BOISE, Idaho — Editor's note: This content is sponsored by CapEd Credit Union.
A calculator is one thing you can always count on, but this week's Innovative Educator is proving you can also count on her. At St. Mary's Catholic School in Boise, a teacher is sharing her love for math, and an even bigger love for her middle school students.
"I tell students that math is everywhere. Math helps us solve problems and that is what I want them to become is just confident problem solvers," Julianne Russell said.
Russell is not just a math teacher, she's also a math specialist.
"A math specialist really means that you have some in-depth knowledge about all the different grade levels, and the areas of focus that go into each one of those years of mathematics," Russell said.
It's her traditional way of teaching, "maybe what people would call old school," that helps students build a routine.
"I'm not afraid of direct instruction, and I feel like for a lot of students that provides a stability and a routine that allows them to feel confident with mathematics," Russell said.
For the St. Mary's mentor, it's not just learning numbers or memorizing formulas, but understanding the why in everything to help find why math works the way it does. That's where these tools come in:
"I have what I'd called some algebra tiles. I have whiteboards, markers and erasers," Russell said. "I have giant number lines that move both horizontally as well as vertically."
The purpose of the pieces is to allow students to physically see and touch what they are learning.
"There's so many resources that have allowed me to have people come up to my class, and we have something for them to touch to access that information," Russell said.
Students can always count on her to celebrate their achievements, something Russell said "makes me feel thrilled."
"I try as much as possible to celebrate, celebrate with them," Russell said. "And acknowledge, 'look how hard you worked. Are you so proud of yourself?'"
Russell has been including more of her students' parents in these lessons with interactive projects they take home from St. Mary's. She said parents have the ability to help their students achieve their full potential.
Educators, for information on submitting an application for a classroom grant through the Idaho CapEd Foundation, visit www.capedfoundation.org. If you would like to nominate an Innovative Educator, send us an email to innovativeeducator@ktvb.com.
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