School: Oakwood High School
Education: Ohio Northern University (BS mathematics) and University of Dayton (MS computers in education).
How long have you taught math? I have taught every high school math class during 24 years of teaching. I have taught AP Calculus the longest — 19 years.
Why did you decide to become a high school mathematics teacher? While in college, I found that I enjoyed helping classmates with their math classes. I believed, and still do, that I could help young people learn math.
What tools and techniques do you use to enhance student learning? Math is the vehicle for teaching life skills — organization, work and effort, critical thinking, perseverance, etc.
What do you enjoy most about teaching high school math? Too many students have the mistaken belief that they are either good at math, or not. Each of us is capable of learning any content through work and effort. So, I enjoy seeing students work hard to successfully learn mathematics.
What do you see as the most important issue facing math teachers today? While I am not a fan of the Common Core Standards, I realize we need standards to guide our classroom instruction. I am also not a fan of the standardized PARCC assessments, but know that there is demand for accountability. I will benefit most when I get an item analysis of individual student results. In my opinion, the most important issue is teaching mathematics students can use the rest of their lives. We would serve our students better if we taught all students about paying down debt — credit and loans, and investing for their future — education and retirement.
Other than in the math classroom, how else do you get involved in the lives and learning of students? I have coached football and wrestling. I try to attend events and performances to show support for students in their extracurricular activities.
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