books provide “guidance for refining what it means to be a teacher of mathematics. To teach mathematics for depth means to facilitate instruction that empowers students to develop a deep understanding of mathematics” (Dixon, Nolan, Adams, Brooks, & Howse, 2016, pp. 1–2).
The positive reaction to this series has strengthened our commitment to this message and has fueled our goal of improving the teaching and learning of mathematics worldwide.
Every endeavor has its teachable moments, and what we have learned since the first Making Sense of Mathematics for Teaching book’s publication is that teachers, coaches, supervisors, and administrators also desire to learn more about teaching and learning mathematics to distinct populations of students, such as students with special needs and English learners. In fact, Making Sense of Mathematics for Teaching the Small Group (Dixon, Brooks, & Carli, 2019) is an example of our responsiveness to the specific interests and needs of teachers who desire information about effective practices for teaching mathematics to students in the pulled small group. The context for this book, Making Sense of Mathematics for Teaching Girls in Grades K–5, is also a response to those who called for focus on a distinct population of students of mathematics: girls.
Comparing boys and girls is a common phenomenon in various contexts