Elementary, middle and high school teachers can participate in an intensive residential math circle “immersion program,” learning many non-standard topics that will stretch their problem-solving abilities. The program is run in parallel to the Summer Camp with overlapping faculty.

What is a teacher immersion program? Math circles for kids came to the US in the mid-1990s. They are learning communities that teach math through escape-the-textbook problem solving, often facilitated by professional mathematicians. Math circles for teachers developed about ten years later, when a middle school teacher in Cupertino, CA watched a circle for kids and asked, “Why can’t we teachers do this, too?”  

Teachers are very busy and very hard-working, and also used to leading students. It’s not easy reversing roles and encountering math problems that you cannot solve! So, many math teacher circles start out with an immersion program: a residential camp where the teachers are away from the pressures of home, and have the freedom to spend several days in a beautiful location where they can focus completely on doing mathematics.

It’s a cross between a wellness spa and boot camp, but with math problems instead of massages and drills. At the end of the immersion program, teachers feel rejuvenated, with fresh ideas to try out in the classroom, an expanded network of like-minded colleagues, and a renewed sense of professional purpose.

Who should attend? The MitM Teacher Immersion Program is for any elementary-, middle-, or high-school math teacher that wants to challenge themselves with open-ended problems and mind-stretching, “I forgot that math was this beautiful!” topics. We have had 50 teachers attend the program from around the country over the past two years.

What topics will be covered? How will the classes be conducted? First of all, there won’t be “classes.” A typical session may involve just one or two initial questions that lead to deep group discussions. “Time to think” is valued and encouraged. The sessions promote problem solving and collaborative thinking.

You didn’t answer the question.  What will we learn? You will learn what is really meant by problem solving. A problem, in contrast to an exercise, is a mathematical question that you do not (yet) know how to solve. You first need to learn techniques of investigation. And you will learn a lot about this during the immersion program. You will also learn cool not-in-the-textbook mathematical topics such as:

• Magic tricks that require no skills besides simple arithmetic

• Combinatorial games that are easy to play but with deep strategies

• Geometric dissections that revitalize your love of construction paper

• Topology and number theory: advanced undergraduate ideas that can be mastered and deployed in middle-school or even elementary-school classrooms

Much of the material connects seemingly disparate branches of mathematics. For example, an innocent “mind reading” magic trick is powered by insights about divisibility. The strategies underlying a complicated game turn out to involve symmetry and number-base representations.

But this doesn’t really convey what you will learn, because in the end it is about people. You will learn from your fellow participants, but also under the guidance of a stellar team of educators who have great experience in communicating mathematics at all levels.

The MitM Teacher Immersion Program would not be possible without the support of Teton Science Schools, The American Institute of Mathematics, and numerous individual donors.