Math has always been my thing—even as a kid, I saved my math homework for last because I enjoyed it so much! 📚 My career started in Perth Amboy, NJ, as a computer teacher, but I quickly realized that math was my true passion. I believe the greatest learning happens when students are active doers, not passive consumers, and I’ve dedicated my career to helping educators create classrooms where students make sense of math, not just memorize it.
A former middle school math teacher and elementary math coach, I now consult nationwide—but spend most of my time in New Jersey schools. (As a born and bred Jersey Girl—who went to her first Bruce concert at the age of 9—I want all students across my home state to have access to strong, standards-aligned instruction! 🎸) I support K–12 teachers in building content knowledge, guiding student-centered discourse, and using standards as the "North Star" of effective teaching. I help educators move beyond surface-level strategies by using student thinking as a driver for instruction, ensuring that math learning is meaningful, rigorous, and connected across grade levels.
Fun Facts About Me:
✅ I loved playing school as a kid. (Foreshadowing at its finest!) 👩🏫
✅ I was on TV with The Fonz during the Liberty Weekend festivities. (My perm is forever memorialized on YouTube—click on the photo and check it out if you need a good laugh!) 📺
✅ I got one question wrong on my math SAT. (Yes, I still think about it.) 🤦♀️
✅ I went alternate route. (Proof that the path to great teaching isn’t always a straight line!) ↔️
✅ I have a growing collection of math-themed shirts. (And, welcome suggestions for more!) 👕
✅ My dogs’ names—Sonoma and Douro—are inspired by my travels with my husband. (Because every great journey leaves a lasting impression!) 🐶
My experiences in public, independent, urban, and suburban schools—including being a student in Jersey City, NJ, during the state takeover in 1989—give me a unique perspective on the challenges teachers face and how to create systems and structures that truly support them. I believe math classrooms are full of solutions waiting to be discovered—and yes, I love a good math pun! 😆
I hold degrees from Duke University and Drexel University and am proud to serve as the Immediate Past-President of the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey (AMTNJ) and an Illustrative Mathematics Certified Facilitator. Since 2012, I’ve spoken at local and national conferences, including NCTM 🎤, sharing strategies to make math instruction more effective, engaging, and student-centered.
I currently live in Toms River, NJ, but you’ll most often find me collaborating with teachers, leading workshops, or sneaking analogies and personal stories/videos about my three nieces (all six and under!) into professional development. 🧸
🔎 Want to see what I mean? Check out my Videos page!
