Priscilla May-Maiden thinks math gets a bad rap.
So when she received the Joseph Hill Award for exceptional contributions to mathematics education from The Valley of Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics, she was excited for mathematics education to be recognized.
“I was shocked. I was surprised. And then it just felt really special,” the Rockingham County Instructional Technology Resource Teacher said. “It was really cool to see people celebrating math education, by also celebrating someone who is passionate about math education.”
May-Maiden earned a bachelor’s degree from Bridgewater College and a master’s degree as a K-8 mathematics specialist from James Madison University. When she was a classroom teacher, she focused on using problem-based strategies to teach conceptual mathematics. Now, as an ITRT, she works with teachers to incorporate technology into their math curriculum.
“I get to go enjoy all of the great parts of technology while also supporting the teachers for their instructional objectives,” May-Maiden said.
The best part of teaching and supporting teachers in mathematics is when students have light-bulb moments.
“The moment when they get something that they’ve had to work harder to know or understand is probably one of my favorite parts,” May-Maiden said.
May-Maiden said that math has a bad connotation for many people. Kids and adults often say, “I’m bad at math,” and don’t move on from that mindset. So as someone helping to shape the math pilot curriculum and K-5 professional development in the county, she’s working and learning alongside teachers to make classes more conducive to a deep understanding of math.
May-Maiden says it’s all about shifting mindsets to help build confidence in students who may not like math.
“I sort of get to be a math therapist,” May-Maiden said. “It’s shifting that mindset from saying, ‘Oh, I’m bad at math. That is the be-all-end-all,’ to ‘You know, I just don’t understand these concepts yet.’”
When she’s not shifting mindsets or developing curricular materials, May-Maiden is also a mentor in the Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, an adjunct instructor of math courses at JMU, and is heavily involved in student economic projects. Last year, her project with a second-grade class visiting the farmers market to help teach math, technology, and sustainability won first place in the JMU Center for Economic Education awards.
For the Joseph Hill Award, May-Maiden said it was particularly meaningful because Hill was her professor at Bridgewater College.
“He was part of the technology department in RCPS. So not only was he math, but he was also technology,” May-Maiden said. “And then I’m also part of the technology department and passionate about mathematics. So it was just kind of a full-circle moment.”