About Hilty Consulting, LLC

Kristin brings over 25 years of teaching experience—focused in mathematics and rooted in special education—to her dynamic, idea-rich trainings. She has worked with special education students, taught across multiple elementary grade levels, and coached teachers nationwide through professional development. Drawing from her extensive classroom experience, Kristin offers practical insights to help educators navigate instructional shifts and boost student learning.

Her deep knowledge of both mathematics and pedagogy allows her to deliver professional development that is grounded in research and proven effective in real classrooms. Kristin is passionate about empowering teachers and students alike. She champions the development of classroom communities centered on mathematical thinking, leaving educators inspired and equipped with actionable strategies.

Kristin Hilty
Emily Kappel

Emily has seventeen years of experience in the classroom and an enthusiasm for teaching math. She is a always encouraging teachers to bring back lessons, ideas and activities to their classroom, school and district that promote learning and problem solving. Having taught two years of Algebra I at the high school level and fifteen years of math​ at the elementary level​, she knows the progression​ of the math standards across the grade levels. ​ She believes that “Math Talk” , “Math Language”, and conceptual understanding are key pieces missing in most ​math ​classrooms​. Because of this, she​ has a passion for​ helping teachers embed these ideas into their lessons while​ spreading the​ word that​ math​ is everywhere​ in everyday life. Her emphasis is teaching audiences to make the shift from “How?” to “Why?” so students don’t just “do” math​ for procedural understanding​, but they show a deeper​ conceptual​ understanding ​which develops children to become mathematical thinkers.

The goal here is to make math meaningful for all who engage in it, both in and outside of the classroom. One of Emily’s main goals is to help students use their metacognition to make connections from what they already know to the math they’re engaging with. She wants teachers and students to be able to find patterns, explain their thinking, and reason abstractly.

Emily has a love for math and using a variety of strategies when teaching, which clearly comes across when you watch her present. Her goals are to encourage teachers and students to THINK FREELY AND FLEXIBLY and to make learning math meaningful for both teachers and students.