Most people have a story about learning math when they were in elementary school, teachers included. And sadly, most of us feel a certain amount of “mathphobia” due to these experiences. While teachers are responsible for guiding and teaching their students in all the math skills that prepare them for their adult lives, both professional and personal, they too feel mathphobia. Various strategies have attempted to address this through curriculum changes as well as mandatory skills testing of newly graduating teachers. But could it be as simple as using Jump Math in classrooms? The Jump Math program is responsible for building the confidence and skills of both students and teachers, and thus contributes to eliminating disproportionate outcomes for students that have historically been disadvantaged by other math programs.

Bio: Diana is an elementary principal at the Toronto District School Board and brings over 15 years of experience in education. She is passionate about Jump Math having used it extensively as a teacher and having implemented it in her school as a principal. Prior to her career in education, she spent time in the corporate world in marketing roles. She is adept at identifying links between the two fields and brings her unique skill set to leadership in education. Diana is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education at the University of Toronto with research interest in implicit bias in elementary education; she has a B.Comm from Dalhousie University, an M.B.A. from Simon Fraser University, and B.Ed from OISE. Diana has lived and worked abroad and has traveled extensively.