Brooke Feld, Jocelyn Forman, Ruth Cogan, Laird Jonas
The Math Department is made up of four passionate individuals who enjoy teaching mathematics and strive to help their students see both the importance and beauty of the subject. As a department, they push their students to ask questions, not give up, and believe they can be a better math student today than they were yesterday.
9th grade Algebra Skills and Geometry are taught by Brooke Feld. Brooke earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from University of Maryland, Masters in Secondary Mathematics Education from NYU, and is a Math for America Master Teacher Fellow. Her goal is to enable students to recognize mathematics in the world around them and develop an appreciation for the topic. She likes to lead by example by exhibiting curiosity, wonder, and excitement Ms. Feld has an 11 month old son, enjoys spending time with family and friends, skiing, and traveling.
Ruth Cogan teaches 9th and 10th grade Geometry as well as 10th grade Algebra 2. She earned a B.A. in Mathematics from Michigan State University and came to New York as a Math for America Newton Fellow where she earned her M.A. in Secondary Mathematics Education from Teachers College, Columbia. Her goal is for students to see that the world they know and enjoy would not be possible without mathematics. She also strives to see each of her students smile, and even laugh, at some point during a lesson. Some of Ms. Cogan’s favorite things are playing with her nieces and nephews and watching College Basketball, especially if the Michigan State Spartans are playing their best!
10th and 11th grade Algebra 2 are taught by Jocelyn Forman. She earned a B.S. from the University of Rochester and a Masters in Math Education from Teachers College, Columbia. She is passionate about helping students find a love of math and help students realize that math is doable, wonderful, and interesting.
One fun fact is that Ms. Forman’s great grandmother was also a high school math teacher just a few blocks away from Baruch and she LOVES ice cream!
Laird Jonas teaches 11th grade Precalculus, 12th grade Calculus, and A.P. Statistics. He earned a B.A. in Electrical Engineering and a M.A. in Mathematics Education at City College of New York. Ever since he read “Hacking Assessments” by Starr Sackstein, he has been exploring the possibility of having a “Gradeless” classroom. His colleagues in the math department also introduced the Growth Mindset concept and he is now hooked on it and eager to implement some of these ideas in his classes. Mr. Jonas loves teaching but if he wasn’t a teacher, he would probably be a chef or a dj.