Tag Archives: Math Teachers

Teachers who specialized in math.

Maryland Elem teacher Kelly Cannon earns award from SMECO

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Kelly Canon, an elementary school STEM teacher from Maryland, is the recipient of a 2024 Outstanding Teacher award from the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative. Photo Credit:

Congratulations go to Kelly Cannon, an elementary school teacher from Maryland. She was the recipient of a 2024 Outstanding Teacher award from the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO).

The annual honor is awarded to 20 outstanding teachers who have taught mathematics, science, technology, and engineering courses in the school systems of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties. The winning teachers were selected for their creativity, rapport with students, enthusiasm for teaching, professionalism, and innovative teaching methods.

Kelly teaches mathematics at Mount Harmony Elementary School in Owings, Maryland.

Over the past 33 years, SMECO has recognized nearly 500 teachers in an effort to support teachers who bring real-world science and math applications into the classroom. Each honored teacher receives a plaque and a cash award.

 

Award-winning math teacher and Major League Soccer referee Mark Geiger

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Former high school mathematics teacher Mark Geiger was also a highly-respected Major League Soccer referee. Photo Credit: Major League Soccer

Many outstanding educators are also recognized for their impressive accomplishments in athletic arenas. One of these is Mark Geiger, a former high school math teacher who also worked as a full-time referee for Major League Soccer in both the United States and Canada.

Mark was born on August 25, 1974, in Beachwood, New Jersey. After graduating from Trenton State College, he taught Advanced Placement Math at Lacey Townships High School in Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey. In 2009, he was one of 103 teachers who received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST). This prestigious award is given annually to the best elementary and secondary science and mathematics teachers from across the country.

Mark earned his National Soccer Referee badge in 2003 while still teaching. He began his career as a part-time Major League Soccer referee a year later. In 2008, Geiger was added to US Soccer’s International Panel of Referees, making him eligible for higher-profile international matches. The position required extensive travel. When he was offered a full-time, salaried position with the Professional Referee Organization, he reluctantly decided to retire from teaching. He wanted to referee international matches, and he was aware of FIFA’s preference for officials with full-time referee jobs.

Mark once confessed that his experiences as a teacher made a significant contribution to his success as a soccer referee. He remarked that math is about quantity, structure, space, and change, and that is also true of  the dynamics on the soccer field. He said that maintaining order and clarity in a classroom of gifted, confident students is not that different from fairly governing a game for 22 of the world’s most gifted and talented soccer players. “When I was in the classroom, it was 25 or 30 students each with a different learning style,” he has said. “On the soccer field you have 22 different players, each with different personalities. So it’s about recognizing what’s going to work with a particular player and then implementing that,” he observed. “The situations that are in the grey areas, preventing players from taking that next step, communicating with them, managing them, working with them” is what a good referee brings to the game, he continued.

Mark has been recognized as one of the best professional soccer referees in the business. He worked the  Olympics games in 2012 and four matches during the U-20 World Cup finals in Colombia, which culminated in his officiating the championship game. The U-20 final marked the first time an American official refereed a major FIFA men’s tournament championship. Mark also officiated the FIFA’s Club World Cup in Morocco, and he worked the fifth-place match between the Egyptian and the Mexican clubs. Later Mark served as the fourth official at the championship game. He was also selected to officiate the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. For his outstanding work as a referee, Mark was selected the Major League Soccer Referee of the Year in both 2011 and 2014.

In 2019, Mark retired from refereeing and accepted a position within PRO as the director of senior match officials.

TN teacher Emily McDonald garners Excellence in STEM Teaching Award

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Congratulations to high school STEM teacher Emily McDonald of Chattanooga, Tennessee. She has garnered an Excellence in STEM Teaching Award. Photo Credit: Emily Ann McDonald

Congratulations are due to high school STEM teacher Emily McDonald from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She has garnered an Excellence in STEM Teaching Award.

The Excellence in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Teaching Award acknowledges a teacher who embodies STEM-integrated teaching strategies, classroom innovation, and whose efforts have resulted in positive student learning outcomes.

