by Angela McIver, PhD

The new year started off with such optimism. . . At math club we had commissioned a new Mathemagic play to be debuted in March. We were excited about the Spring Monstermathathon and had solidified our plans for summer camp. But, two seismic events turned everything upside down and forced us to change direction, resulting in the decision to close Trapezium Math Club ... and then to re-open it!

The first blow happened in February when we were notified by our landlord that our lease would not be renewed for September. Our space - home of Trapezium Math Club for 6 years - was being turned into a gym for the residents in the building, a casualty of gentrification. When considering my options, the numbers just didn't work out. Finding a space with reasonable rent in our neighborhood was not feasible. I decided to close Math Club and focus on other parts of our business (Dinner Table Math and Trapezium Math for Schools).

And then, the second blow. On March 13th the School District of Philadelphia closed all schools as the state issued a stay-at-home order. In an instant, our revenue from Math Club and Trapezium Math for Schools came to a grinding halt. With no revenue coming in and no promise of reopening, I had to lay off my staff.

But clouds have silver linings. The first came in the form of a PPP loan that allowed me to bring my staff back to work for 8 weeks. The second came with my appearance on Good Morning America. The exposure (and gift from Sofi) gave me enough money to make payroll for another 6 weeks.

With everything about our business model thrown out (no Trapezium for Schools if schools were closed and no math club with no space), we had to come up with a new plan. We decided that the best path forward was to focus on Dinner Table Math and to bring Trapezium Math Club back. But this time, Trapezium Math Club had to be online.

Since the beginning, our philosophy has been to provide technology-free experiences that build confident, fearless math learners in fun and engaging ways. But since we were in the middle of a pandemic, we had to embrace technology in order stay alive. The challenge has been daunting. We've gone back to the drawing board many times after focus groups with math club students yielded amazing insights about online learning. For instance, we've learned that children need something tactile to accompany online learning - a box of materials that is used as part of instruction. We've also learned that younger children need as little technology as possible with short, highly engaging sessions that only involve a camera.

In many ways, it feels like we are a start-up with opportunities to create a scalable business that focuses on our core priniciples - providing rigorous math to young learners in fun, highly engaging ways.

So that's how the pandemic saved Trapezium Math Club. Stay tuned for Math Club 2.0 launching in September.

#onlinemath #elementarymath #homeschoolingmath #homeschoolmath #funmath

< Older Post Newer Post >

What elementary instruction misses about fractions

By Angela McIver • 04 Oct, 2023

As I was meeting with my team this morning to refine our unit on fractions, we discussed how even the brightest students become confused about fractions over time.

Mathnasium vs Kumon vs Trapezium Math: Which Program is Better?

By Katy Hellman • 23 Mar, 2023

Looking for the best kindergarten math enrichment program? Here’s a guide to help you determine which one is best for your child’s learning needs.

Why We Skip Count: And Why We Time It!

By Angela McIver • 22 Apr, 2022

As a former middle school math teacher, one of my biggest challenges was teaching pre-algebra to students who had not developed automatic recall of basic facts. The students who struggled most in my classes were those who could not quickly do math in their heads. Most elementary schools do a poor job of developing this skill.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Parent Teacher Conferences Make this Year Great for your Child and Their Teacher

By Angela McIver • 19 Nov, 2021

For many teachers, the upcoming parent teacher conferences will be the first face-to-face meetings with parents in almost two years. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts as you prepare for your parent teacher conference.

Reimagining Schooling in a Post-Pandemic World

By Angela McIver • 07 Apr, 2021

It’s been more than a year since U.S. schools closed and children were relegated to remote learning from their bedrooms and kitchen tables. And, while much attention has been given to what students have lost, little attention is given to what has been gained. If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that education models can no longer be based on a one-size-fits all approach. As educators move to re-open schools, School Boards across the country must use what they’ve learned to encourage Districts to reimagine schooling for every student.

What Math Instruction Can Gain From Reading Research

By Angela McIver • 17 Feb, 2019

I often ask these students to describe what’s going on in their head when they are struggling with a math problem. I interview students who struggle in math. The students I interview range in age from elementary and middle school to adult learners in job training programs. I give students simple elementary math problems and ask them to explain how they would solve them. While these interviews have fundamentally changed the way I think about how we should teach math to struggling students, my biggest “aha” moment didn’t come from the interviews, but from a day of volunteering in my youngest daughter’s kindergarten class many years ago.

Mulan and the problem with elementary math

By Angela McIver • 04 Feb, 2019

When I run professional development sessions for teachers, I often ask them “What do you own?” What I really want to know is, “What skill or math content do you own as a teacher and can say - with confidence - that your children will have mastered by the time they leave your class?”