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Karen Schweitzer, a teacher for 33 years, spent most of her career as a kindergarten, first and second grade classroom teacher. After a brief foray into sixth and fifth grade, she has now settled in as a third grade teacher at the Anne T. Dunphy School, where she has taught for the past 26 years.

In Schweitzer’s classroom all students can become mathematical thinkers. Her activities invite students to explore underlying concepts, create solutions and work collaboratively.  Karen believes that even the youngest minds can engage with big mathematical ideas as demonstrated in her innovative work with primary students. Her breadth and depth of mathematical knowledge has allowed her to excel in teaching older students as well.

For the past 22 years, in addition to her classroom work, Schweitzer has been part of an ongoing series of National Science Foundation funded projects with researchers from Mount Holyoke College, the Education Development Center, and TERC. Consequently, she contributed to the Developing Mathematical Ideas professional development materials, presented at national conferences, and wrote chapters in two books. She provides professional development in mathematics and math education for pre-service and in-service teachers around the country.

Schweitzer has a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and is certified in kindergarten through eighth grade elementary education. She has an M.A. in Mathematics Teaching, with a concentration in leadership from Mount Holyoke College.