Emily teaches mathematics at University High School in the Hamilton County School District. University High is part of a unique partnership between the school district and the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga (UTC). In fact, the high school is located right on the university campus. The school serves students at no cost. The cost of the program is supported financially through grants and shared resources. Emily has taught at the school for nine years. Throughout her career, Emily has taught courses in Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Honors Calculus, and ACT Prep.

This innovative educator has a reputation for engaging her students by presenting them with real-world scenarios and relevant problems, while at the same time nurturing their independence. “In my classroom, I strive to foster a culture where students understand the application of mathematics in their everyday lives,” she declares. In developing her curriculum, she allows for diverse perspectives and interests, and she values choice. She strives to empower her students with problem-solving skills that set them up for success in their future educational and career choices. Furthermore, by emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of STEM fields, she illustrates how mathematics connects to technology and practical applications.

Emily earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 2014 and her Master’s degree in Curriculum Instruction in 2015, both from Tennessee Technical University. She earned her PhD in STEM Education with a concentration in Mathematics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2015. She is also a Google Certified Trainer.

Texas math educator Alene Baker inducted into the AAEAHP

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High school math teacher Alene Baker was inducted into the African American Education Archives and History Program Hall of Fame (AAEAHP) . Photo Credit: AAEAHP

There are many outstanding educators who teach in America’s public schools. One of these is Alene Baker, a respected mathematics teacher from Texas. She has been inducted into the African American Education Archives and History Program Texas Hall of Fame (AAEAHP) in 2023. The organization honors educators who have had a positive role in the African American education experience in Dallas County, Texas.

Alene graduated from high school the valedictorian of her class. She then earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View.She earned her Master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Commerce.

Once she earned her degrees, Alene inaugurated her career as a high school mathematics teacher at I.M. Terrell High School in Fort Worth in 1969. She went on to teach at L.G. Pinkston, H. Grady Spruce, and the Business & Management Magnet schools in the Dallas Independent School District. In all, her career as an educator spanned 35 years.

As a result of her hard work and expertise, the number of students who passed math courses increased, and their interest in mathematics improved. She is most proud of hearing success stories of her former students.

In addition to working directly with students, Alene served as a curriculum writer, resource person, department chairperson, staff development chairperson, and an alternative certification mentor. She also tutored students to help them master the state’s mandatory tests.

For this work, Alene earned many accolades. In addition to her induction into the AAEAHP, she was named her school’s Teacher of the Year in 1987. She was also named among Who’s Who Among American Teachers.

To learn more about the African America Education Archives and History Program, click on this link to their website.

Teacher, WWII internee, and US Army veteran Tadashi Tsufura

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Math teacher Tadashi Tsufura was an internee in a Japanese American internment camp, and later a US Army veteran. Photo Credit: Japanese American Museum

There are many talented educators who are stellar teachers largely because they have overcome tough personal circumstances themselves. One of these was Tadashi Tsufura, a math teacher and principal in New York City who spent several years of his childhood in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.

Tadashi was born on September 17, 1930, in Los Angeles, California. He was the third son of a Buddhist minister and a teacher who immigrated to the United States from Japan.

The youngster’s life changed dramatically on December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Empire of Japan. Prejudice against Japanese people living in the United States ran high, and even the US government was guilty of racial profiling. On his 12th birthday, Tadashi and his family were forced by the United States to move to one of the two Gila River internment camps located in a desert valley in Arizona. They were among approximately 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry who were interned during the war. Many of those interned were American citizens.

As a young man, Tadashi determined to serve his country in the military. He enlisted in the Army in 1951 and fought on the front lines of the Korean War from until 1953. After his discharge, Tadashi earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Fenn College. The college is now known as Cleveland State University.

Although Tadashi enjoyed success as a chemical engineer, he was not happy in his work. He moved to New York City where his brother was living. Because the city was experiencing a shortage of educators, the scientist decided to try teaching. He completed education courses at Brooklyn College and then accepted a position as a math teacher at two schools in Manhattan.

Before long, Tadashi was promoted to the position of principal of PS 41 in Greenwich Village, where he worked for eight years. Then he was promoted to the position of Deputy Superintendent of District 3 on the Upper West Side. He retired in 1988.

Sadly, Tadashi Tsufura passed away from coronavirus on March 29, 2020, in New York City. He was 89 years old. To read more about this amazing Chalkboard Champion, see this link at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose.