Making math make sense

Lachanda Garrison MATM ' 19最终在Mount Holyoke完全是偶然的. She first heard of the Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics (MATM)的节目，同时收听迈克·弗林(Mike Flynn)的播客, 学院数学领导力项目的前主任. “我很震惊，你可以获得数学学位来支持教育工作者和教练,” she recalled. “I thought, I have to do that. That’s what I need to do!”

At the time, Garrison was teaching at Rota Elementary School in Rota, Spain, a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) school, 美国的哪一种教育系统能确保父母是军人的孩子能够继续接受教育, regardless of deployment abroad or being stationed stateside. 她刚刚成为一名新的数学教练，并有兴趣获得技能，成为一个更有效的教练. 她相信芒特霍利奥克大学的课程可以为她提供这些.

Six years later, 加里森开玩笑说，MATM项目是一份不断馈赠的礼物, and she isn’t wrong. 她所学到的技能使她以她从未想象过的方式进入了教育领域. 她一直是全国数学教师委员会的会议主持人，获得了 杰出数学和科学教学总统奖 in 2020 and was named DoDEA’s State Teacher of the Year in 2021.

“[MHC] opened so many doors personally and professionally. I had amazing mentors like Polly Wagner and Mike Flynn, 我的同学们都很棒——我从他们身上学到了很多,” she said of her time on campus. “I don’t think I would be where I am, feeling confident enough to be a teacher leader in this space, if I didn’t do the Mount Holyoke MATM program.”

Garrison is just getting started. This summer she was one of 16 teachers to be named an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow. This year-long experience, which began in August, 在她分享她在数学方面的专业知识的同时让她进入了美国参议院, 教学，以及她认为帮助其他教育工作者在课堂内外获得领导技能所需要的东西.

MATM项目的创建是为了支持K-8教育工作者和数学教练，他们希望磨练自己的数学技能，成为更强大的教师领导者. The program is two full years and 32 credits, and classes happen in the summers and during the school year. The school year courses are online, 学生可以选择在夏天来学校学习这些课程. The degree program helps educators 了解如何调整课程以满足个别学生的需要, 向学生介绍数学领域的新研究，并帮助他们充分参与当地的数学社区, state and federal levels.

“我们的项目帮助学生提高数学水平，同时也帮助他们考虑他们可能想要从事的其他数学职业. 我们需要像拉昌达这样的教育工作者参与到立法层面，并倡导如何教授它，从而让学生理解它,” said Marria Carrington, director of mathematics leadership programs at the College. “我们问自己，‘我们如何确保人们有好的数学故事?“这样做可以让老师和教练反思自己的经历，让自己变得更好。, and then that impacts the students.”

在成长过程中，加里森喜欢数学的挑战性. Although the subject didn’t come easy for her, 她赞赏它为解决问题提供了明确的步骤，同时也提供了一个扩大范围的机会，并以各种方式找到相同的答案. She also loved the classroom, and as a military spouse, got involved in DoDEA classrooms in any way she could, whether it was serving as a lunch monitor or a teacher’s aide. 即使她知道她最终会全职去上课(她做了14年), 她说，能够以这种方式与联邦政府合作是她从未想过的千载难逢的机会.

For more than 30 years, 阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦杰出教育家研究员在教育立法的形成和通过方面发挥了关键作用. The 16 educators hold positions in U.S. congressional offices, the Department of Education, the Library of Congress, the Department of Defense, the United States Geological Survey, National Science Foundation, 国土安全部和国家航空航天局. 这些研究员是为学生发声的STEM教学专家, teachers and education communities across the globe. 研究员们能够看到如何在联邦一级创建教育项目，同时也分享他们作为行业专业人士的观点.

加里森特别自豪的是，能够代表那些经历了特殊类型的过渡挑战的军人配偶和家庭，当他们不得不搬到国外时，仍然要跟上美国的课程.

“军人家庭对我来说非常重要，因为那是我成长的文化. 这种文化有很多美丽的挑战和优势, like having to move multiple times or being a new kid all the time,” she said. Garrison attended five elementary schools growing up. “有能力倡导并让人们意识到我们的军人家庭正在经历的事情，这让我很高兴. 这是整个家庭处理部署和想念他们的家人在假期. Truly the whole family serves.”

加里森今年剩下的时间和2024年的部分时间将在华盛顿特区度过.C. 她最兴奋的是，自己的声音能以这样一种有意义的方式被听到，因为她记得自己在教室里的时候，觉得自己的担忧没有被管理人员和教室外的其他人听到. 她还期待着近距离了解政府是如何运作的.

She said that after the program, “the sky’s the limit.“她保留了多种选择，包括重返教室. “I love teaching, I love children and I love being able to collaborate with educators; I don’t see that changing. 但我也处在一个我可以去任何地方，做任何事，成为任何人的赛季.”