We’re Math People!
As passionate educators and math enthusiasts, we’re dedicated to changing how math is learned and taught. Our tested methods and support deliver exceptional results, empowering teachers to inspire mathematical passion.
As educators and innovators, we aim to empower teachers, students, and parents by providing comprehensive support, proven curricula, and professional development opportunities. Our mission is to make mathematics teachable, learnable, and enjoyable for all.
Why Choose Mathodology?
Our Vision
We believe in the power of mathematics to shape minds and futures. Our vision is to create environments where teachers and students can reason, problem-solve, and communicate mathematically with passion and confidence.
Our Promise
We promise to empower teachers with the core mathematical competencies needed to foster student success. We aim to make teachers more productive, helping them reach their highest potential through innovative training and support.
Our Commitment
At Mathodology, we want you to know one key thing: We've got your back. You're not alone in this journey. We provide the best products and deliver comprehensive support, showing you exactly how to use our resources effectively. We've been there and done that, and teachers feel this connection when they see our products and support.
By choosing Mathodology, you're choosing a partner who understands your challenges and is committed to helping you succeed. Join us in making mathematics a subject that is teachable, learnable, and enjoyable for all.
Meet The Mathodology Team
Sarah Schaefer
Founder of Mathodology & CEO think! Mathematics
Sarah Schaefer has been teaching K-12 Mathematics in public and private schools since 1995. Her passion for mathematics and dedication to improving education led her to co-write the curriculum for think! Mathematics and creator of the pioneering Developing Roots program.
When it comes to teaching and learning mathematics, she has lived the process and understands your challenges. 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.
More About Sarah
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 that 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
Director of Curriculum & Professional Development Pathlight School, Singapore
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.
Dr. Ban Har spent ten years at the National Institute of Education (Singapore), where he taught a range of teacher education courses, including graduate studies.
More About Dr. Yeap Ban Har
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
Managing Director
Mark joined Mathodology after a lengthy career in private banking. His primary role is managing the company’s business development activities. He works closely with school leaders in their exploration of our programs and guides them through the adoption and onboarding process.
Mark has always had a passion for teaching and his time in banking afforded him the opportunity to instruct business and financial planning courses at both the high school and university level. He is an accomplished writer and published author and enjoys collaborating with our communications team.
A lifelong resident of Florida’s First Coast, he met his wife Tasha at Florida State University. 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.
Fran Julien
Learning Services Administrator
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.
More About Fran Julien
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.
Tracy Ralys
Director of Customer Experiences
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 entrepreneurial 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.
Donna Lamonte
Instructional Coach
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.
More About Donna Lamonte
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.
Melissa Williams
Instructional Coach | Kindergarten Teacher Westminster School, Atlanta, GA
With a B.A. in Elementary Education, another B.A. in Specific Learning Differences 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.
More About Melissa Williams
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 outdoors. She loves being with her family.
Cheri Gardner
Author | Instructional Strategist Audubon Charter School, Upper Campus, LA
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-6, 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
Author | Instructional Coach
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.
More About Neily Boyd
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.
Mary Ahern
Instructional Coach
Mary Ahern has over twenty-five years of teaching experience. She holds a B.A. in Elementary Education, and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. She has a Professional Educator’s License from the State of Florida. In 2012, she was honored with The Patten Family Award for Sustaining Teaching Excellence, and in 2019, she received the Peer Teaching Award.
Mary was the Primary Years Program Coordinator at Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, Florida. As the coordinator, she continued developing and reviewing the school’s curriculum and assessment policy.
