Julie Kulik and Sarah Garlich, Elementary Math Interventionists, recently completed the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE) Elementary Mathematics Specialist (EMS) Certificate Program, earning their Math Specialist Certification after a year and a half of dedicated work. Reflecting on the experience, Julie shared, "The coursework was challenging but offered us the opportunity to dive deeper into grade-level standards and see how they build upon each other year after year. We covered a wide range of math topics, from numbers and operations to geometry and algebra. The program reinforced the importance of building conceptual understanding in math, which aligns perfectly with what we've been doing at Valley Park for years."
Sarah added, "Teaching math conceptually, rather than through rote memorization, fosters deeper understanding and leads to better problem-solving skills and higher-order thinking. We’ve developed units across all areas of math and incorporated more hands-on learning to support this approach. We've also spent considerable time crafting high-quality, rich math tasks designed to promote critical thinking for all learners." This approach helps every student view themselves as a mathematician.
Julie and Sarah have also introduced a new structure called "Building Thinking Classrooms," developed by Peter Liljedahl. This model encourages students to work in pairs or small groups to solve "thinking tasks," providing equitable learning opportunities. With a "low floor, high ceiling" approach, every student can access the material, feel successful, and excel.
"We loved collaborating with teachers across Missouri and learning about what other districts are doing," Julie and Sarah agreed. "It was exciting to share all the great things happening at Valley Park. We know this program will have a huge impact on student learning in mathematics within the VP community."
Congratulations to Sarah and Julie for their hard work and commitment to strengthening math instruction for our Hawks!