Our staff is built to teach each student individually, to develop the skills they need to thrive in mathematics, and to foster a love of learning.

Mike & Joanna Ammer

Owners
As the Fixed Operations Director for two large successful Chevrolet dealerships and multiple Import dealerships in Illinois and Indiana, Michael has always had an active interest in mathematics. He began his 32-year career in the automotive industry as a car porter and through hard work and determination, became the Director of Fixed Operations successfully managing all aspects of the Service, Parts and Collision centers within the two dealerships. Joanna has been in the Veterinary Industry for over 25 years working as Hospital Operations Manager in both private, corporate, and non-profit veterinary practices. Michael and Joanna have four children of their own, two of which struggled with math, and had Individualized Learning Plans in school. They understand firsthand how this can affect the entire family and only wish that Mathnasium was in this area at the time their children needed extra help. After researching the Mathnasium method and learning how it could benefit children Michael and Joanna made a decision to open their own learning center which meant a career change for Michael. As scary as that was, they knew that parents and students in Crystal Lake and the surrounding areas would benefit from this endeavor. They found there were no other Math learning centers in the area and made a decision to locate their Mathnasium center in the heart of Crystal Lake. One of their goals is to create a center where students experience how much fun math can be and realize the potential that math skills can unlock. Michael and Joanna believe the Mathnasium method will deliver on this goal. They realized that opening a Mathnasium center would allow them to combine their love of children and math while providing a valuable service to the community. They are focused on hiring and supporting only the best math instructors, and look forward to helping children in the area continue to improve and excel in math proficiency and develop a strong sense of numbers. For them, the best part of working with children is seeing the joy in their eyes when they finally get to that "AHA" moment, after grasping the simple concept behind that tough looking math problem.

Ed

Lead Instructor
Ed comes back to Mathnasium after taking time as a museum educator at The Field Museum of Natural History. Before that, he was Lead Instructor for Mathnasium of Elmhurst, and has taught in private, public, and informal education for the past two decades. He's also a theater tech (nerd) on occasion, a scientist by training, and a father and husband most importantly. He loves teaching math at all levels, and his favorite number is zero, because it's the middle of all of the numbers.

Jessica

Instructor
Jessica has been teaching at St. Margaret Mary in Algonquin for 5 years. For the past 2 years, Jessica has been teaching 6th-8th grade math. Jessica graudated from Northern Illinois AUniversity in 2007. Before working at St. Margaret Mary, she worked as a paraprofessional at district 300, working with students with Autism. Jessica loves her hob at St. Margaret Mary, her students would describe her as a "math nerd" because of her love for math puns. She loves working with students of all ages. When she is not working, Jessica enjoys spending time with her 6 nephews and and 1 niece.

Alex

Instructor
Alex is currently pursuing a transfer degree in engineering at McHenry County College. He plans to study electrical, computer hardware, and/or RF engineering, and also wants to minor in mathematics. Alex’s top three hobbies are video games, chess, and astronomy. He also likes to learn about math in his free time, and is trying learn to programming (C#/C++ and MATLAB) as both are great ways to model the world around us. His favorite math mentors are Sal Khan, Grant Sanderson, and Steve Brunton. His favorite number is the constant e, naturally.

Adi

Instructor
Adi is a Sophomore at Jacobs Highschool. He is currently enrolled in Precalculus, but plans to take AP Calc BC next year. He used to be a Mathnasium student in July of 2020, while preparing for the SAT but since November, of that year, he has become an instructor. He enjoys video games, playing sports, watching sports (New England Patriots Fan) and hanging out with his friends. Adi has always had a knack for math and always tries to move forward whenever he can. His favorite part about working at Mathnasium is getting to know the kids, while also improving their math skills. He is especially fond of Algebra because of how many applications it has.

Adam

Instructor
Adam is currently pursuing a transfer degree from Elgin Community College. He plans to study biochemistry, but also plans on pursuing any other subjects that sound interesting. Hisw favorite hobbies are building with LEGOs, going for runs, and playing video games. His Favorite thing about working at Mathnasium is getting to apply his math knowledge by helping kids who come in and also loves learning new math tricks. His favorite math subjects in high school were Algebra and Calculus because of the many applications that they have.

Catherine

Instructor
Catherine is a senior at Crystal Lake Central High School, and she is currently taking DC calculus. She plays the guitar in the CLC jazz band and also for the improv team. She loves music, and is in CLC's color guard and choir. Catherine loves to solve problems, both within math and otherwise. After High School she plans to purse a degree in teaching.

Our Mathnasium Mission

Teach children math so they understand it, master it, and love it. Math can change their lives, and they can change the world.

What I love about Mathnasium is the ability to teach problem-solving skills and make math make sense, while also making a student smile.
Amber W., Mathnasium Instructor

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