Math is Everywhere!

Congratulations to Middle School Math Teacher, Jessica Hunsaker, who was recognized by the Utah State Board of Education in its November Mathematics Teacher Spotlight. “This is such a well deserved honor!” observes Elizabeth Phillips, WSD Principal. “For sixteen years, Jessica has been the heart of our math program and continues to inspire students to think deeply and to truly enjoy learning math.”

In the same staff meeting, classroom teachers shared recent professional development around math-based tasks and how powerful they can be for engaging all learning styles. Teachers in all content areas were shown the value of this approach. For instance, an English class might analyze word counts, sentence length, or reading-time data to graph patterns in writing styles; Art could explore symmetry, proportion, or geometry through design projects. Math is literally everywhere!

One of the best things about being at a liberal arts school like WSD, observes Ms. Phillips, is helping students see how all subjects connect. How math shows up in science, art, writing, and the world around them. In fact, that might be my favorite part of our program – teaching kids to think critically and make connections that stretch across all content areas.