Stephanie Forsman

Stephanie Forsman—who wrote many of the math lessons on our Math at Home website—has been teaching in the New York City independent school system for more than 15 years. She is currently a fourth-grade teacher at The Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn, where she previously taught at the second- and third-grade levels. She has served as a facilitator for Mathematics in the City, a research and professional development center with a mission to “transform classrooms into communities of mathematicians, where children explore interesting problems and, like mathematicians, engage in crafting solutions, justifications and proofs.” She has presented workshops on Math Puzzles & Logic Games, Technology and Math and Napier’s Bones at national conferences and served as the math subcommittee chair for the accreditation group conducting the New York State Association of Independent Schools’ 10-year school accreditation reviews in 2013. Stephanie earned her B.A. in art history and fine art at Trinity College in Washington, DC, and her M.Ed. in elementary education and museum education at Bank Street College in New York City. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa.

Posts by Stephanie Forsman

Math Portfolios

posted by Stephanie Forsman At the start of every school year, I always have it in my mind that this is going to be the year that I create the ultimate math portfolio. A fluid place where the children’s entire math worked is housed; a place where all of their previous work is easily accessible […]

The Importance of STEAM Initiatives in Our Curriculum

posted by Stephanie Forsman My best memories of my elementary education are all the project-based activities that were embedded into the curriculum. Projects that were based on real-life situations that helped me learn in an innovative and creative fashion. In 4th grade, I made a large-sized teepee (out of my mother’s good linens), decorated it […]

Math Manipulatives

posted by Stephanie Forsman All teachers are inherently hoarders of one kind or another. In the beginning of my teaching career, I would collect everything from eggshell cartons to the Styrofoam trays that are included in meat packaging to spending many of my weekends going garage sale-ing and buying books, games, cooking utensils, stickers… You […]

Avoiding the Summer Slide

posted by Stephanie Forsman From the moment school lets out for summer vacation, anxiety about how to avoid the summer slide sets in. Summer slide refers to the loss of skills many children experience during summer vacation. As a parent, the idea of “practicing” skills over the summer was dreadful and daunting. Forcing my children […]

Logic, Puzzles, Brain Teasers & Games

posted by Stephanie Forsman I love playing games, doing puzzles, and figuring out a good brain teaser. I do the New York Times Crossword Puzzle everyday and while I struggle in the later half of the week, I love learning new information, keeping my brain sharp, and that sense of accomplishment after I have successfully […]

Measurement

posted by Stephanie Forsman Measurement is an area of my math curriculum that I often feel gets neglected, rushed through, and sometimes, at crunch time, overlooked all together. As a result, I have worked on infusing small aspects of measurement into the routines of the day. From linear measurement to volume, weight and mass to […]

Math Morning Meeting

posted by Stephanie Forsman Each morning, my class has a Morning Meeting that consists of a Morning Message, a Greeting, a Share, and an activity. It is a great way to start the day, reinforces our sense of community, and sets the expectations and goals for the day. These meetings last anywhere from 15 to […]

Habits of Mind

posted by Stephanie Forsman Setting up a nurturing mathematical environment & community is an essential beginning to any school year. When getting to know my students, I like to dig deeper and find out what kind of learners they are, where their strengths lie, and what areas they intend to work on during the upcoming […]