Our CGI Professional Development Teacher Educators are passionate professionals whose
lives have been changed by their experiences with CGI. Their mission is to empower
teachers as they guide their students to become capable, curious, and fearless mathematicians
so that every child is willing and prepared to use mathematics to solve the world’s
problems.
− Nicholas Johnson
Nick Johnson
Nick Johnson is an assistant professor in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego
State University. He is interested in how understanding the development of children’s
ideas can open opportunities to recognize children’s strengths and broaden what counts
as knowing and doing mathematics. Nick is a former elementary school teacher, instructional
coach, and county office coordinator, and is co-author of Young Children’s Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction in Early Childhood Education.
− Rachel Matteson
Rachel Matteson
Rachel Matteson is an elementary school teacher and a professional developer in the
area of mathematics. Mrs. Matteson was introduced to the CGI research early in her
teaching career. She was stunned by the diversity of thinking and depth of understanding
demonstrated by young children and inspired to learn more to support her own students!
Her work surrounding CGI transformed her own understanding of mathematics, her ideas
about what quality math instruction should look like, and her expectations for students.
Mrs. Matteson has been exploring children's thinking in the elementary classroom using
CGI research for over 18 years. She has been providing professional development and
coaching to teachers throughout California since 2003. Recently, Mrs. Matteson was
a part of the work within Del Mar Union School District that resulted in the Golden
Bell Award for an exemplary professional learning program in the area of CGI.
− Danielle Rhoades
Danielle Rhoades
Danielle Rhoades, classroom teacher, Del Mar, CA has used CGI with her second-graders
for the past 8 years. She attended her first PD session with Vicki Jacobs. Her teaching
was immediately transformed. She recognized that CGI made mathematics accessible to
all learners. Over the years she has seen an increase in her students’ understanding,
their love for mathematics, and her own passion for teaching math. She is especially
interested at helping other educators understand the importance of listening to what
children intuitively know about mathematics and how to build on that understanding.
She completed a four-year apprentice training under the guidance of Dinah Brown and
has been leading CGI PD sessions since 2017.
− Melissa Soto
Melissa Soto
Melissa M. Soto, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education in the School
of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. Dr. Soto has spent the last 10
years providing Cognitively Guided Instruction professional development to K-6th grade
teachers throughout California and Arkansas. Her research focuses on young children’s
mathematical thinking and their cognitive processing in mathematics, teacher knowledge
of classroom practices that are guided by children’s mathematical thinking, and mobile
technology.
− Stephanie Sullins
Stephanie Sullins
Stephanie Sullins attended her first CGI training as an upper elementary school teacher
in the Del Mar Union School District in 2010. She was immediately intrigued by the
idea that students innately bring a lot of mathematical understandings to the table
and that it is our role as teachers to help guide that thinking, rather than constantly
showing, as is often seen in traditional math lessons and curriculum. Her years of
experience in upper elementary contribute to her depth of knowledge of how students’
understandings of whole numbers translate to fraction and decimal concepts. Stephanie
feels so strongly about the power of CGI in regard to student learning and has found
her passion in spreading this message to as many educators as possible. She has served
as a lead teacher on district math committees to create valuable resources to help
with CGI implementation. In 2017 she took on leadership roles in CGI professional development to help with
districtwide implementation. She currently is a Teacher-on-Special Assignment in math
professional development for the Del Mar Union School District and she offers student
intervention support at a Title 1 school, as well as being a CGI facilitator throughout
San Diego County.