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Tom Sextro

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Holton, Kansas, United States
About the store
I’ve spent over 30 years in education as both a middle and high school math teacher and a technology director. I began my career teaching math and computer science, then spent many years helping schools use technology in practical, meaningful ways. After retiring from my technology director role, I returned to the classroom to teach Algebra 1. That experience gave me a fresh look at what today’s teachers and students really need. For years, I had hoped that 1:1 classrooms would lead to more day-to-day, unit-specific technology use. But when I got back into the classroom, I realized that many of the quick, simple, focused apps I wanted for my own lessons just were not there. My resources are built from that mix of classroom experience and technology background. I focus on creating practical, engaging digital activities that are easy for teachers to use, helpful for students, and realistic for real classrooms. Teachers do not always need a huge platform. Sometimes they need one practical activity that fits exactly with the skill they are teaching that day. My goal is to create tools that help students see the math step by step, while giving teachers something they can use right away without extra setup, logins, or complicated directions. I also want the activities to feel engaging for students — almost like a simple math game — with levels, instant feedback, and a clear guided-to-independent practice structure.
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All resources

Preview of Visual Order of Operations | 12-Level Interactive PEMDAS Digital Activity

Visual Order of Operations | 12-Level Interactive PEMDAS Digital Activity

Created by
Tom Sextro
Visual Order of Operations | 12-Level Interactive PEMDAS Digital ActivityHelp students finally understand why each step happens in Order of Operations—not just memorize a rule.Unlike traditional worksheets that simply provide problems and answers, Visual Order of Operations allows students to see the thinking process unfold one step at a time. Students can work through guided examples, identify common mistakes, and control the pace of the explanations as they build confidence with PEMDAS.This in
Preview of Visual Integers: Money Model Integer Practice | 8-Level Digital Activity

Visual Integers: Money Model Integer Practice | 8-Level Digital Activity

Created by
Tom Sextro
Visual Integers: Money Model Integer Practice | 8-Level Digital Activity Do your students struggle with negative numbers? Many students can memorize integer rules but still don’t understand why the answers make sense. Visual Integers uses money, debt, and animated number-line movement to help students build real understanding of integer addition and subtraction. Instead of simply teaching “keep-change-change,” students learn what positive and negative numbers actually mean: * Having money * Owin
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About the store

Experience

I’ve spent over 30 years in education as both a middle and high school math teacher and a technology director. I began my career teaching math and computer science, then spent many years helping schools use technology in practical, meaningful ways. After retiring from my technology director role, I returned to the classroom to teach Algebra 1. That experience gave me a fresh look at what today’s teachers and students really need. For years, I had hoped that 1:1 classrooms would lead to more day-to-day, unit-specific technology use. But when I got back into the classroom, I realized that many of the quick, simple, focused apps I wanted for my own lessons just were not there. My resources are built from that mix of classroom experience and technology background. I focus on creating practical, engaging digital activities that are easy for teachers to use, helpful for students, and realistic for real classrooms. Teachers do not always need a huge platform. Sometimes they need one practical activity that fits exactly with the skill they are teaching that day. My goal is to create tools that help students see the math step by step, while giving teachers something they can use right away without extra setup, logins, or complicated directions. I also want the activities to feel engaging for students — almost like a simple math game — with levels, instant feedback, and a clear guided-to-independent practice structure.

Teaching style

My teaching style is built around clarity, visuals, and student confidence. I like lessons where students can see what is happening, try it themselves, get immediate feedback, and improve without feeling stuck. I especially value activities that move students from guided practice to independent practice, because that is where real understanding starts to show.

Awards & shining teacher moments

One of my proudest moments has been returning to the classroom after many years in technology and using that experience to build tools my own students actually need. Seeing students engage with a computer based activity, understand a concept more clearly, and take ownership of their progress has reminded me why practical classroom technology matters.

My own education history

I have a background in mathematics and computer science, and I’ve spent my career helping schools integrate technology in meaningful ways. My current focus is bringing those two areas together to significantly improve classroom learning. Feel free to contact me at my new business email address with any issues you run into. Feel free to contact me at tom@k12focus.com with any issues, questions, or ideas for classroom apps that would be helpful in your own teaching. I’m especially interested in building simple digital tools that solve real classroom problems.

Additional biographical information

I specialize in creating practical classroom tools that save teachers time while improving student focus, confidence, and engagement. My resources are designed to be low-prep, student-friendly, and easy to implement for daily lessons, review, intervention, early finishers, or substitute plans. I’m also interested in how classrooms can evolve through teacher-created interactive tools, smarter approaches to student focus, and better ways to preserve educator wisdom. I share ongoing ideas and progress here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomsextro/ https://k12focus.com https://tomsextro.com