Jeffrey was born and raised just south of the City of Chicago. He attended Northwestern University and earned a BA in Biology. He moved to Los Angeles and received an MBA from UCLA in Finance and Accounting. Jeffrey has held positions in management in the high technology, publishing, customer service and gaming industries. He returned to school and completed a teacher certification program at Northeastern Illinois University to teach elementary school in an urban school. This is his eighth year teaching at Nobel Elementary School, a Chicago Public School in the West Humboldt Park area. He has taught all subject areas and grades 3rd through 8th, as is currently a 5th Grade Math Teacher and 7th Grade Algebra Teacher.
Your favorite quote related to teaching/learning: “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think” - Margaret Mead
Book Recommendation: Countdown: Six Kids Vie for Glory at the World’s Toughest Math Competition by Steve Olson. This book is an incredible insight of not only these incredible mathematicians, but an in depth look at the art of problem solving. This book raises more questions than it answers about what special talents and skills to make a gifted problem solver, but offers a peek at how these talented kids went about solving problems under extremely competitive and stressful conditions. This book has inspired me to nurture my students with these problem-solving attributes.
1. Taking each in turn. Looking back. I have worked in management positions in numerous industries for over 25 years. I didn’t feel fulfilled or like I was contributing to society. I am well educated in many areas and well-traveled and believed I could make a difference in a young child’s life in an urban setting. These children have to overcome incredible odds to escape the cycle of poverty and violence in the inner cities of our country. I believe I have had a positive impact on some of these children. My only regret is that I waited so long to embark on this incredibly satisfying journey so late in my career, but what an ending!
2. Where I am now?
This past year as an MSUrbanSTEM fellow has completely changed my educational focus driven by content. This program has given me the insight and the courage to embody my favorite quote by Margaret Mead mentioned above. My focus has been to create mathematicians out of my 5th grade students by teaching then to see, think, act communicate and view the world like mathematicians. I have started many new projects and activities to foster these goals and have only scratched the surface. MSUrbanSTEM has provided the foundation to build on these small successes and truly create a learning environment to create problem-solving mathematicians.
3. Looking Forward.
A teacher and their students can have every technological tool available and still not reach their educational goals in that classroom. One of my goals is to provide as much access to the technological tools that are available. There are many limitations, especially the budgetary concerns facing CPS. II will work with our leadership team and administration to help secure needed funding for technology.
My overarching goal is simple: create mathematicians. I have started to slowly build up the confidence and experience of my students in respect to thinking, seeing, acting and communicating like mathematicians through activities that involve them looking at the world around them as mathematicians. They are not only identifying mathematical problems in the real world, but providing solutions. I have also instituted many problem-solving exercises into the classroom. Many of my departmental colleagues have incorporated some of these new ideas. My ultimate goals is to have my students initiate this curiosity about mathematical situations in the real world and see how they connect to their everyday life. In five years, I want my students to leave my classroom with the mindset of a mathematician and problem-solving skills that allow them to confidently and competently present solutions to mathematical problems they encounter.
4. Summing up. This I believe that every child deserves the chance to learn how to think, contribute to society and live a life fulfilled.