ATTN: iPad users! If this post doesn’t display properly, with all its nifty graphic and text links, try here. Stuart’s workshop on Visual Learning and Story Telling in Early Childhood Education will take place on Friday, January 27, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., in Room 192C, West Building, McCormick Place. Hope to see you there!
Posts Tagged ‘“Stuart J. Murphy”’
Children’s Books and Teaching Ethics: A Conversation with Janet Wong, Betsy Bird and Stuart J. Murphy at NYPL, January 7, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011Miss Cathy Recommends: A Roundup of Resources from Ready Set Pre-K’s Star Teacher
Monday, November 28th, 2011
You could say that Miss Cathy was drawn to teaching (literally). She loves her job at Ready Set Pre-K and looks forward to each morning with as much delight as her students: Freda, Percy, Ajay, Emma, Carlos and little Camille.
Although the focus of Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn stories is on the children (“Freda Plans a Picnic,” “Percy Gets Upset”), Miss Cathy plays a key, though sometimes invisible role, helping them learn the skills they need to be “happier, healthier and more confident.” She beams with their every success and when they struggle, thinks about ways to help.
Miss Cathy is constantly reading books and articles about early childhood education (she is a big fan of NAEYC’s magazines, especially “Teaching Young Children”). She is also a bit of a geek, regularly surfing the web looking for good resources.
So it was only natural that when we began thinking about developing resource pages to post on Twitter and Facebook, we thought of Miss Cathy.
She was thrilled! “Of course, I would love to help! Right after class, I shall start to put together some notes.”
Each “Miss Cathy Recommends…” webdoc (a one-page mini-website) includes links to articles, book links and websites about a specific social, emotional, health and safety or cognitive skill.
Miss Cathy also shares an I See I Learn story about how her students have learned specific skills, such as making a friend or dealing with frustration, and includes a link to an I See I Learn pdf poster, perfect for classrooms and libraries.
So far there are 8 “Miss Cathy Recommends…” resource pages:
SOCIAL SKILLS
- Making Friends: I See I Learn’s Miss Cathy Recommends Books & Resources (“Emma’s Friendwich”)
- Teamwork! Miss Cathy Recommends Books and Resources (“Camille’s Team”)
EMOTIONAL SKILLS
- Wow! I Can Do It: Miss Cathy Recommends Resources on Building Confidence (“Good Job, Ajay!”)
- Meltdown! Miss Cathy Recommends Resources on Managing Frustration (“Percy Gets Upset”)
HEALTH & SAFETY SKILLS
- Safety = Fun! Miss Cathy Recommends Resources on Playground Safety (“Percy Plays It Safe”)
- Lost? Miss Cathy Recommends Resources for Getting Found (“Freda Gets Found“)
COGNITIVE SKILLS
- Freda Plans a Picnic & Miss Cathy Recommends Resources for Sequencing Skills (Freda Plans a Picnic)
- Writing Your Own Name! Miss Cathy Recommends Resources (Write On, Carlos!)
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Actually, there is a 9th “Miss Cathy Recommends…” page:
Read the latest about I See I Learn (now in Spanish!), MathStart, the MathStart musical, The Main Street Kids’ Club, and more…
Thank you, Miss Cathy!
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Do you know a great resource you would like to recommend to Miss Cathy? Please write to feedback@stuartjmurphy.com!
Yay! Freda is Found!
Thursday, August 18th, 2011on getting help when lost: important tips for children, parents, teachers & caregivers
by J. A. Ginsburg
An "I See I Learn" story about how to get help when you are lost, an important Health and Safety skill
Being lost is scary. So is that awful feeling someone in your charge has gone missing. Freda Is Found focuses on skills that can:
- help keep a child from getting lost
- make being lost a little less frightening
- help a child get found
Freda—the Hermione Granger of the I See I Learn set—is the last child you would expect to get lost. Freda follows directions! Freda loves directions! But anyone can get lost, which is important to remember. It takes only a moment to let go of a hand and become separated from the group. Suddenly, nothing looks familiar. Everybody is a stranger. And… it’s…scary!
