Think “Butterflies and Crowns” When Multiplying in 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Math!

Hi, there! My name is Mr. Thurman and I enjoy teaching math. And, at “Math You Can Do” we’re always cooking up some good “recipes” for a tasty math experience! I was a public and private school educator for 36 years, and have experience teaching 3rd through 6th grade math.  I was a principal for 5 years too, but I must say, it is much more fun and rewarding to teach. I have undergraduate degrees in music and in elementary education from Western Kentucky University.  As well, I have a master's degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and a theology degree from Bethany Global University. I am offering math classes for 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders because, for the last 20 years of my career, I have been doing just that, working as a math specialist for intermediate students.  We will be using a fun math program which allows me to teach you, and then monitor your work when we're not in class together, enabling me to see just where I can best help you until we meet again. I can even communicate with you while you are working between our online classes.  And yes, you can and WILL excel in math!! You might even learn to love it! (Conceptual Math producing Efficiency and Accuracy) 

If you had asked me when I was your age, students, if I wanted to be a math teacher when I grew up, I would have said, "NO!"  I had to work hard at math when I was young, and, to be quite honest, I don't think some of my teachers really knew how best to teach the subject.  Here's the big idea I share with my students:  LEARNING TAKES PLACE OVER TIME!  It can't be rushed...especially with math.  Our class motto will be," Learning takes place over time AND it's all about the effort!"

My wife is a music teacher and we have 3 grown daughters.  We played music together as a family for many years and performed 45 concerts in 5 countries in Europe.   Now, we have 9 grandchildren, 4 boys and 5 girls. I have been a professional musician for many years now and play french horn in Orchestra Kentucky of Bowling Green and we perform lots of concerts.  We have a little Yorkie named Sir James Paul McCartney Thurman.  We call him Paul and I don't think he knows he's a dog! 😃