Gail Poitrast received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Westfield State College in Westfield, Massachusetts, and a Master of Education degree in Secondary Mathematics from Plymouth State University. She has taught mathematics to students in middle school, high school and college. She currently teaches and serves as the mathematics department head at Plymouth Regional High School in Plymouth, NH. Gail has been an adjunct faculty member at Granite State College for the past 4 years and the GSC Mathematics Resource Faculty representative since the fall of 2005. In the spring of 2007, Gail received the Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching from Granite State College. Over her career, Gail has presented several workshops and online classes on topics ranging from incorporating literacy in content area classes to secondary mathematics teaching methods.

Looking back over her career, Gail states, "It seems in my career that I have moved to teaching progressively older students-first middle school, followed by high school, and finally adult learners. Although teaching adults is a relatively recent experience for me in the past 34 years that I have been teaching, certainly being an adult learner is not--I've been doing that now for multiple decades! I truly enjoy helping adult learners realize that mathematics, while challenging, can be both enjoyable and practical--not just a phobia to be overcome or a class to make it through."

When not teaching mathematics, Gail enjoys spending time with her daughter, son, and three granddaughters in Grafton, NH. Her interests include kayaking, dog training her standard poodle, gardening and learning how to play the violin with her granddaughter.

For more information about this course, contact the Granite State College Center closest to you or send an email to: gail.poitrast@granite.edu