Still, this is Freda we are talking about. How did this happen? The day started out so brilliantly. During the morning “circle time” at Ready Set Pre-K, Miss Cathy told the class they were going on a field trip to the fire station. Freda loves fire trucks! She could barely contain her excitement as she held hands with Percy, her safety partner, walking with the class over to the station.
Then she saw a toy fire truck in the window of her favorite toy shop. Freda let go of Percy’s hand, thinking he would follow her to get a better look. But she darted away too fast. By the time she turned around, Percy was nowhere to be seen. All her friends had disappeared. Miss Cathy and Mr. D., her assistant, were gone, too!
Uh oh.
Freda knew she had made a serious mistake by letting go of Percy’s hand, but she remembered what she had been taught about how to get found.
While Freda was trying to get help, so was Percy, who immediately told Miss Cathy what had happened.
Mr. D. and Percy went back to look for Freda and boy, was she ever happy to be found! And really REALLY happy when then let her ring the bell at the fire station.
Getting found is way more fun than being lost!
Teachers! Parents! Librarians! Caregivers! Each "I See I Learn" book includes a two-page spread called “A Closer Look," designed to review key points. Also available as FREE pdf posters, perfect for classroom walls & refrigerator doors!
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MISS CATHY RECOMMENDS:
- Keeping Kids from Getting Lost (and What to Do If They Do) by Alyssa Dver / babyzone: Lots of great tips, such as dressing children in eye-catching clothing to make them easier to spot in a crowd. H’mmm. Maybe Mr. D. will help me design some special Ready Set Pre-K t-shirts for field trip days. So you think we should we include a picture of Pickle, Emma’s green bulldog?
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: According to government statistics, nearly 800,000 children are reported missing annually. Most children are reunited with their families quickly, but some find themselves is frightening and dangerous situations. The NCMEC site has lots information and helpful links.
- AMBER Alert Program: This is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, and transportation agencies to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases.
- Boy Scout Jared Ropelato Found in Utah Wilderness / ABC News (print & video): Look at how happy Jared—and his mom—are when he’s found.Freda knows exactly how that feels! Don’t wander off alone! (Really, “an encounter with a moose”?!)
Be sure to check out all of Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn books, including titles in Spanish! Stuart’s Level 1 MathStart books are perfect for Pre-K. You can follow us on twitter and Facebook. Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter, too! (sample)
Write On, Carlos!
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011On the the thrill of learning to write your own name, Percy’s pedal-car diversion, helpful moms, practice, practice, practice & Miss Cathy’s (no longer) secret love of ancient Runes…
by J.A. Ginsburg
A new I See I Learn book about learning to write your name!
Cleaning out old boxes the other day, I came across one of the first books that was mine, all mine, not a hand-me-down from my sister or brother: a Golden Book classic, We Help Mommy. The story line followed the seemingly endless labors of young Martha and Bobby, who helped prepare breakfast, make beds, dust, mop, wash, shop, bake, set the table, and, of course, put away all their toys without even a hint of complaint. Who were these Stepford children?
I don’t blame my mother for trying. Still, I was rather delighted to see I used the book mainly for coloring. Martha and Bobby may not have known the joy of play, but I sure did.
For me, the very best part of the book was the inside cover where I wrote my name. I remember writing it, too, because it was something a “big person” would do. Thrilling.
Write On, Carlos!, a new addition to Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn series, captures that sense accomplishment and triumph.
"'Vroom, vroom!' said Carlos. He drew cars all over his paper until it was time for bed."
Carlos wants to learn how to write his name, just like is friend Ajay. He knows the alphabet, so is off to a good start (the alphabet runs along the bottom border each double-page spread as a reference). His mom is a big help, too, spelling out the first three letters—C-a-r.
At the park the next day, Carlos and some of his friends from Ready, Set Pre-K—Freda, Percy and Ajay—are playing in the sandbox, writing their names in the sand. Percy, of course, being Percy, draws a self-portrait. When Carlos spells “C-a-r,” Percy (oh that Percy!), jumps into his pedal-car and leads everyone for quick spin around the playground.
