Cotsen alumna fellow Robyn Stankiewicz has been selected as a finalist for one of the nation’s highest honors for teachers of mathematics and science. Robyn, a kindergarten teacher at La Verne Science and Technology Charter in the Pomona Unified School District, is one of three California math finalists to be recognized by the 2018-2019 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program. Each year, California recommends three state nominees for mathematics teaching and three state nominees in science instruction.
“After my principal, Dolores Lobaina, nominated me, I think I decided to follow through with the application process because of my work with the Harvey Mudd College and Dr. Rachel Levy, who is now the New Deputy Executive Director of the Mathematical Association of America,” Robyn said.
Four years ago, Harvey Mudd College and Pomona Unified School District created the “IMMERSION Partnership,” a program that focused on implementing Mathematical Modeling in grades three, four, and five. Robyn discovered the opportunity to participate and learn about Mathematical Modeling and joined the week-long training that summer.
“Mathematical Modeling fit so well into my work with CGI,” Robyn observed. “Learning and using Mathematical Modeling in my math time really created a culture of mathematicians. Students often struggle to listen to their peers. Often, they want to blurt out what is on their own minds. But when we use modeling for math, the students really start listening to one another. Any timea student would propose an answer to the problem topic, the other students would ask, ‘Well, why do you say that?’ Mathematical Modeling created a dialogue during the class where my students would elaborate on their answers or questions. We were creating this culture of honoring thinking and it was awesome to see.”
Robyn participated for the full year, learning and practicing the modeling concept with her students, and then presented her journey to the partnership program. After that initial year, she was invited back to be a lead teacher in the program. Her role was to help other program participants incorporate the pedagogical practice into their classroom instruction.
With the progress she was making in her own instruction and the encouragement of her principal, Robyn felt compelled to share her work in Mathematical Modeling with the (PAEMST) program.
“It’s really nice to be recognized for what we do as teachers, but honestly, I’m just grateful to be able to share this work,” Robyn said. “Lately, I’ve been given the opportunity to present at CUE and NCTM conferences. She recently presented at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’(NCTM) INNOV8 Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I just want to get the word out that Mathematical Modeling gives success to students,” shared Robyn. “It lends itself to the students’ having agency over their own comprehension and understanding. None of my students are confused and telling me that they don’t know what to do. My students are excited to go to their tables and create solutions. What this does is generate confidence that is contagious and will even bleed into other subjects,” declared the honoree.
This dedicated educator is currently co-authoring a chapter in a book on the cycle of “Mathematical Modeling in the Kindergarten Classroom.”