Meet Michael Serra

Biography

Michael taught high school mathematics for over 40 years for the San Francisco Unified School District. In the classroom, he was both a master teacher and mentor teacher, developing his own curriculum for subjects ranging from general math (creating the first “math Labs” in San Francisco) to precalculus. Michael’s favorite subject to teach was geometry, and he began to specialize in hands-on discovery lessons in a cooperative learning environment. At first he focused on compass and straightedge discoveries, but quickly learned his students found it was more fun and faster to use familiar objects. Michael began using items like patty paper, tennis ball cans, string, balloons, cardboard boxes, and anything else that caught his eye laying around the house or school.

This classroom material eventually became the innovative textbook Discovering Geometry (DG). In addition, Michael wrote Patty Paper® Geometry, an entire geometry curriculum using patty paper to discover most of the traditional topics in geometry. His other supplementary books include the Mathercise™ Series and What’s Wrong with This Picture?. Michael has also written for various math newsletters and architectural journals. In 2009, he partnered with his wife Angie, and they started their own publishing company Playing It Smart. They published a two-book series, Developing Mathematical Reasoning with Games and Puzzles, which includes Smart Moves and Pirate Math. Playing It Smart also produced several geometry videos, which are intended for use alongside Discovering Geometry and Patty Paper® Geometry.

Michael officially retired from teaching high school in 2001 to devote himself full-time to writing and presenting DG adoption workshops. This professional development training was offered within school districts and at math conferences around the world. For well over 20 years, he played “Mathemagician” weekly at a San Francisco elementary school until he fully retired during Covid. Michael often said working with the fourth- and fifth-grade classes was the “highlight of his week.”

In retirement, Michael has traveled internationally to numerous European countries, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. When home, he has enjoyed exploring the wonderful city of San Francisco with daily walks through its many diverse neighborhoods. Michael continues to play backgammon with friends whenever he can, and always enjoys hearing from DG users and fans.