Adam Chawansky

About Me

I’ve been teaching secondary math in NYC public schools for over a decade after leaving my actuarial consulting job because I wanted to do more fulfilling work that felt like it made a difference. I have been fortunate to work at a 6-12 school in Brooklyn that is part of the NY Consortium, which is a small group of schools where students complete Performance-Based Assessment Projects (PBATs) rather than Regents exams as part of their graduation requirements. As a result, I have amassed a collection of interesting problems to help students learn to think like mathematicians. Through these experiences, students realize math is much larger than just computation and memorization. We also do metacognitive work to help them become better learners. Students practice academic discussion techniques, learn about neurological research into memory, craft & refine arguments, and reflect on their journey.

Check out my blog: adamchawansky.blogspot.com/ and YouTube channel

Master Teacher in Math for America

In addition to the classroom experience I have had, I am also a master teacher in my third fellowship with Math for America. Through MfA, I continue to grow my own practice and share my expertise with other teachers around NYC. I have twice participated in Park City Math Institute, expanding my mathematical knowledge of geometry and Fibonacci patterns. I take students on field trips to the Museum of Mathematics’ free Math Encounters talks.

Instructional Guide

In the quest to improve student outcomes, I have also taken on numerous teacher leader roles at my EL Education school. I helped bring standards-based grading, restorative justice, data-driven decision-making, and new curriculum to Brooklyn Collaborative. During COVID, other teachers turned to me seeking best practices around shifting to remote instruction and SEL resources.

I also presented at the 2018 EL Education national conference about our school-wide Mathlympics competition.