Kerri Zitar

08/30/2026

This conference is going to be a good one! Registration is now open!

Teaching problem solving is hard. It’s about helping students make sense of problems, think critically, and reason mathematically. Simply put, problem solving is not a procedure that we can deliver to our students. Problem solving is something develop in them. In this interactive session, participants will learn how to do just that through engaging, problem-solving instructional routines that foster deep thinking, reasoning, and discussion. The workshop arms teachers with practical approaches to help students build confidence, apply multiple strategies, and make connections across mathematical ideas. Participants will leave with a collection of practical tools that are ready to use and that fit seamlessly into their daily instruction.

John SanGiovanni is a best-selling author and nationally recognized leader in mathematics education. He works as a district mathematics coordinator in Maryland where he leads curriculum and assessment development, professional learning, intervention efforts, and school improvement planning. John is passionate about developing mathematics specialists and teacher leaders in his district and at McDaniel College. He is also an international consultant providing professional learning for mathematics content, pedagogy, and curriculum design. John is a frequent speaker at conferences across the country. He is active in professional organizations serving on the Board of Directors for both the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics.

08/28/2026

The 4th grade class had their task. Help their teacher figure out how many ways she could arrange 20 desks in equal rows. She wanted at least two rows but not more than 8 rows.

One student sat silent, staring at his workspace. He had written a line of numbers 1-20. Upon my approach he looked up and said, “Miss, this is too hard for me.”

I leaned down and said, “Let’s think about it together. I believe in you.” I pointed to the line of numbers. “This is interesting. Tell me about your thinking.”

“I know there are 20 desks.” He said.

“Yes! I love how you represented that you know there are 20 desks! Is there another way you can draw or represent the desks? (For context students have been working this week finding factor pairs using arrays and equal groups.) He sat quiet for a moment and then looked up at me. “I wonder,” I prompted, “if you can draw 20 dots to represent the desks?” He bent his head and got to work and I walked away. When I could tell he was finished I walked back over. “Now, can you put those 20 dots into equal groups?” He smiled. Again, I walked away. When I returned he had the dots circled into groups of two. “That is good mathematical thinking!” I praised. “How many equal groups do you have?” He numbered each group as he counted. “And how many are in each group?”

“Two!” He said confidently.

“What multiplication fact can you write that matches that picture?” I queried.

“10x2 =20!” Again, he answered confidently.

“You’re doing some strong mathing my friend!” I smiled at him. “So what’s something you know about the desk arrangement?”

“Ms. P can put the desks in 10 rows with 2 in each row!” He beamed. We high-fived.

“Now,” I said, “I wonder if there is a different way she can arrange the desks?” He smiled at me. I smiled back and walked away. When I came by his desk again, he had drawn five groups of four and written the corresponding multiplication fact and he was working on a third representation.

As I packed up to leave, he ran across the room and gave me a hug. “I whispered in his ear, “I told you I believed in you! You are a mather! Even more important, you can do hard things!”

We must believe in our students. When our students know we believe in them, we help them see themselves differently.

Believe.

08/27/2026

I’ve been in 4th grade this week 🎯

Students are working on 4.OA.B.4, factor pairs and multiples. Before I explained a single thing, I gave them a story about their teacher and her Pokémon plushie collection. She has 20 of them and she’s curious how many different ways she could arrange them in equal groups. (Modified from the enVision solve and share.)

A story and a whiteboard. That’s how we started. No steps. No vocabulary word on the board. Just find every way to make 20 using equal groups.

What came back was revealing for the classroom teacher watching the lesson.
One student built arrays, dot by dot. 20x1, then 5x4, then 2x10, then 10x2.

Another drew rectangles like a builder sketching blueprints. 5x4 next to 4x5, 20x1 tucked into a long skinny strip.

A third went straight to skip counting, circling groups of 5 and groups of 10, writing 10+10=20 right next to the matching multiplication fact.

Same number. Four completely different entry points. All correct. All valuable.

This is experience before explanation. When students wrestle with the math first, their whiteboards become a window into their thinking. You can see who’s still counting one by one, who’s starting to see groups, who’s connecting repeated addition to multiplication, who’s ready to talk about factors and products by name.

Start with a definition and a worksheet and you miss all of that. You get a stack of answers with no idea how any of them got there.

Multiple representations aren’t a nice-to-have. They’re formative assessment happening in real time, right there on a dry erase board. No test required.

Every child is a math person. Sometimes we just have to get out of the way long enough to watch them prove it. 💙

08/08/2026

Had so much fun with 4th graders today working on The Locker Problem! 🏫🔓

Watching them build their own visual models with counters, wrestle with the patterns, and hear the word “multiples” start buzzing around the room as they figured out the 3rd student’s sequence (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18!) was pure magic.

There is no doubt they will understand multiples on a much deeper level when experiencing the concept this way rather than just memorizing skip counting or filling in a worksheet.

This is what it looks like to step back and let student agency lead the way! ✨

08/02/2026

07/31/2026

I love having a personal library of real books. 💚 It makes it easy to grab what I need in the moment.

After doing math walks yesterday, an area of support that my math project team and I identified was small group instruction. This morning, I was able to pull this bad boy by Kimberly Copple Rimbey off my bookshelf to help me help support grade level teams. It’s highlighted and bookmarked. It was like opening a conversation with an old friend. 💕

Never underestimate the power of a personal library (both non-fiction and fiction)! 📖

07/10/2026

Tempe Elementary Schools Thank you for such an inspiring and warm welcome today during new staff orientation! The focus on children filled my heart. ❤️

Inspiring Excellence…
Every Child
Every Adult
Every Day

07/10/2026

Identity is crucial in mathematics. It is tied to belonging. Identity and belonging are crucial in mathematics. Occasionally we are offered a glimpse of how our efforts to help children develop their math identity and sense of belonging contribute to their later success.

This week I ran into the mother of a student I had in 2nd grade over 10 years ago. She shared with me how her child’s experiences in math when she was in my class shaped how they would successfully experience math for the rest of their educational journey. This student is now in their junior year at an east coast university and they still love math.

I was humbled and honored and my heart was filled.

Identity and belonging matter.

06/29/2026

Day 1 of the 2026 CGI Conference did not disappoint! Thank you Arizona Mathematics Leaders,
AZ Assoc. of Teachers of Math and AZ Department of Education! Can’t wait for day 2!