[Sarah] + Schaefer

Principal of [Math]odology + CEO think! Mathematics

[Dr. Yeap] + Ban Har 

Director of Curriculum & Professional Development
Pathlight School, Singapore

 

 Sarah Schaefer, M.Ed., is the founder of Mathodology, contributing author of think!Mathematics, and lead author of Developing Roots (Kindergarten).  She has been teaching K-12 Mathematics in public and private schools since 1995. She understands your challenges when it comes to teaching and learning mathematics as she has lived the process. Schedules are limited. Classes are short. Change is constant. Teachers are being pulled in many directions while looking for ways to connect with students to enhance their understanding of mathematical content. As an early adopter of the Singapore methodology, Sarah’s iterative approach optimizes performance and maximizes knowledge retention. Sarah is passionate about mathematics, teaching, and creating relationships that result in deeper content knowledge. Her extensive experience implementing the Singapore curriculum, both nationally and internationally, has involved not only students and teachers, but leading institutes which have adopted her collaborative process.  While teaching at the prestigious Bolles School, Sarah created the curriculum from the ground up by simplifying and focusing on delivery and developing content knowledge. She empowers teachers, students, and parents to be creative in how they think about and understand mathematics, resulting in a more valuable and meaningful learning environment.

Dr. Yeap Ban Har is an established name in Singapore Math. As an educator, he has taught classes around the world. As an academic, he has presented keynote lectures at international conferences and written for academic publications. He is also well-known for lesson study and is a specialist in the APEC Lesson Study Project.

Ban Har spent ten years at the National Institute of Education (Singapore), where he taught a range of teacher education courses, including graduate studies. He continues to teach courses and supervise practicums at tertiary institutions such as the National Institute of Education (Singapore), SIM University (Singapore), and Wheelock College (United States of America) in adjunct and associate positions. He also sits on the advisory board of the Professional Advisory Council of NTUC First Campus, a major provider of early childhood education in Singapore.

Ban Har holds Master of Arts in Southeast Asian Studies, Master of Education and Ph.D. in Mathematics Education.

[Mark] + Griffis

Director, Business Development & Communications

[Tracy] + Ralys

Director of Customer Experiences

Mark has always had a passion for teaching and has instructed business courses both at the university and high school level.  He is also an accomplished writer and published author and greatly enjoys collaborating with our communications team.

A lifelong resident of Florida’s First Coast, he met his wife Tasha at Florida State. They have three children and reside in St. Johns County, Florida.  Mark’s favorite outlet is Northeast Florida’s natural amenities, equally enjoying woods and water.

Tracy brings a wealth of business knowledge to her role as Director of Customer Experience. After graduating from the University of North Florida with a degree in finance, she honed her business skills working in the investment world at Merrill Lynch before choosing to stay home with her two daughters. During this period, she invested her time heavily in numerous volunteer initiatives, and enjoyed spending time with her daughters and husband, Steve. 

Once her daughters left for college at the University of Georgia, she rekindled her entrepreneur activities and started her own business.  To keep extra busy, she joined [Math]odology in 2020. Working behind the scenes, she meticulously ensures our clients receive unparalleled service.

 

[Fran] + Julien

Learning Services Administrator

[Lily] + Elwood

Customer Experience Manager

Fran began her teaching career in 2014 after graduating from the University of South Florida, earning a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the nationally recognized Urban Residency Teacher Partnership Program. She began her work in public schools in Tampa, Florida, teaching mainly Math and Science in grades 3 - 5, and spent three years working at a private school in Knoxville, Tennessee. Fran's passions in education lie in developing curriculum, creating authentic educational experiences for students, and building teacher efficacy and strengthening pedagogical approaches in fellow educators. She is currently teaching mathematics to a mixed age and ability class, and is the Learning Services Administrator at [Math]odology. 

Fran was born and raised in Land O’ Lakes, Florida. She likes to travel, loves coffee, and stays strongly connected to her local community. 

