Our colleague, Myriam Steinback, is heading off on a new adventure. Her departure, after 21 years directing Investigations Workshops, gives us the opportunity to reflect on her work and contributions.
Investigations professional development provides opportunities for teachers to engage in mathematics, in the ways that embody the Investigations philosophy. It focuses on how children learn, how mathematical ideas develop within and across the grades, and on examining student thinking and student and teacher work.
| Myriam joined our team in 1996 as the director of the Investigations Workshops Project. She developed and mentored an amazing cadre of leaders from around the country—people who had classroom experience and Investigations expertise, and were passionate about mathematics teaching and learning. To date, this group has worked with over 35,000 educators, around the country and the globe. |  |
Recently Myriam led the project into the world of online professional development, thinking about how to design engaging math learning experiences in a virtual environment. Now, virtually anyone around the world can participate in our professional development.
As Myriam prepares for a new journey, we are thankful for her vision and leadership. Her work at TERC has impacted tens of thousands of educators, and thereby, hundreds of thousands of students. What we will miss more than anything is a colleague who is a model of dedication, enthusiasm, and passion for substantive mathematics learning in elementary and adult education settings. We asked people who have worked for and with Myriam to describe her, with just a few words.
There couldn’t be a better a visual representation of the impact Myriam has made on those who have had the pleasure of working with and learning from her. Thank you, Myriam, for making us all better math educators and life-long learners!
– The staff of the Investigations Center for Curriculum and Professional Development
- Developing Classroom Agreements in the Investigations 3 Classroom - October 25, 2021
- Meaningful Math Discussions: It’s about the Ideas, Not Where You Discuss Them - April 12, 2021
- Teaching Investigations 3 Remotely: Not So Different - February 22, 2021
I really don’t remember a time when I didn’t call Myriam friend. We met when she came to my district to teach the Implementing Investigations course. I feel like we instantly connected and she became so much more than a PD provider. She has a deep understanding of how children make sense of mathematics. She understands teachers and respects them. She cares about people. She is compassionate and kind. She always asks about my family and is joyful about her own. She is a wonderful person (as are ALL the Investigations people) and I can’t imagine her not being in Boston with them-I know she will be sorely missed. I want to thank her for all she has given to the math community and wish her the best of luck in her new endeavor. I know she will bring sunshine wherever she goes!
Thank you, Eileen – the feeling is mutual! What a great district you have, and what wonderful people doing such good work with you at the helm. Continue doing the hard work you do supporting Investigations! We will stay in touch.