Model Teachers:
Middle School Math

Content: Math 7
School: Passage Middle
Years Taught: 8

What is the best way to describe your classroom on a typical day?
BUSY! I have the expectation for my students and myself that we are consistently working bell to bell in each class. I greet my students by the door and we get to work immediately; there is no down time. I do have brain breaks and conversations with my students in between the math, but we are constantly doing something.

What word best describes you as a teacher and why?
I think the best word to describe myself as an educator is passionate. I am always willing to help my students and colleagues and will do whatever I can to make sure everyone gets what they need. If I don't have an answer to a question, I will ask someone else or find the answer. I am constantly looking for new ideas and strategies to implement in my classroom and believe learning is a lifelong process.

Content: Math 8
School: Hines Middle
Years Taught: 25

What do you love most about teaching?
The part of teaching that I absolutely love is watching the students grow and succeed. The moment that the “lightbulb of learning” glows is magical. Being a part of students' growth is the most rewarding aspect of teaching.

Why do you love working in NNPS?
NNPS successfully supports teachers and students in various ways. Having worked in multiple localities in various states, I can truly say the support and resources are unmatched and appreciated.

Content: Math 7-8
School: Fitzgerald Middle
Years Taught: 10

What do you love most about teaching?
I love making relationships with kids in the classroom and getting students that never believed they were capable of success to become successful students. I’ve always thought the biggest job of a teacher, after building relationships, is to help students gain the confidence necessary to overcome obstacles. I’m honest with the kids. I tell them that while they may never need the Pythagorean Theorem or the ability to graph a function in the real world, they will absolutely need to learn the skill of overcoming a challenge and learning something new to become successful in life.

What word best describes you as a teacher and why?
Passionate! I have a much stronger passion for reaching children and teaching them as opposed to being passionate about “math topics.” I think a characteristic of a great educator is passion. My passion drives me to ensure students believe in themselves. I believe an obstacle to students’ math success is self-confidence as opposed to content knowledge. Hopefully when the students see my passion for them and belief in them, they are able to believe in themselves a little more.

Why do you love working in NNPS?
NNPS has a diverse group of students, educators, and leadership. The friendships and relationships I have cultivated with the staff members and students are ones that I will value for longer than my time as a teacher. I feel like I have a voice within the math department, and the Math Instructional Support Team (MIST) has included me in conversations about pacing, assessment making, strategies, and data.