This month’s teacher spotlight is Amanda Gerry! Amanda is a teacher of fourteen years who loves mathematics education. As a child she was inspired by her father, an educator of thirty-five years, to become a teacher. Even as a child she knew education was more than just an occupation. It was a calling.
Shortly after college graduation, Amanda Gerry first dreamed of becoming a dance teacher, having gained a Bachelor’s in Dance Education. But with her math minor, she had the opportunity to teach several math classes. After a short time, Amanda realized the pure enjoyment she had in teaching mathematics and returned to college to receive a Master’s in Mathematics Education.
To Amanda, the best part of teaching is the opportunity she has year after year to meet and work with so many wonderful teenagers. She believes that education is more than just facts and concepts, but a cultural lifeline that shapes the future of society and our country. Amanda is a believer that all knowledge is valuable, but she views mathematics as one of the foundations of this lifeline. It shapes our technology, our economy, and even our homes. Her favorite challenge in teaching mathematics is finding ways to relate her classes to the current interests of her students including popular media, video games, and technology mediums.
In her spare time, Amanda is a great lover of science fiction movies, Jane Austen’s books, and board games. In particular she has a great interest in ancient board games including Senet, the Royal Game of Ur, and Backgammon, all with rich 5000 year-old histories. She delights in sharing not only the history of these games with her students, but enjoys teaching her students the mathematical probabilities involved in their strategies.
On behalf of the Utah State Board of Education, we would like to thank Amanda for her outstanding contributions to Mathematics Education!