Honorary Lifetime MCTM Memberships
Ed Anderson, Jan Cutler and Marlys Otis
During the Spring Conference honorary membership was awarded to three members—Ed Anderson, Jan Cutler, and Marlys Otis—in recognition of the long and dedicated service that each, in his or her own unique way, has given to MCTM and to mathematics education in Minnesota.
 Ed Anderson has been part of mathematics education in Minnesota for 50 years. He began teaching in Willmar after graduating from Macalester College. He also taught in the Minneapolis Public Schools until 1997 and has since worked in various mathematics education roles at the University of Minnesota including NSF-funded teacher professional development and research projects concerning student achievement. He has continuously worked to promote strong standards-based learning for all students in mathematics.
Jan Cutler worked for MCTM closely alongside Arnie as part of an inseparable team that accomplished so many of the behind the scenes details that are necessary for an organization such as MCTM to prosper and successfully operate its annual conferences. Many of us will never realize the extent of the work Jan has contributed and the inspiration she has provided over the years.
 Marlys Otis has been active in mathematics education through a wide variety of roles. Her ever youthful exuberance is contagious to all those around her. Marlys shares the following remarks she made after receiving this honor at the spring conference luncheon.
"Thank you for the opportunity to join you this weekend and, as a result of this honor, reflect on a 35 year career in Mathematics education.
As I began to ponder the early decisions I made in my life, I asked myself, “If given the opportunity, would I do it all over again? That is, if I could decide again, would I choose to be a math teacher?”
And, the answer to the question is a definite YES!
There are TWO reasons why I’d choose to be a teacher all over again, if I could, and I’d like to share those with you today.
Reason Number One: The students in my classrooms
I like young people! I enjoy their energy, their honesty (brutal, at times) and their enthusiasm, even if that enthusiasm isn’t always for learning mathematics.
No one day in a classroom of students is like any other day. Each and everyday provides a challenge, mental stimulation, and occasionally, frustration. A classroom is never boring.
When a mathematical concept, procedure or skill finally made sense to a student, and his or her face would light up, the ultimate reward, for me as a teacher, was in that precise moment of understanding.
Reason Number Two: You, my professional colleagues
When I finally got my first job, it was teaching mathematics to 7th grade students in White Bear Lake. Picture the situation: My student teaching experience was…Chemistry with college bound juniors and seniors. What did I know about mathematics knowledge and the 12 or 13 year old student? Not much, I can tell you that. At the time, I was teaching in a flexible,
modular schedule so all of us had our work spaces located in the same area. I was able to ask professional questions of my department team members. For example:
What mathematics is most important for 7th grade students to know?
What concepts, procedures, and or skills should they have coming into the 7th grade?
What strategies have you used that seem to work the best?
Which concepts are hardest for students to learn?
Each of my colleagues offered their thoughts and shared their experiences with me. This open, sharing atmosphere set the stage for my entire career.
I extended my questions from my White Bear colleagues to my professors at the University of Minnesota and all of the teachers from different districts who were in my classes.
One professor at the U of M in particular, Peg House, influenced my career more than any other. Peg introduced me to MCTM and NCTM, with MCTM being the MOST important organization for me. I started attending fall and spring MCTM conferences and learned new ideas at each conference. I attended my first NCTM meeting when I was only a third year teacher and it opened my eyes to an entirely new professional world. Do you realize that not everybody thinks about mathematics education the way we do here in Minnesota?
THEN, instead of just attending conferences, Peg insisted that I was ready to SPEAK at a MCTM conference and signed me up! I can still remember that first session, while others have faded in my memory. I think it was the terror of speaking in front of teachers for the first time, so… I brought three 7th grade students with me to help me out with the session and THEY, the students, weren’t nervous at all.
With involvement in MCTM, the professional connections just seemed to expand. There was the Best Practice network of Sharon Stenglein’s and SciMathMN, both groups so very important in my life.
And NCTM in Toronto, Canada, where I met another math teacher from Minnesota, who later became my husband. I must admit, it was very nice to have an experienced calculus teacher in the house, when I started teaching calculus after 27 years in the field. Thank you, Harry!
All of these professional conversations made significant difference in my life, as a teacher. All of us here today are in a “learning profession”. We need each other to grow as professionals.
I encourage you to:
Ask your questions
Share your insights
Express your concerns or difficult issues. AND
Encourage each other as we work to help all children learn mathematics
YOU, members of MCTM, made a difference for me.
Now, you can make a difference for each other. Enjoy the conference and continue your participation with MCTM."
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