Karen Longhart

Previous Recipients

2025 - Travis Kimm, Billings

My name is Travis Kimm, a teacher at Skyview High School in Billings, and I am grateful to receive the Karen Longhart Scholarship for professional development.

I recently read a quote that stated, “To become a great artist, don’t just study art, study artists.” I don't exactly have a passion for art myself, but I thought it was a wise principle no matter what field you pursue. We can certainly apply it to our own field: to become a great mathematician, or a great math teacher, we must study the greats. I have had a recent interest to do just that, by studying more of the history of mathematics and the mathematicians that shaped how we think of the field now. I took an online course this summer through Fresno Pacific University on Great Mathematicians Before 1700.

In an age of AI and instantaneous calculations and problem-solving at our fingertips, math especially can start to feel like a less human endeavor. Calculations and procedures can begin to feel like robotic work that should stay as such–so should we leave it to the robots? A way to counter this mindset is to put ourselves in the shoes of the humans that had a desire and a need to develop the mathematics we rely on today. Mathematics continues to be a human endeavor and a process to engage our minds with logic and problem solving. When we take a historical perspective, we can marvel at how many different people from various time periods and cultures have contributed to this field not just out of necessity but also out of joy, and sometimes unaware of how significant their work would be. Pierre de Fermat enjoyed math as a hobby, but made lasting contributions in number theory, physics, and calculus that have made his name live on, and leaving some margin notes that continue to intrigue many mathematicians. Students would do well to consider such examples! When a student asks why we are studying a certain concept, it is beneficial to go back to the origin and purpose, as well as the intrinsic satisfaction in a problem well solved.

This course encouraged finding creative ways to incorporate historical mathematicians. There may be some spaces to incorporate specific anecdotes depending on your content. Examples include exploring Euclid and Pythagoras in geometry, Descartes when exploring graphical ideas, and Newton and Leibniz in Calculus. I would like to explore more ways to engage students with some of the specific math some of the people of the past were engaging with.

Beyond specific lessons, there are other creative ways we can weave in history:

● Strategic Posters: I have a "Wall of Fame" that includes both historical figures and current students! (more info below)

● Birthday Celebrations: Highlighting mathematicians on their birthdays to make them more relatable.

● Quick Research: Having students do mini-research projects on a famous mathematician.

I want my students to build a positive identity as a mathematician (which is often not the case) and I think finding some math role models and celebrating successes is a great way of doing that. By highlighting great mathematicians of the past, as well as students who excel in my own classroom, students more likely see success as attainable and worth pursuing.

A good first step in incorporating more history is to learn more history yourself! This does not need to be exhaustive, but could include learning a few names and facts about them. I have included a handful of resources at the end that could be helpful, both from the course I took and things I have read personally. I am glad to hear any resources you have found helpful. I am grateful to be part of a learning community with you all at MCTM, and hope that we always pursue excellence and improvement, whether it's by attending a conference, working on a master’s degree (MSU has a high-quality, affordable program!), taking an online course, or participating in a book study, we have so many opportunities to better ourselves—and, in turn, better our students. While not all of our teaching looks the same, we have a lot to learn from each other, and I am thankful for this Montana math community.

Thanks,

Travis Kimm

History Resources

History for a teacher or student perspective:

● Reimer, L., & Reimer, W. (1990). Mathematicians are people, too: Stories from the lives of great mathematicians. [Dale Seymour Publications]

○ These volumes were utilized in the course and have some very readable anecdotes that make the legendary mathematicians seem more relatable

● Strogatz, S. (2019). Infinite powers: How calculus reveals the secrets of the universe. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

○ A relatively popular work on the history, development, and applications of calculus. Highly recommend!

● Nickel, J. D. (2001). Mathematics: Is God silent? (Rev. ed.). Ross House Books

○ A religious perspective on math education, which may not be for all, but some helpful history and biographical info on many mathematicians and philosophers of the past. Classroom decoration:

● Choprasss. (2026). Mathematicians of the world - version 2 [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/mathematicians-of-the-world-version2pdf/266650291

○ This has a variety of many mathematicians across time and cultures. I have a selection of these posted in my classroom, and have formatted similar slides to highlight some of my own students

2023 - Ross Gustafson, Helena

2023 - Brooke Taylor, Billings

2022 - Jake Warner

Thank you MCTM for the Karen Longhart Scholarship! I used this scholarship to pay for the Maintenance of Certification for my National Board Certification.

So what is National Board Certification anyways? The National Education Association defines National Board Certification as “a voluntary, advanced teaching credential that goes beyond state licensure. NBC has national standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. The National Board certifies teachers who successfully complete its rigorous certification process.” You can get certified in almost any content area, MCTM members are probably

interested in certifying in Early Adolescence Mathematics, Adolescence, and Young Adulthood Mathematics, or as an Early Childhood Generalist.

Why should a teacher get certified? I can honestly say getting certified made me a better teacher. The certification process covers many aspects of teaching. I was able to see where I wasn’t meeting the criteria and change my practice (for the better) to reach certification. You also stand to earn a higher salary by getting certified. Many schools offer stipends or increased salaries. The state will match the school’s stipend by $1000 or $2000 depending on your school’s rurality and poverty levels.

What does a teacher have to do to get certified? The certification process consists of 4 components covering content knowledge, differentiation, classroom environment, use of assessment data, teacher collaboration, and other topics. You must submit a video, artifacts of student work, and write about your teaching. You can get certified in as little as 1 year, or as many as 5 years. If you don’t score well on any component, you can retake that component.

