During the school year I’m a FCPS math teacher, but I’ve also been teaching at MathTree since 2009. My introduction with MathTree was through an ad I saw on a neighborhood flyer. My initial thought was, “I love the concept, but how do they find teachers that believe this and can teach it?” I reached out to Dr. Salvo, the founder of MathTree to find out…and I was hooked!
Now, 11 summers later, my husband and I are running MathTree and I still believe in MathTree’s original philosophy….Make Learning Math Fun!
As a certified math teacher I must do professional development to keep my certification. I am currently enrolled in a course entitled: Growth Mindset and an Overview of Best Practices. Each week we learn more and more about what it means for a student to have a growth mindset. Dr. Dweck, a leading researcher on this issue, describes growth mindset as “the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” Every week I think, “Yep…that’s what MathTree has been doing for 22 years!”
It is our heartfelt belief that everyone can all learn math AND if we make the learning fun, students just want to do more of it! Their confidence grows, their grit and resilience grows, skill improves, …. and the cycle of growth continues! 
That is our vision! Simply put, MathTree’s mission is to plant a love of math in your child and nurture its growth!
That’s why I came and it’s why I’m still here.
– Joni Whitaker
