brings his expertise in mathematics education to the Center as an elementary Teacher Collaborator. He has taught for over nine years in both elementary and middle schools. Brad has served as a K-8 mathematics professional development consultant for numerous school districts in Illinois for over eight years. In his teaching experiences, Brad has been guided by an on-going belief that learning is a personal experience that occurs most effectively when instruction connects at a personal level. He is particularly interested in using children’s literature to frame mathematics lessons. Brad can be reached at blthomps@illinois.edu .
After ten years of teaching in the classroom, Jill has joined the Center as the elementary teacher collaborator for literacy. Jill has experience teaching grades 1-8. She previously taught in Florida and after five years moved to the Champaign-Urbana area. Jill spent three years in the classroom with Champaign Unit 4 schools and then moved into a literacy position her 4th year. During her time with Champaign schools, Jill modeled reading and writing lessons for teachers district wide, led staff development, and coached her peers in literacy instruction. Jill specializes in the workshop approach to reading and writing. She has a particular interest in inquiry-based instruction, which works to incorporate literacy into the content areas. Jill can be reached at adkins4@illinois.edu.