Erin Marsh, a 6th and 7th-grade teacher Tenino Middle School in Tenino School District (WA), has been named the Open Up Resources 6–8 Math Teacher of the Month for May. Marsh is being recognized for her outstanding work in her classroom and ongoing support of teachers across the country as a member of the Open Up Resources National Professional Learning Community.

Marsh’s work with Open Up Resources 6–8 Math makes her one of the most innovative teachers in the country. The Open Up Resources 6–8 Math curriculum inspires a new way of teaching math by transforming classrooms into hives of activity focusing on discussion, questioning, debate, and the deeper conceptual learning of mathematics that follow

Nominated by Principal, John Neal, Marsh has been recognized by colleagues, students, and parents for going above and beyond during Covid-19 school closures. Neal shared, “Erin has lead multiple “zoom class” sessions per week around Open Up Resources 6–8 Math.”

Marsh was proud to share the progress Tenino has made since adopting the curriculum. In the last four years the school has moved off the state “Focus List” to being one of 58 schools to recieve a State Recognized School Award from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Marsh shared, “Our Smarter Balanced Assessment scores have shown growth like never before.”

Using the low-floor/high-ceiling tasks Marsh provides opportunities for all students to engage in mathematics. “My students have confidence to get started, engage in rich problems, and ask questions when they don’t understand,” she says. “Students tend to lose their love of math in middle school and it’s our job to keep it going.”

Open Up Resources is a non-profit on a mission to increase equity in education by making excellent, top-rated curricula freely available to districts. You can learn more at www.openupresources.org. Learn more about our National Professional Learning Communities here.