Educator Spotlight: Antonietta Mavo

Amberlee Cooper, Content Marketing Manager

Meet Antonietta Mavo

What grades do you teach, and/or your title/role?

K–2 math instructional coach.

What school, district, or institution do you work for? Location?

I work for Lakeland Elementary in Humble Independent School District, Texas.

Who inspired you to become an educator?

I have always had a passion for mathematics and how it works. I decided to become an educator so that I may share my love of math with my students and peers.

What motivates you? 

My family.

What advice would you give to your first-year teacher self? 

Trust yourself; there is no universal strategy for teaching. We all bring something new to the table, and your voice has value. 

What do you wish more people knew about being an educator?

I wish people knew that being an educator is more than teaching students how to read, add, and subtract. We challenge our students in ways that benefit them academically and socially. Socialization in the classroom is an important aspect of learning that encourages students to reason beyond basic concepts of learning. 

What do you love most about Bridges curriculum/math apps/MLC?

What I love most about Bridges is the use of academic language to promote students’ discourse about math. The lessons are intriguing and spark students’ curiosity in how they think about math. Overall Bridges provides many opportunities for students to engage in learning with peers and independently to promote self-efficacy.

What do you love most about working with students?

Bridges builds students' math confidence. I love seeing students' happy faces when they accomplish their goals and seeing the confidence they feel when they tackle a new skill. 

What’s your math story? In other words, how do you feel about math and why?

Since I was very young I enjoyed working on algebra and math equations. During my high school years, I remember always having friends at home, so I could help them with their math work. When I went to college, I tutored peers with calculus. I can say that I have always loved math and helping others to understand it. Math really makes me happy.

If you would like to nominate an educator to be highlighted, please email justinf@mathlearningcenter.org.