The American Institute of Mathematics (AIM), one of the leading math institutes in the U.S., announces the launching of a new Math Teachers’ Circle in North Louisiana, as part of a new initiative that empowers middle school math teachers to bring new excitement and interest in mathematics to their students.
Math Teachers’ Circles are collaborations between professional mathematicians, middle school math teachers, and school administrators.
In a Math Teachers’ Circle, teachers experience open-ended problem-solving firsthand in lively discussion sessions led by mathematicians. By enriching teachers’ own experiences of mathematics, the Math Teachers’ Circle program hopes to affect their classroom teaching so that it includes more problem-solving, a key component in student learning and engagement in mathematics.
During the week of July 26-30, 2010, six groups from around the country, including a team from North Louisiana, participated in a weeklong workshop organized by AIM in Washington, DC. The purpose of the workshop was to prepare each team to launch its own local Math Teachers’ Circle. The members of the team were: Judith Covington, LSUS; Tanya Sullivan-McGee, Bossier Parish; Amanda Wall, Caddo Parish; and Lakeshia Cooper, Desoto Parish. In addition, two other LSUS faculty members, Wanda Huhn and Patricia Doerr will help organize the North Louisiana Math Teachers Circle.
The North Louisiana Math Teachers Circle (NLMTC) had their inaugural meeting on Monday, November 8 at the LSUS University Center. There were 40 middle school teachers, 4 school administrators, and 5 college faculty members in attendance.
The participants started with a catered meal of catfish, worked on problem-solving activities and ended with drawings for door prices. The inaugural session was lead by Patricia Jones and Catherine McKay, retired faculty members from University of Louisiana Lafayette.
Funding for the meeting was provided by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute’s National Association of Math Circles grant program and by the Educational Advancement Foundation.
The NLMTC is currently working to organize another meeting for Spring 2011 and beyond. If you are interested in learning more, or participating, please contact Judith Covington, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .


