FAQs

Right now, these are just the questions I’ve been frequently asking myself.

Why did you decide to do this?

My first year teaching was really tough. I had seventh and eighth grade students who knew “PEMDAS,” or at least “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally,” but most of them didn’t know how to apply it to simplifying expressions, let alone using it in reverse to solve equations. As I was writing on the board one day, it occurred to me to simply write the acronym in reverse, and put a frowny face next to it, and SADMEP was born. Next came the idea for a foldable that had the steps with an example on one side, and mirrored on the other side. And then the story started to develop. I told my students about it, and they paid attention. So I knew it wasn’t a terrible idea.

Why squirrels?

My dad hates squirrels.

How long have you been painting?

That’s the nice way to ask why my paintings aren’t very good. My mother is a painter, as was my late grandmother, and I’ve only just gotten brave enough to try “seriously.” It was about a month after I decided I had to illustrate the book myself. I’m sure I’ll get better over time, and then I might release a second edition of earlier titles.

The reading level for these stories seems lower than the grade level for the math. What’s that about?

The point is for them to be easy to read. There are a number of good reasons for this. One is that, in my experience, students who are behind their grade level in math also read below their grade level. Another is that we all learn better when we explain a concept to someone else in the simplest way possible. After a child has read one of my books once or twice, ideally they would try reading it to another child - even a younger one - and explaining the math. Also, I expect that students will need to master complex math concepts at an earlier age as time goes on. What you learned in sixth grade may be taught in third grade before you know it.

Were you always a math nerd?

I did not enjoy math until I took calculus while I was pursuing a second degree. In fact, I quit pursuing that degree in order to indulge my newfound passion for math in the form of teaching it. Calculus was like reaching the top of a mountain and looking back over the rocky, winding path it took to get there. The view is beautiful, and it makes all the struggle worth it. My goal now is to help more people have that exciting experience of math.

Why do so many people struggle with and/or hate math?

Hate is a strong word, but yes, this is a question I kick around my head all the time. I don’t have a definite answer yet, but I have noticed that there are a couple of big leaps in math content where kids can get overwhelmed. These occur in fourth grade and seventh grade. If you take a look at a curriculum guide for those two years compared to other grades, you’ll see they cover a LOT. Also, the fourth grade concepts really establish a young person’s ability to think through patterns. It’s tough. It takes a lot of practice. I recommend making the practice as fun as possible, like with Khan Academy or Prodigy. Check out my resources page for more ideas.