 

Lily brings a deep level of customer interaction to the Client Experience Manager’s position. She has a decade’s experience working in client-facing roles, in both a retail and restaurant setting. An empathetic problem solver and perfectionist, she is a diligent difference maker for [Math]odology’s clients. 

Lily is a native of China and came to the U.S. as a toddler. Growing up in Ormond Beach she developed a deep appreciation for the solitude of a deserted stretch of sand. She is also an animal shelter volunteer, an accomplished powerlifter, and a self-proclaimed foodie. In her spare time, Lily enjoys spending time with her family and her rescue dog, Milo.




 

[Donna] + Lamonte

Trainer

[Melissa] + Williams

Trainer | Kindergarten Teacher
Westminster School, Atlanta, GA 

Donna Lamonte is a highly accomplished educator with over forty-one years of experience in the field. She holds an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from LSU and is a National Board Certified Early Childhood Generalist. In 2012, she was honored with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, recognizing her exceptional work in the classroom. With thirty-five years of experience as a classroom teacher and six years in school administration as an Assistant Head of School/Curriculum Specialist, Donna has extensive expertise that she has enthusiastically shared throughout her career training pre-service teachers and providing ongoing math professional development. In the classroom Donna is most passionate about using routines and open-ended tasks to differentiate learning and foster a love of math in children.

With a B.A. in Elementary Education, another B.A. in Specific Learning Differences-both from Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL, and a Certification for K-6; Melissa has over 10 years of teaching experience. She has taught in both the private and public sector including second grade and fifth grade at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, FL and currently teaches pre-first at the Westminster School in Atlanta.  Melissa believes students need to be given the opportunity to experience math by exploring, playing, questioning, and discovering. She feels it is important for the teacher to create an environment that fosters these characteristics so students become engaged and ultimately enjoy mathematics. In her classroom, students are often seen playing math games and having hands-on experiences that enrich their understanding and love for math.  Her journey with the Singapore approach began when she taught second grade at The Bolles School. They used Math in Focus as their text and Sarah Schaefer helped them create anchor tasks to include all students and to enrich their math curriculum. Melissa later moved to Atlanta and became a Pre-First teacher. Last year she was given the opportunity to pilot Developing Roots and then adopted the program the next year.  Melissa believes in her community and participates in the Beach Clean-Up Crew of St. Augustine. She is the Teacher of the Year recipient for 2002 and 2003 and an Ottenstroer Grant recipient.  Melissa's husband is a retired Naval pilot. They enjoy family travel with their three teenage children and spending time in the outdoors. She loves being with her family.

[Cheri] + Gardner

Author | Instructional Strategist
Audubon Charter School, Upper Campus, LA
 

[Neily] + Boyd

Author |Trainer
 

Cheri is a passionate practitioner who skillfully combines her biomedical engineering background with education.  She has spent the last 25 years creating dynamic, student-driven classrooms that use best practices grounded in current research.  As a certified Montessori teacher in grades Pre-K-6th, Cheri understands how to deliver instruction that encourages students to embrace challenges as exciting growth opportunities.  She co-authored the Developing Roots Kindergarten Program (2020) with Sarah Schaefer and currently is the Director of Montessori Studies and Instructional Strategist in New Orleans. She is married and has 2 children.

Neily Boyd, M.Ed., has more than a decade of experience as a math educator, working with students and teachers from kindergarten through high school. Most recently, she served as the Director of Math for six elementary and middle schools in Nashville, TN. During her tenure, she implemented hands-on mathematics instruction designed to engage students in academic discourse and conceptual thinking. As a result, the schools showed some of the highest math growth in Tennessee, according to both state and national assessments.

As the parent of a preschooler and a first-grader, Neily became passionate about the role that early childhood math plays in setting students up for long-term success in mathematics. She now works with thousands of parents of young children all over the country to help them incorporate math conversation and play into their children’s daily lives. Neily is working with Sarah Schaefer and Cheri Gardner on writing the Developing Roots Pre-K Program.