Tom Carson's first teaching experience was teaching guitar while an undergraduate student studying electrical engineering. That experience helped him to realize that his true gift and passion was, and is, in teaching. He went on to earn his M.A.T. in mathematics at the University of South Carolina. From 1991 to 2003, Tom taught at Midlands Technical College in the Developmental Mathematics Program, where he was honored with a NISOD Excellence in Teaching award and a Who's Who among American Teachers award. In 2003, he left teaching to pursue writing full time. After moving his family to Franklin, Tennessee in 2006, he returned to teaching. He now teaches part time at the Franklin campus of Columbia State Community College and also at Franklin Classical School, which is a private Christian school for grades 5 to 12.

Tom has authored textbooks such as Prealgebra, Elementary Algebra, and Intermediate Algebra all published by Addison Wesley. He also presents at conferences such as AMATYC and NADE on topics such as combating innumeracy, writing in mathematics, and implementing learning styles and study strategies in math courses.

On a personal note, he and his wife, Laura, have two children, Ian (11), and Lindsey (9). He is a health and fitness nut and, when he can find time, he enjoys golf and tennis. But his primary "hobby" is playing music around the Nashville area with his band, Groovebox.

In this light-hearted, entertaining presentation, we will examine the current state of mathematics education.  Who are out students?  How do our students view us as teachers?  How do we deal with the pressures of taking under-prepared students from Basic Mathematics through College Algebra or beyond in a handful of semesters?  Be prepared to laugh, sing, and perhaps even cry as we examine math education together.