The Short Story

I am the daughter of immigrants to the United Sates (my mom is from Portugal and my dad is from Brazil) and I was a first-generation college student. These aspects of my life played and continue to play a large role in shaping my identity. After graduating from the University of Florida with a B.S. in mathematics, I taught high school mathematics in Orlando, Florida. As I was teaching, I earned my certification through my district’s alternative certification program and earned a Master’s in mathematics education from the University of Central Florida. Wanting to learn more about teaching and learning mathematics, I enrolled in the University of Georgia’s doctoral program in mathematics education. Upon graduating from UGA in 2012, I accepted a position as an assistant professor in mathematics education at the University of Missouri. I earned tenure and promotion to associate professor in 2018. In 2021 I had the opportunity to move back to Florida to take a position as the University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning where I am the Director of Mathematics. I live in Gainesville, Florida with my husband and two dogs.

The Longer Story

I am the daughter of immigrants to the United Sates (my mom is from Portugal and my dad is from Brazil) and I am a first generation college student. These aspects of my life played and continue to play a large role in shaping my identity.

I was a strong mathematics student in high school. I never really studied and I still excelled, largely because I am a good memorizer. When I arrived at the University of Florida, I quickly realized I didn’t know how to study and I really didn’t understand mathematics deeply. I struggled with mathematics for the first time in my life. I ended up majoring in mathematics at UF. This was not because of a particular passion for mathematics, it was just the area I had the most credits in.

After graduating from the University of Florida with a B.S. in mathematics, I decided to try to get a job as a mathematics teacher. Lacking any education courses or teaching experience I was hired as a high school mathematics teacher for Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Florida. Although I enjoyed my work with high school students, I knew I had a lot to learn in order to become an effective teacher. In my first couple of years in the classroom I mostly taught algebra 1 for students who were repeating the course and geometry. I completed classes through the district office to earn my alternative certification. These courses helped me learn some classroom management strategies, but did not help me teach mathematics more effectively. I eventually taught a number of other classes, including AP Calculus AB and BC, as well as courses at a local community college. During my final two years in the classroom I completed a Master’s degree program in mathematics education at the University of Central Florida. This experience exposed me to mathematics education research and sparked my desire to continue learning by enrolling in a doctoral program.

The University of Georgia’s doctoral program allowed me to study research related to the teaching and learning in depth. In addition, I was able to take a number of graduate courses in mathematics and statistics. My time teaching had helped me develop a deep understanding of mathematics and I had learned to study, so my experience in these courses was drastically different than in my undergraduate program. I also developed a deep interest in learning how to teach emergent bilingual students (English learners) effectively. As a teacher in Florida, I had a number of students who were gaining proficiency in English while learning mathematics and I felt that I had not taught them effectively. Reading and conducting research in this area connected to my family’s background and my experiences as a teacher and I was excited to spend a career continuing to learn more!

After I graduated from UGA in 2012 I accepted a position as an assistant professor in mathematics education at the University of Missouri. In this position I continued to research teachers’ use of curriculum broadly, and with emergent bilinguals in particular. I also taught a number of courses or preservice teachers, inservice teachers, and graduate students. In the summer of 2018 I was awarded tenure and promotion to associate professor. I also served on faculty senate and was the Director of the MU Partnership for Educational Renewal (MPER).

In 2021 I left the University of Missouri for a position at the University of Florida’s Lastinger Center for Learning. This position allowed me to be close to my family in Orlando and also allows me to learn new things. I am the Director of Mathematics for the Center and have been active in research, development, and policy work and continue to learn everyday. We are also building an exciting new professional development system for mathematics teachers called the Math Matrix.

Currently, I am an associate professor in mathematics education (I was awarded tenure and promotion in the summer of 2018), the PI on an NSF-Funded grant called the Practice-Driven Professional Development (PDPD) Study, and the co-creator (along with my friend and frequent collaborator Sam Otten) of the Two-Minute Teacher’s Guide.

In my free time I enjoy gardening, hanging with my husband and two dogs, running, and being outdoors.