Sandra Balisky

I have taught 7th - 12th grade math in 5 school districts, including one online academy. I have tutored math at for elementary math through Calculus and worked in childcare settings over the past 20 years. I am currently homeschooling my own children.

I hope to build and maintain an environment where learning can constantly flourish; my dream for my own children and any students I teach is that they would deeply understand math and know how to use it in meaningful situations without ever losing their love for learning and confidence in themselves as learners. In order to help our students (or children) become fluent in the language of math and grow into confident, happy learners, we need to provide them with a solid foundation in the fundamental elements of math. Students should be given the chance to explore key concepts in math through structured activities with plenty of room for questions and discovery. This will enable them to build their own solid framework of understanding – then they can more easily assimilate future concepts by connecting them to ideas they’ve already thought through and owned. When students can approach a question from several different entry points and confidently address new variations on a concept, they will be set up for a successful and enjoyable life-long experience with math.

I was selected to work on our district-wide committee that developed a plan for integrating Common Core standards in math.

I have a double major in Math and English (with a focus in creative writing) and a Master’s in Teaching with an endorsement in Secondary Math, all from the University of Washington.

As a mother who has transitioned from working in the classroom to educating her own children at home, I have a substantial (and growing!) storehouse of experiences, ideas, lessons, and projects to share with you all. I have created several series of activity-based lessons and have included explanations for how to teach concepts in an authentic, motivating way to your students or children; I will continue, in the coming months and years, to publish more lesson-packs covering a broad range of math topics, from pre-k through Geometry. I want to share these units with anyone looking for engaging, foundation-building, and authentic learning activities to set their children up for success in a STEM-centric world. Looking forward, we know that we need to prepare our children and students to function confidently in creative, innovative ways in the 21st century career field. I hope to be part of your journey as we work together to teach our children math in a way that empowers them to face this future, free from the shackles of math anxiety. You can find me at realworldlearners.com