Jamie Ramsey

Springdale, AR | K-6, Mathematics, 2022

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

I believe that quality STEM education is the most impactful way to prepare students for the future. Giving students opportunities to experiment with science and math concepts naturally develops self awareness, curiosity, depth of knowledge, and collaborative conversations. Problem solving tasks are full of opportunities to be creative, persevere around constraints, refine ideas, and reflect on their learning journey. These skills are essential as kids navigate the world as learners and leaders.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

I attended an education conference during college and was blown away by a group of classroom teachers that presented during a breakout session. I dreamed that one day I would be brave enough to advocate for my students and fellow teachers like this. In 2024, my dream came true when I was invited to present at the National CGI Math Conference. During my session, we looked at the research behind student agency and innovative strategies that have high effect sizes on student learning. We then spent the rest of our time together exploring real examples of these strategies that I implemented with my own classroom family. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity that allowed me to collaborate with math educators from across the nation.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

As a new PAEMST awardee, I am inspired by the community of experienced PAEMST educators who are already advocating for STEM across the nation. I believe we are better together, and I want to use this platform to partner with and advocate for novice elementary teachers as they build the foundation of their educator identity. High quality STEM education allows these teachers the freedom to integrate, innovate, build strong classroom culture, and develop their students as learners and leaders.

Biography

Jamie Ramsey has been an elementary educator for 13 years, all which have been in Springdale School District. In 2021, she was a founding member of Jim D. Rollins Elementary School of Innovation, where she currently teaches literacy and STEM in third grade. Jamie prides herself on building a strong classroom family where all mathematicians feel safe, empowered, challenged, and supported. Her hallmark in STEM is incorporating real-world images during number talks to reinforce and extend student mathematical thinking. Throughout the year, she uses images to capture student interest and model the development of both mathematical knowledge and strategies. Students extend their learning through justification and creation of their own number talks. Their leadership grows by guiding other learners, providing feedback, and reflecting. This process has helped her students develop grit, creativity, and enthusiasm as young mathematicians. Jamie has a passion for mentoring novice mathematics teachers. She seeks to equip these educators with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to meet all students where they are, to speak up for their needs, to implement strategies with high effect sizes, and to take their next steps as learners and leaders. Jamie was also awarded Arkansas Elementary Math Teacher of the Year in 2022 from the Mathematical Association of America. During Jamie’s time on Springdale’s Math Leadership Team, she developed curriculum, modeled lessons, and presented professional development sessions at the district, regional, and national level. Jamie has a B.S. in education and a M.A.T. in childhood education, both from the University of Arkansas. She is an Arkansas NIET Lead Professional Educator who is certified in Childhood Education and ESL in grades K-12.

High-resolution version of the official portrait photograph
High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

The views expressed in awardee profiles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF or the PAEMST program.