Maria Miller

I have a master's degree in mathematics with the educational studies required for teachers, and minors in physics and statistics. I love teaching math (and teaching in general). My teaching experience is varied, ranging from private tutoring to teaching in a university and vocational school. I was prompted to start writing math books and materials starting in 2002. I had been tutoring various homeschooled children in math, and I noticed the poor quality of the curricula they were using, especially when it came to teaching the conceptual understanding of mathematics. So, initially, I reached out to homeschoolers and wrote books that emphasized conceptual understanding and the "why" of mathematics, and I included full explanations of the concepts and procedures, in case the parents did not know how to teach the math. Still today, my materials are focused on concepts and the "why" of mathematics (though not forgetting the "how" and the needful practice). Over the years, I have also gained lots of teachers as customers, with good feedback. My teaching experience is varied, though not very extensive (since I have been concentrating on authoring books & websites), ranging from private tutoring to teaching in a university and a vocational school.

The aim of my books is first and foremost to explain math in very simple terms, yet rigorously, concentrating on understanding of concepts. I use visual models and exercises a lot because they are very close to physical manipulatives and help children understand how math works. Since the materials include both the explanations (the teaching part) and the exercises, they suit well self-directed learning. In other words, they are nearly self-teaching for many students, and require very little preparation from the teacher. They are also very suited to give as homework, because the parents can see how the concept is taught, and can thus help the child.

Yet to be added

University of Joensuu, Finland, graduated 1997

In my free time, I like walking, bicycling, swimming, reading, watching HeartCheer channel, and listening to music.