More than 300 Tyler ISD mathematics educators gathered today at The University of Texas at Tyler for a full day of professional learning focused on high-impact mathematics instruction.
“As our District propels itself into its Next is Now initiative, opportunities like this Math Symposium represent how Tyler ISD is leading the charge in teaching and learning for East Texas,” Tyler ISD administrator Dr. Bobby Markle said. “Simply put, by bringing in experts in the field of mathematics education, we are building experts here in our hometown school district.”
The symposium featured mathematics presenters Graham Fletcher, John SanGiovanni, and Jared Sliger. Through keynote presentations and interactive sessions, educators examined practical strategies designed to deepen students’ mathematical understanding, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
“This event highlights Tyler ISD’s commitment to strengthening mathematics teaching and learning while providing educators access to nationally respected experts in the field,” Tyler ISD Mathematics Coordinator Michelle Gandy said.
Sessions explored productive struggle, progressions of learning in elementary mathematics, and the development of thinking classrooms that encourage students to engage actively with challenging concepts. Educators also considered how purposeful questioning, classroom structures, and carefully sequenced instruction can help students build confidence and make meaningful connections among mathematical ideas.
“The staff today was fantastic and super engaged,” SanGiovanni said. “I think they’ve been engaged because the learning is pertinent to their work, and they’ve had a chance to talk with others about that work. It resonates.”
For Caldwell Arts Academy fifth-grade teacher Layne Fumo, the symposium offered strategies to help students understand not only how mathematics works, but why.
“I was taught math in a completely different way than the way I’m expected to teach my students today,” Fumo said. “I came into this symposium excited to learn new strategies that I could use in my classroom to help my students understand the ‘why’ behind the math.”
Fumo said her day was filled with practical ideas she can take directly into her classroom, beginning on the first day of school and continuing to use throughout the year. Those ideas ranged from building a strong classroom community around mathematics to helping students fluently break apart numbers.
“I’m excited to help my students understand the ‘why,’ something I had to teach myself years later,” Fumo said.
Caldwell Arts Academy seventh-grade mathematics teacher Elise Ellexson valued the opportunity to experience the learning from a student’s perspective.
“I thoroughly enjoyed being a student for the day as we collaborated through productive struggle activities,” Ellexson said. “I’m walking away with a lot of great student-centered activities for the new school year.”
Caldwell Arts Academy second-grade teacher Sonya Hunter described the symposium’s impact in a few words: “The Math Symposium didn’t add to my workload; it transformed my thinking and refined my practice.”
The event gave educators from across Tyler ISD an opportunity to exchange ideas, reflect on their classroom practices, and build a shared vision for effective mathematics teaching. That collaboration supports the District’s broader academic mission to provide every student with engaging and rigorous learning experiences.
As Tyler ISD educators prepare to welcome students for the 2026-2027 school year, they will carry the symposium’s lessons into classrooms where students are encouraged to think deeply, persevere through challenges, and confidently communicate their mathematical reasoning.