That night, Carlos works on the last three letters of his name next: “l-o-s.” His mom gives him lots of paper and he practices and practices and practices!
A few days later, he joins his friends who are writing their names in chalk on the sidewalk (except, of course, for Percy, who, being Percy, has drawn a self-portrait). C-a-r. Percy is off in his pedal-car again, but Carlos keeps writing: l-o-s. Freda and Ajay stop to watch. Even Percy pedals over.
“‘Carlos. That’s ME!,’ shouted Carlos.”
Yes it is!
Being able to write one’s name is a cognitive skill: letter recognition is stepping stone to reading. It also boosts self confidence. A child who can write his own name knows he can write anything. All it takes is practice!
Free poster! Perfect for classrooms, libraries and refrigerator doors!
The storytelling, as with all I See I Learn books, is kept simple and clear, supported by illustrations designed to provide behavioral models.
TEACHERS! PARENTS! CARE-GIVERS!
Each I See I Learn book includes a two-page spread called “A Closer Look,” designed to review key points:
- How do you write your name?
- Can you write the names of other members of your family?
- Can you write the names of any of your friends, or pets?
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MISS CATHY RECOMMENDS:
- Writing Paper to Practice Handwriting for Preschool and Kindergarten: Free printables (website)
- Learn to Write…Free Tracing Paper: What a fun program from “My Moondrops!” Type your child’s name in a box and it generates a printable page with traceable letters. (website)
- Message in a Backpack: Supporting writing at home / NAEYC’s “Teaching Young Children” magazine: Teachers: TIY’s aptly named “Message in a Backpack” pdf’s are full of useful suggestions for parents. Great writers write all the time—at school and at home, too!
- Your Name In Runes / PBS Can I tell you a secret? I adore old alphabets! Type your child’s name in the box on the website and you can see what it looks like in 15th century Viking letters. Now that’s Write On!
Be sure to check out all of Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn books! His Level 1 MathStart books are perfect for Pre-K. You can follow us on twitter and Facebook. Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter, too! (sample)
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Facebook, Treasure Maps & a Challenge!
Monday, May 9th, 2011Does your class like make maps? We would love to see and share them!
by J. A. GinsburgWe are still basically newbies on Facebook, just starting to get our social media sea-legs (ahem, ahem: please “like” us…and tell your friends!) We have been experimenting with features such a “MathStart Book of the Day!” and, of course, news about Stuart’s new Pre-K series, I See I Learn.
It has been delightful to see who has discovered us. We have made some wonderful new connections.
Last week, Jason Gossard, who teaches at The Circle School in San Antonio, Texas, posted a really good question on Stuart’s “wall.”
Mr. Murphy: The students in my class are confused about the weird pictures in your book Treasure Map. We love the book and love the pictures, but we do not understand why there are giant objects by the small kids. Any help explaining these crazy pictures to us? Thanks a bunch. Please write back.
— Mr. Jason and the Star Room Kids, Circle School, SA, TX
I handle most of the posts for Stuart on Facebook and Twitter (@vizlearning), so wrote a brief reply, but clearly this called for Stuart’s insights.
Hello Mr. Jason & the Star Room Kids!
I love this question!
Janet’s right. Tricia Tusa, the illustrator, wanted to emphasize the fact that a map represents a section of the real world at another scale. Therefore, on pages 8-9, the map actually “becomes” the environment that it represents. On pages 10-11, the members of the Elm Street Kids’ Club have been reduced to the scale of the map and actually step right into it. From that point on, Tricia plays with dimension and scale to complement what is happening in the story.
On page 30, Tricia brilliantly added the returning Rocky River Rascals to her illustration. This was not part of the manuscript. She wanted readers to be constantly thinking of time, place, size, dimension and scale.
You didn’t ask about the “upside-down” map on the endpapers. Again, this was Tricia’s idea. She positioned the map, which is of Houston, where Tricia lived at the time, to be from the point of view of Matthew, who is pictured carrying the map, rather than from the perspective of the reader.