More About Mary Ahern
In 2022, Mary presented at the NCTM 2022 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Her sessions included Empowering Your Students: How to Support Student Agency in the Classroom, and “What Are You Thinking?” Using Math Journals as a Vehicle for Learning and Assessment. Mary continuously develops her passion for mathematics through ongoing professional development and is currently taking courses to become a dyscalculia tutor to better support her students in mathematics. Mary first met Sarah Schaefer and Dr. Ban Har when her previous school implemented the Singapore methodology using Primary Mathematics. Since then, her math journey included attending a lesson study with both Sarah and Dr. Ban Har, presenting Deepening the Learning Experience with think! Mathematics, training numerous teachers with Mathodology, and continuing to deepen her knowledge and passion for mathematics. Mary is currently living in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband. They have 3 older sons and one grandson. She loves spending time outdoors hiking, biking, jogging, or playing pickleball.
Amanda Cody
Instructional Coach
Amanda lives in Ridgefield, CT and is a Math Specialist with Ridgefield Public Schools. In this role, she provides both math intervention for students and instructional coaching for teachers.
Prior to her current position, she was an elementary school classroom teacher for eleven years, first in her hometown of Stamford, CT and then in Ridgefield. Amanda strives to foster a learning environment that is student-centered and prioritizes skills for lifelong learning.
More About Amanda Cody
She holds a BA in Music from College of the Holy Cross, a Masters in Elementary Education from University of Bridgeport, and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Teaching and Foundations from Fairfield University.
Outside of the classroom, Amanda enjoys singing and spending time with her family. She recently directed her school’s musical and teaches Barre at a local Pilates studio.
Katie Hall
Instructional Coach
Katie is a versatile educator with 23 years of experience as a classroom teacher, mentor, math instructional coach, and math interventionist, developing a toolkit of diverse skills and valuable expertise. Katie’s first job as a teacher of elementary gifted students illuminated the pitfalls in her own mathematics education. She spent much of her first years of teaching experiencing her own “aha” moments while building her own conceptual understanding around mathematics. Those “aha” moments helped to ensure her lesson planning centered around students building their own conceptual understanding through hands-on exploration and investigations.
More About Katie Hall
Katie spent 14 years as a classroom teacher in grades 2-5. For the past 9 years she has served in a dual-role as a math interventionist providing targeted intervention to small groups of students and as a math instructional coach supporting teachers in their math instruction and the implementation of think! Mathematics. During her career, Katie became passionate about curriculum development. She worked at the district level to make decisions regarding K-5 math and provided ongoing professional development for classroom teachers that supported district and school level initiatives. Katie is well-known at school and the district for her organization, problem solving skills and vast knowledge of resources.
Katie lives in Connecticut on 19 acres with her husband of 31 years, four cats, and two dogs. She is sure more animals are in their future! Katie is very happy that her college-aged daughter and son both attend schools in the Northeast so she can visit them often. She is very excited to join the Mathodology family.
Lindsay Dreyer
Learning and Development Coordinator
Lindsay graduated from UNC with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and has utilized her skills as an elementary school teacher and an instructional coach. Most recently, Lindsay has applied her experience and skill set as both a Professional Learning Specialist and District Coach for various curricula. With a keen eye for detail and a desire to support students through providing quality professional learning for teachers, she serves as a liaison between educators and Mathodology trainers and coordinates training sessions tailored to the customer’s needs. She currently resides in Jacksonville, FL with her husband and three children.
Amy Buchheit
Instructional Coach
Amy Buchheit is an experienced educator passionate about fostering a love for learning. She currently serves as the math instructional coach at the Frances Xavier Warde School in Chicago, where she oversees the school’s math program and provides valuable coaching and professional development for teachers in preschool through grade 8.
Amy is passionate about fostering a growth mindset and a positive math identity in her students, empowering them to become problem solvers and critical thinkers. Her approach emphasizes productive struggle and intentional instructional moves, which she has honed through numerous cycles of lesson study.
More About Amy Buchheit
Amy holds a master’s degree from Loyola University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame. She blends her academic background with practical experience to cultivate a vibrant approach to math instruction.
Outside of work, Amy lives in Chicago with her husband and young daughter. She cherishes spending time with family and friends, and loves to explore new places through travel.