Danna Dotson

Bio

A Pre-Algebra teacher in CTD’s weekend program, Danna Dotson recognizes the importance of quality classroom instruction. She credits one of her own former teachers with encouraging her interest in the power of numbers and patterns. “I love the beauty of math!” Dotson shares. “I can directly tie this back to my high school physics teacher who made understanding and applying mathematical concepts something fun and appealing.” She’s built on this experience throughout her career, inspiring a new wave of math enthusiasts as a teacher at Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, then guiding future educators as a Teacher Education Coordinator for Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy.

Though she knew about CTD for years—even recommending its Summer Program to her middle school and high school math students—Dotson first began teaching CTD weekend classes in Evanston a year ago. In that time, she’s witnessed the ways CTD students, and their families benefit from the programs: at one Expo event, Dotson recalls watching her students and their families discussing probability and playing games as they explored topics in math. “It was very heartwarming,” Dotson reflects.

Dotson’s adventurous spirit fuels her in and out of the classroom: an avid traveler, she’s crossed several destinations off her “bucket list of places to visit,” with a journey to Durban, South Africa on the horizon. And whether investigating algebra, geometry, data analysis, or an entirely new topic, she shares a powerful sense of curiosity with her CTD students each weekend. “The possibilities for exploring a wide variety of topics is an amazing part of participating in the CTD programs,” Dotson explains. “Whether you love math, science, technology or more, there is something for everyone.”