How much does it cost? Each year there is a $75 registration fee, and each component costs $475. If you certify in one year the total cost is $1,975.

How do I get started? While it isn’t required, I highly recommend taking MFPE’s Jumpstart training. The instructions for applying are in PDF form and can be hard to understand. At the MFPE training, they walk you through the process and explain what is required from each component. Every year Jumpstart is offered in person and virtually.

Find more information about MFPE support here:

https://www.mfpe.org/benefits-of-membership/professional-development/national-board-certification/

Find more information about National Board Certification here:

https://www.nbpts.org/

Thanks again MCTM for the support, I love being in such a great organization!

2021 - Angel Zickefoose, Billings

Thank you MCTM for the Karen Longhart Scholarship. I used the scholarship to take 3 different online professional development courses, and they were all fantastic!

The first course was Building Thinking Classrooms presented by Peter Liljedahl. I have seen Peter speak as an MCTM Keynote speaker, and I loved everything he was saying. Then I purchased and read his book, which continued to inspire me to change how I was teaching math in my classroom. I then came upon an online course that was presented in 3 parts - so I jumped at the opportunity to hear Peter speak and present again! The sessions focused on the practices that were presented in the book and how to use them in teaching curriculum content. He also talked about the four practices that help students take responsibility for their own learning. If you haven’t read or heard about Building Thinking Classrooms, I would highly recommend you make this a part of your professional reading or podcast listening! You can find podcasts here.

The next course that I took was called Mathematical Openers from Math for Love. The goal of Math for Love is to get students excited about math through rich mathematical tasks. This philosophy aligns perfectly with the Building Thinking Classroom philosophy and was a great reminder for me. The mini-course presented several different math

openers that only take 5 minutes, but get students engaged in class right away. They are fun and challenging. Some of the openers are activities I had done before, like Pico, Fermi, Bagel and Broken Calculator, but others were brand new to me.

The third course that I took was called Mathematical Mindsets by Jo Boaler. I had read the book, but wanted to learn specific methods and approaches to use to successfully help students develop a growth mindset. I had dabbled in growth mindset activities in the past using the youcubed site, but after taking this course I was able to continue to

use growth mindset strategies throughout the year instead of only using the mindset activities during the first week of school.

Again, thank you to MCTM and the Karen Longhart Scholarship committee for the opportunity to continue developing my teaching skills.

2020 - Alison Lokey, Missoula

2019 - Becky Berg, Billings

2018 - Polly Dupuis, Polson

2017 - Lisa Scott, Billings

Thank you MCTM for the Karen Longhart Scholarship. I used the scholarship to attend the Illustrative Mathematics Certified Facilitator Learning Retreat in Chicago, IL.

The Learning Retreat was fantastic and full of information for teaching and learning mathematics. It started with learning more about Universal Design for Learning and how the framework supports teachers in removing barriers for students so they can access grade-level mathematics. Learn more at https://udlguidelines.cast.org/.

The next session was all about the Mathematics Language Routines. These routines were created by UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE/ STANFORD CENTER FOR ASSESSMENT, LEARNING, AND EQUITY at Stanford University Graduate School of Education. These 8 routines are valuable for helping students learn the language of mathematics at the same time they are learning the concepts of mathematics. Read more from https://ul.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/resource/2021-11/Principles%20for%20the%20Design%20of%20Mathematics%20Curricula_1.pdf.

The last session was about the 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discourse written by Margaret Smith and Mary Kay Stein. To use the 5 Practices, it is important to begin with an understanding of the learning goal and selecting a rich task that will engage students. The facilitator then monitors, selects, sequences, and connects student thinking to drive the discourse in the classroom. Find out more about the book at https://www.nctm.org/store/5practices/.

Thank you to MCTM and the Karen Longhart Scholarship committee for the opportunity to continue developing my facilitating professional learning skills.

2015 - Angie St. Onge, Kalispell

2014 - Lee Brown, Missoula

Thank you MCTM for the Karen Longhart Scholarship. I used the scholarship to travel to Fullerton, CA where we met with other teams of university faculty and public school teachers. We shared our current preservice team teaching practices with other teams. We then refined and integrated these methods. When I returned to school, I introduced these methodologies within my classroom.

I began my teaching career in Drummond in 1985. I was the math department. Teaching six classes plus computers (in my free time), along with Adult Computer Ed in the evening. My teaching major was in Broadfield Science with a minor in Mathematics (I was an engineer in

a previous life). I was ever so grateful for the MEA/MCTM fall teacher conferences. These conferences were invaluable to me, working on an island, a class C school. Remember, the internet was not really available to the general public at that time and communicating with other teachers was challenging.

I first met Karen Longhart at the 1986 conference. Her attitude was infectious. Karen encouraged and pushed me to get involved with MCTM. Karen and others I met at these conferences suggested I work with my school(s) to apply for Eisenhower Funds. In those years Eisenhower Funds were available to help cover costs especially when traveling to national conferences. Without those funds, I am sure I would not have been going to these national conferences (NCTM Seattle ‘93, San Diego ‘96, Atlanta ‘97 and Minneapolis ‘07). These conferences gave me new ideas, built

collegial relationships and helped me become a better teacher. I brought many new concepts back to Montana where I shared them with teachers across the state.

As I approached the end of my career I reflected on my teaching experience. I realized what an impact these early opportunities had on my career. With the loss of Eisenhower Funds. sources such as the Karen Longhart Scholarship become even more valuable, especially for early career teachers.

Thank you again, these opportunities to meet with and learn from other educators I believe results in better teachers and therefore better prepared students. Your continued support of these opportunities is invaluable to improved mathematics in Montana.

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