September 2024 Message from the Boardbrock

Brock Strickland, CCTM Treasurer

This month our board message is by Brock Strickland, our treasurer. In his message, Brock welcomes us to a new year of productive struggle, routine, challenge, and measurable success.

From Grand Junction and the San Juan’s, to Pueblo, Trinidad, Lamar, and back up to Fort Collins and the Red Feather Lakes, math teachers are back in full force: implementing curricula, holding students accountable for academic language, and asking questions to push and probe student thinking. To that I say, “Welcome back fellow colleagues and new members!”

Our collective brain-trust seeks to provide both support and networking across the state. We look forward to offering a host of opportunities–meaningful professional development, real networking (keep an eye out for announcements on socials), and genuine support in your growth and empowerment! To teach is to transform; to mold curiosity towards question-asking and to galvanize minds towards confidence and capability. Teachers have a special gift. We aim to share that gift with all who will accept our invitation… and we do everything in our power to make that invitation appealing and thought-provoking. Teaching mathematics is the teaching of problem-solving: What do we know? How do we know it? What is a potential solution? Is that solution more efficient than another one? Show me your evidence. And the occasional or frequent, “How ya doin’?”

We share your passion to be passionate. Together we want to grow and develop our repertoire of skills because teaching takes a together mindset. Every colleague can be a reflection of ourselves: our willingness to learn, our ability to be vulnerable, our compassion, and our readiness to help others on their own journeys. In CCTM, you will find like-minded teachers and learners, veterans and 1st years, colleagues and friends. Regardless of title, we are all on the same path–to be better for our students and our communities. 

“Mathematics is the poetry of logic and the music of reason”–Albert Einstein. May you conduct symphonies of patterns and structure-building. May each stanza of your year leap off the page with quantitative and qualitative growth. And this year, may you find joy in this special profession of ours.

2024-2025 is upon us! We can’t wait to connect with you!

~Brock Strickland

 

Return to CCTM September Newsletter