Here’s an idea for the visually alert Star Room Kids. Maybe they could create a map of their classroom, cafeteria or playground. Then they could try to figure how big the desks, tables, or they themselves would be at that scale. If it’s really cool, you can send it to us and we’ll include it on our blog.
We would love to see maps of every classroom, cafeteria and playground! If your class has some fantastic maps you would like to share, please send photographs to feedback (@) stuartjmurphy (dot) com. Be sure to include contact information.
"It's a map to a hidden treasure / It's a map to a secret prize / It's a map to a hidden treasure / And it's right before our eyes!" (from "The Main Street Kids' Club: A MathStart Musical"
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THE MUSICAL!
Did you know that Treasure Map is one of six MathStart stories featured in a new musical called The Main Street Kids’ Club? The play was adapted by the talented Scott (“Schoolhouse Rock Live!”) Ferguson through a special workshop class at Northwestern University. It’s a lot of fun. The music is great and the math is spot on!
If you know a regional theatre that would be interested in performing the show or would like to find out about school tours, please get in touch with Scott at TheatreBAM Chicago.
The original cast album, with songs by Scott and Michael Mahler, is now available on iTunes. You’ll be tapping your toes in no time!
It’s the Main Street Kids’ Club / Where the laughs are loud in the the fun is free / We’re in the Main Street Kids’ Club / That’s the MSKC to you and me!
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RELATED:
- Creative Cartography: 7 Must-Read Books on Maps / Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
Our New Favorite Blog: “Happy Birthday, Author!”
Monday, April 25th, 2011by J. A. Ginsburg
"Happy Birthday, Author" - a blog that celebrates children's authors; Illustration by Kevin O' Malley from Stuart's book, "Too Many Kangaroo Things To Do!"
April 25 is always a pretty darn happy day around here: It’s Stuart’s birthday and he loves a good party—even when it’s not for a birthday! In fact, he loves planning parties sooooo much, it has become a recurring theme in many of his books:
- Mighty Maddie (comparing weights)
- Just Enough Carrots (comparing amounts)
- Freda Plans a Picnic (sequencing)
- One…Two…Three…Sassafras! (number order)
- Too Many Kangaroo Things to Do! (multiplying)
- Monster Musical Chairs (subtracting one & fun party game)
This year’s birthday, though, was made extra special by a fabulous post on the Happy Birthday, Author! blog. The brainchild of Eric Van Raepenbusch, a former teacher turned stay-at-home dad to three children (a five year-old, a three year-old and the baby, now 10 months), HPA celebrates the work of various children’s authors on their birthdays. It certainly is a present to the authors, but a present to readers as well. Eric’s archives are a filled with treasure:
- March 25: Kate DiCamillo
- April 3: Sandra Boynton
- May 3: Pete Seeger
HPA is also a great way to learn about authors with which you may be less familiar.
Clearly, the blog is a labor of joy for the entire Van Raepenbusch family. Stuart and I were absolutely delighted that Eric’s wife, an early elementary special education school teacher, wanted to try some I See Learn books with her class.
When she saw the videos on the I See I Learn series she was ecstatic. She thought,”Finally, an off the shelf, specific, visually-based way to teach social and behavioral skills.” My wife teaches with the philosophy that children sometimes need to be explicitly taught skills that we as adults take for granted like sharing, dealing with frustration, and handling emotions. The I See I Learn series breaks down these skills in a kid-friendly, visually-based format that can easily be used with any child. (The I See I Learn Resources Page show many of the visuals used in the books.) My wife was also excited to see these concepts are not being specifically targeted for students with disabilities but to all children.
On behalf of Stuart (who is celebrating Italian-style this year—read the post for details…), Happy Every Day Van Raepenbusch family! Thank you!
You can follow Happy Birthday, Author on Facebook and on Twitter, too!
NCTM 2011: Teacher Mathfest in Indy!
Monday, April 11th, 2011
by J. A. Ginsburg
Spring is in the air and if you happen to be of a math teacher, that is particularly welcome news. Yes, flowers, sun and warmth, but also the season of NCTM, a.k.a. math teacher heaven!
