Loyola Professors Marian Bocea and Peter Tingley have been awarded $2,000 from the American Institute of Mathematics to continue running the first math teachers’ circle in Chicago.
The circle is part of a national project that brings K-12 math teachers and college professors together to build connections, work on challenging math problems, and bridge the gap between school and university mathematics education. There are over 60 different circles nationwide, but the Chicago circle is only the second in the state.
“We all believe that teaching problem solving and critical thinking skills is fundamental to the mission of the math department and to Loyola in general,” Professor Tingley said. “We also believe that this mission goes beyond the university, and is best achieved through cooperation with the community, and in particular with CPS teachers.”
Professor Tingley and Bocea recently held the first meeting at Loyola, where 12 Chicago Public School math teachers were in attendance, along with two math education students.