I’ve Sat Where You’re Sitting
I know what you’re up against, and there’s a real solution.
I've always loved helping others.
But it wasn't until I became a math coach that I found the problem I couldn't stop thinking about.
I was seeing the same thing in classroom after classroom. Students who could compute just fine but fell apart the moment a word problem showed up. Teachers were doing everything they’d been told to do: teaching keywords, using bar models, walking students through CUBES step by step. And it wasn't working.
At first I thought it was a strategy problem. So I researched. I experimented. Bar models helped students visualize, but they weren't enough. Keywords sent students in the wrong direction. Step-by-step procedures gave them something to follow but not something to understand.
The more I dug in, the clearer it became: students weren't struggling because they couldn't compute. They were struggling because no one had taught them to make sense of what the problem was actually asking.
I knew if I could build something that put comprehension first, students could be successful. Not just some of them. All of them.
This Work Is Personal
It's hard to put into words what it means to see this work land in classrooms. Not just down the road, but around the world. Every teacher who tries it, every student who finally makes sense of a math story, is why this work matters.
A partnership fueled by passion and purpose
One of my proudest accomplishments is the partnership I've built with Sav Inclusive in Jamaica, a school committed to providing equitable access to education for students of all abilities.
We visit regularly, and I have the privilege of supporting their teachers with professional development and resources. What they're doing for their students is remarkable.
Published Work
Structures of Equality Book
The complete framework for teaching word problem comprehension in grades 1–3, coming summer 2026.
The Fire & Wire Way
Daily routines that systemically build foundational number sense in K-1. In just 4-8 minutes a day!
NCTM Teaching & Learning
This peer-reviewed article explores how daily routines build the foundational number sense students need to succeed.
