Jessica Tobler, a teacher at Cherry Creek Elementary, was honored with a State Math award.
Jessica is an amazing example of an elementary teacher that strives to use best practices in mathematics education. Her school, Cherry Creek Elementary, is a highly-impacted Title I school.
Jessica said that she decided early in her career that she wouldn’t let outside circumstances dictate how she would teach her students. Jessica has been observed helping each and every student develop their own mathematical identity as problem solvers and as learners that see themselves as growing constantly. Due to this individualized approach, she has been able to help her students see that they are getting better every day. This ability to see progress has helped students to persevere through the challenges they face.
Jessica’s lessons are built on the ideas of task-based instruction, which is an approach to understanding math through problem-solving. This way of structuring lessons uses the principles of building understanding of math concepts through the use of concrete representations, pictures and models, which lead to an understanding of numerical processes. She has also done a lot of work in the area of math fact fluency by helping students understand the concept of multiplication, helping them develop strategies based on number-sense, and building fluency through strategy use in games rather than the archaic practices of memorization, drill, and timed testing.
“Jess is the type of teacher that I would want my own son to have,” stated Todd Bradford, Elementary Math Curriculum Specialist at Nebo School District.
We at Nebo School District congratulate Jessica on her award and thank her for her service to the students she teaches.
