Denae Nesbit teaches Math113, College Algebra, with a focus on vocabulary. She believes students can better engage with math learning when they acquire the necessary language to describe math concepts precisely. Instead of just knowing the right number or method, her learners need to be able to use academic language to demonstrate their mathematical knowledge. For instance, what does rate of change mean in terms of a situation? It's not just some number. There are units involved and relationships between quantities.
Nesbit has 10 years of high school teaching experience, has creatively self-published epic fantasy novels under the name Denae Christine and number theory is her favorite math topic. Cooking, biking, audiobook listening, board gaming with friends, and playing with her one-year-old all consume Nesbit's non-school time.