Martha Clizbe has taught at independent schools for almost 40 years. An expert in math and psychology, she has published research in the Journal of Educational Psychology, and she was awarded the prestigious Keenan Chair for excellence in teaching at Millbrook School.
Martha holds an B.A. in psychology from Bowdoin College and an M.A.L.S. in Mathematics from Weslyan University. She began her career teaching math to middle schoolers at St. Luke’s School for three years before moving on to Cheshire Academy, where she taught high school math for five years. Millbrook was her next stop, and she’s now taught here for nearly 30 years, her influence extending far beyond the classroom, as she shines in roles integral to the community, including leading dorm parent teams, coaching girls tennis, singing with the faculty band, and founding the campus thrift store.
Her teaching style guides students to avoid shortcuts enroute to learning the fundamental concepts as a foundation they can build on. She loves witnessing the moment a concept clicks in a student’s brain. In her words, “I am addicted to hearing a kid exclaim ‘Oh! Now I get it!’ It is the best sound in my world, and I love creating the conditions to elicit that epiphany.”
