Matt Switzer, Ph.D.

Dr. Switzer began his teaching career at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe Springs, CA (1990-1994) and taught junior high and high school mathematics Fort Collins, Colorado. From 2005-2007, he was the Mathematics Curriculum Facilitator for Poudre School District in Fort Collins.

Throughout his career, Matt has been interested in assisting students who have not been successful in school mathematics. This has included revisiting curricular materials, interventions, formative assessment and instruction.

Matt was born in Brazil, Indiana, where he met his beautiful wife Amy. They have three great kids, Allison, Eric and Abby.

Education

Ph.D., Curriculum & Instruction emphasis in Mathematics Education
University of Missouri
2011

M.S., Mathematics with a Teaching Emphasis
University of Northern Colorado
2007

B.S., Mathematics Education
Indiana State University
1989

Academic Areas

• Elementary Mathematics Methods
• Middle/School Mathematics Methods
• Effective Teaching

Research Areas

• Early Algebra
• Representations of Variables
• Student Thinking
• Formative Assessment Learning Trajectories/progressions

Professional Achievements

• 2012 cohort member for the NSF funded Service, Teaching, and Research (STaR) for Early Career Mathematics Educators project.
• TCU Panhellenic Faculty of the Month November 2011
• Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum (CSMC) Fellow 2007-present

Selected Publications

Switzer, J. M., Teuscher, D., & Siebert, D. (2015). See it, Try it, and Reflect on it (STaR): Using video to scaffold and support preservice teachers in the reflective process of developing participation questioning discourse. In E. Ortlieb, L. Shanahan, & M. McVee (Eds.), Video Research in Disciplinary Literacies (Vol. 6, pp. 3-20): Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Quebec Fuentes, S., Switzer, J. M., & Jimerson, J. B. (2015). Catching up to the CCSS: A principal navigates out-of-subject instructional leadership. Journal for Cases in Educational Leadership, 18(3), 195-214. doi: 10.1177/1555458915593978.

Switzer, J. M., Buchheister, K., & Dougherty, B. (2014). Examining number: A soft idea. [News & Views]. Teaching Children Mathematics, 21(2), 69-71. 

Switzer, J. M. (2014). Graphing inequalities, connecting meaning. Mathematics Teacher, 107(8), 580-584.

Lannin, J.K., van Garderen, D., Switzer, J. M., Buchheister, K. Hill, T., & Jackson, C., (2014). The mathematical development in number and operation for struggling first graders. Investigations in Mathematics Learning, 6(2), 19-47.

Switzer, J. M. (2013). Linking Models: Reasoning from Patterns to Tables and Equations. The Australian Mathematics Teacher, 69(1), 3-7.

Switzer, J. M. (2010). Bridging the math gap. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 15(7), 400-405.