From April 13 though 16, thousands will gather for the annual National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference held this year in Indianapolis. The toughest problem? How to fit in as many of the 650+ presentations as possible.
We, of course, hope you can make it Stuart’s talk on Thursday, April 14: See the Math! Sharpening the Definition of Visual Learning Practice (Convention Center Hall F/G).
I have long defined visual learning as how students acquire information from graphs, charts, diagrams and other visual stimuli. That definition still holds. But after years of practical application and ongoing research, the time has come to redefine visual learning according to the benefits that it provides.
High quality visual learning practices support:
- Mathematical Practices of Common Core State Standards
- Development of critical intervention strategies
- Differentiating classroom instruction
Visual learning is a powerful teaching tool!
And what better way to demonstrate than to feature real classroom projects? We will look at several wonderful and creative examples provided by teachers Cindy Cliche, Cathy Kuhns, Marrie Lassater and Dr. Kim Mueller; and by librarian Debbie Diaz from the Beijing City International School. (MathStart in China? Yes!... )
Stuart will also be signing books:
- at the EAI Education booth on Thursday morning, 4/14, from 10 to 11 a.m., and Friday morning, 4/15, from 9:30 to 10: 30 a.m.
- at the Pearson Education booth Friday afternoon, 4/15, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
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Recently, we updated the MathStart website. Now there are pdf activity pages for all 63 books!
Check out the “MathStart Book of the Day!” feature on Stuart’s new Facebook page and Twitter updates @vizlearning.
We also revamped our free e-newsletter and are rebuilding the mailing list from scratch. Please sign up and spread the word! Thanks!
And be sure to check out the fabulous new show, The Main Street Kids’ Club: A MathStart Musical! It was adapted by director Scott (“School House Rock Live!”) Ferguson through a workshop class at Northwestern University. Perfect for school tours and regional theatre productions—so get out your dancing shoes!
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ALSO AT NCTM:
- Movies and math: always a good combo. Jeffrey Travis, director of the new IMAX 3-D movie Flatland: The Movie, will show clips at the opening session, Wednesday, April 13, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in Convention Center Hall F:
Just One of Those Days: Percy Gets Upset…and How We Can Help Him!
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011by J. A. Ginsburg
a story about the emotional skill of dealing with frustration Stuart J. Murphy's I See I Lean series
Who hasn’t been there? Percy is hurrying to get dressed. He wants to go have fun! And everything is going perfectly until a shoe goes missing. Sure, he finds a toy truck parked under a blanket, but it just isn’t fair! “Where is is my shoe? I can’t find it! I can’t find it!”
Percy Gets Upset, a new addition to Stuart J. Murphy’s I See I Learn series, focuses on the emotional skill of dealing with frustration.
Percy, an otherwise sweet little boy who loves to go to Ready Set Pre-K and play with his friends, is having a rough day. First he can’t find his shoe. Then his mommy wants him to come home for dinner—right when he’s in the middle of playing a game of hide-and-seek with his very best friend, Freda. Then his daddy wants him to eat the dinner. Then both his parents want him to go to bed! Grmph!
Percy is beside himself. Stamping his feet. Scowling. Feeling cranky. It’s no fun to feel this bad. In fact, it’s just awful.
Throughout the story, his ever-patient mommy and daddy try to help Percy by suggesting things he can do to calm down: Take a deep breath. Stop and think. Talk about it. Count to ten.
The storytelling—as with all the I See I Learn books—is kept simple and clear, supported by illustrations designed to provide behavioral models that teach an important life skill. Children who are better able to manage their emotions can work through feelings of frustration and anger faster. They can move on to something that’s a lot more interesting and fun.
H’mmm…such as reading Percy Gets Upset, over and over again?
Blogger and mother Shara Lawrence-Weiss writes:
Have they met my daughter? Sheesh. As we read Percy Gets Upset together, Mini Human #2 (my 4 year old) said, “Mom. Percy is just like me.” Ahhh…yep. Percy gets MAD at things and at people and has a tendency to react rather than respond. My daughter asked me to read the Percy book to her three times in a row, until she had it memorized. Then she went to her father and told him what the book was about.
