Paige Thomas

 My Why

I teach because... I love supporting the learning journey for ALL students. The joy that comes when they see that they've learned something new or that they have worked through a challenging task with success is so fulfilling. I want all students to have a positive and successful educational experience. 

I lead because... I believe that students deserve a positive, creative and enriching educational experience . By supporting educators, I want them to feel empowered and see their positive efficacy. When teachers feel a sense of efficacy it's one of the most powerful things that impact positive outcomes for all students. 

My Philosophy

A social justice stance requires a systemic approach that includes fair and equitable teaching practices, high expectations for all students, access to rich, rigorous, and relevant mathematics, and strong family/ community relationships to promote positive mathematics learning and achievement.

--TODOS/NCSM Position Paper

I believe all students deserve access to a rich, rigorous, and relevant mathematics education. Students need to be engaged as learners, doers and sense-makers of mathematics tasks. I believe in supporting students in engaging in tasks where they can talk about their multiple ways of solving, and collaborate together.  I am dedicated to interrupting the tracking, and gate-keeping that students often experience in our traditional school system. 

I believe students must engage in tasks that are within a context and relate to authentic real world problems. Students need opportunities to express their mathematical thinking using multiple modes and representations. Students will talk to each other frequently, engage in group work and focus on process rather that right answers. 

Families are important in creating strong mathematics instruction. Communication is key - both letting families know what students are learning, but also letting them know what skills their students have shown growth in, and what they are still learning. Building positive relationships with families must include consistent and frequent, assets-focused communication. 

Paige Thomas - pthomas1@pps.net