Ask An Expert: Leslie Aiuvalasit
Dec 10, 2025
About Leslie and Her Role
Hi! I’m Leslie Aiuvalasit, Team Lead for the Math Department at Six Red Marbles. Basically, I’m the right-hand woman to our department director — I help with everything from project bids and samples to a bit of people-wrangling.
I also mentor our amazing editorial partners in India, running trainings and sharing feedback to help everyone keep learning and leveling up. Additionally, I act as a Content Lead on math projects. That means I coordinate with writers, editors, production, and project management to make sure that what we create is accurate, engaging, and hits the client’s goals (and, yes, keep an eye on the schedule and budget). It’s part math, part management, and part magic juggling act.
The people! I get to work with some of the smartest, loveliest humans around — they even make meetings enjoyable, which is saying something! And I have learned so much from all of them, whether it’s how to use technology, how to be efficient with editorial tasks, or how to write for a Kindergarten audience. After years of freelancing (a.k.a. lots of conversations with my cat), it’s great to have a real team to connect with every day, even remotely.
Lately, I’ve noticed a swing toward inquiry-based learning — giving students problems to solve and letting them discover the concepts themselves. It’s fantastic when it works, especially with a great teacher guiding the process. But for some learners, it can feel like being handed a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box. Sometimes you just want someone to show you how it’s done first! The sweet spot is finding a balance between exploration and explanation.
AI is the new kid in class — smart, a little unpredictable, and still figuring itself out. There’s huge potential for it to personalize learning and make education more accessible, but we’re still learning what it’s good at (and what it really shouldn’t be left alone with). Like any tool, it all comes down to how wisely we use it.
We made a significant impact on a recent project, where we adapted national Grades 6–8 math books to align with Florida state standards in time for adoption. The project came to us in a challenging state, and our team worked quickly to bring structure, clarity, and consistency to the materials.
Throughout the process, we identified gaps, raised important questions, and helped the client think through key decisions about content and standards alignment. By the end, we weren’t just executing their vision — we were true partners in shaping the final product.
I think what really sets SRM apart is our approach to partnership. We don’t just take a project and follow the guidelines — we collaborate closely with our clients, bringing our experience and perspective to the table. We often hear how much they value that insight, and how our feedback helps them refine their vision and make their courses even stronger.
My dream educational solution would center on small classes and purposeful use of technology. Every student learns differently, especially in math — some thrive through hands-on exploration, others through discussion or independent problem-solving. I’d design a classroom that blends all those approaches: tactile activities, group collaboration, and individual investigation.
With fewer students, teachers could give more personalized attention and step in when help is needed. Technology would play a supporting role — great for things like engaging videos, interactive tools, and fluency practice — but not as the main driver of learning.
I am a trained classical singer and have performed with some of the top ensembles in the country, including the New York Philharmonic and the Dallas Opera!
→Blog—Normalizing Mistakes: Turning Errors into Opportunities in Math