She was quite impressed by the idea that a story had explained her own personality so well…
And just like Percy, we hope “Mini Human #2″ woke up the next day in her cute little pajamas, her favorite stuffed-animal buddy in hand, and came running into the kitchen, with a big smile and a shout, “Guess what? I’m not upset any more! I want to have fun!”
Click for free pdf poster! Perfect for classrooms & refrigerator doors!
Click for free pdf poster! Perfect for classrooms & refrigerator doors!
TEACHERS! PARENTS! CARE-GIVERS!
Each I See I Learn book includes a two-page spread called “A Closer Look,” designed to review key points of the story with an illustrated recap and a series of questions:
- What do you do when you’re upset?
- What helps you feel better when you’re frustrated or angry?
- Draw a picture of how you feel when you’re grumpy.
- Draw a picture of how you like to feel.
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MISS CATHY RECOMMENDS:
Anger Management for Kids by Michele Borba / “Realty Check” (blog)
Building Emotional Intelligence by Linda Lantieri and Daniel Goleman (book website)
Children and Coping with Transitions by Nicole Grant / “The Fun Mum” (blog)
Kids are very visual learners. From a very young age, they can recognise symbols and attach meaning to pictures. Create a visual schedule that shows them what their routine will be for that day…
—Nicole Grant
What are the Odds? A MathStart Romance
Sunday, December 19th, 2010by J.A. Ginsburg
On love, math and the magic of books
addition: a classic!
It was one of our favorite MathStart emails ever: Elisabeth and Brian, two first-time teachers, meet in a Teach for America class, bond over reading MathStart books together and…fall in love. Well, Beep Beep, Vroom Vroom!, this kind of news deserves a front page spread in The Grizzly Gazette!
Cathie Weber, their beaming-with-pride professor from The Johns Hopkins University School of Education, shared the news in June, writing that five years after Cupid’s bow had hit its mathematically inspired target, the happy couple just announced their engagement. It’s about Time! Congratulations! This calls for a big celebration, Leaping Lizards-style!
Amazingly, Cathie’s class was the only one the pair had shared during three years of study. It was their very first semester, too, when the rookie teachers were overwhelmed and exhausted from working dawn-to-dusk hours in inner-city schools and taking college courses at night.
As a way to help her stressed students loosen up a bit, Cathie—a big MathStart fan— assigned them to work in pairs, reading children’s books. Elisabeth remembers Earth Day—Hooray! Brian? Only that he had been “paired with the cutest girl in the whole program.”
The build up to this magical moment of literary romance, however, was not without its twists and turns. In 2004, Brian was working as a construction foreman in Pennsylvania, preparing to switch careers after being accepted into a teaching program in Philadelphia. Alas, the program fizzled in the wake of a federal grant cut. Then a sister in Maryland serendipitously came across some information on the Baltimore City Teaching Residency and plan B was launched. Meanwhile, Elisabeth graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in English and Spanish, an interest in teaching and a taste for adventure. She was happy to go wherever Teach for America might take her. From her Midwestern perch, the East Coast was prime unexplored territory.
Baltimore?
Perfect, thought Elisabeth.
Here I come, said Brian.
So, what are the odds these two should meet, brought together by a professor who may yet have a second career as a matchmaker? Probably Pistachio, with a kismet cherry on top.
Last month, Stuart was in Baltimore, with just enough extra time to meet everyone. One…Two…Three…Sassafrass!
Cathie, Elisabeth, Brian & Stuart...Cheers!
Plans for the 2011 wedding are in full swing. Will they serve Seaweed Soup? Play Monster Musical Chairs? Dance The Bug Dance? One thing’s for sure: Their honeymoon will be The Best Vacation Ever!
Congratulations Elisabeth and Brian!
All the best, from the Double the Ducks kids!
…and one more toast: To Brian: Baltimore Teacher of the Year 2010!
Baltimore Teacher of the Year and MathStart reader, Brian Rainville
RELATED LINKS
