Tag Archives: Math Teachers

Teachers who specialized in math.

Cindy Couchman: 2014 inductee in the National Teachers’ Hall of Fame

Posted on by
Cindy Couchman

High School math teacher Cindy Couchman of Kasas: a 2014 inductee in the National Teachers’ Hall of Fame.

Throughout our country there are many gifted educators who have been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Among these is Cindy Couchman, a high school math teacher from Buhler, Kansas, who was inducted in 2014.

Cindy earned an Associate of Arts degree from Cloud County Community College in 1988. Then she attended Kansas State University, where she earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and Teaching and her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration in 1993.

From 1990-1995, the talented educator taught Algebra and Geometry at Concordia High School. In 1995 she transferred to Buhler High School, where she has taught Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus. In addition, since 2004 she has taught College Algebra, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry, and Calculus at Hutchinson Community College. In 2006, Cindy earned her national Board Certification. In addition, she is a published author in Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul and More Best Practices for High School Classrooms. She has presented at state and national conferences on instructional practices, the flipped classroom, and alternative assessments.

For her work in the classroom, Cindy has earned many accolades. In 2009, she garnered the Excellence in Education Award from the National Education Association. In 2009, she was named Kansas Teacher of the Year and was a national finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching.

“Mrs. Couchman brings to the classroom an unfailing commitment to student success, a matchless sense of humor, and the energy level that provides opportunities for ‘as long as it takes’ for students to experience success,” says School Board Member marilyn Bolton. “She is the consummate professional whose vibrancy makes the teaching profession inspiring and appealing,” Bolton continues.

Arizona teacher Michelle Udall seeks re-election to State Legislature

Posted on by
Michelle Udall

Arizona teacher Michelle Udall seeks re-election to State Legislature.

This election year has seen an unprecedented number of educators running for public office. Among them is Michelle Udall, a high school math teacher from Mesa, Arizona, who is seeking re-election to Arizona’s House of Representatives representing District 25.

Michelle was first elected to the Arizona House in 2016. There she is a member of three committees: Education; Health; and Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources. Michelle’s priorities in the state legislature are supporting student academic achievement, increasing funding and accountability; ensuring Arizona students that graduate from high school are prepared to be successful in college or the work force; increasing continuing education and training opportunities; expanding early literacy policies; reforming English learner instruction; and improving parent engagement.

“Serving in the legislature is rewarding because I am constantly learning new things and working with others to solve problems,” declares Michelle. “I hope to get the chance to continue the work I am doing to improve our children’s education, use taxpayer money responsibly and with transparency, and create a low-regulation environment where businesses can flourish while still protecting the vulnerable,” she continued.

MIchelle describes herself as a “math and science geek.” She attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she expressed interest in Aerospace Engineering, but soon shifted her focus to Materials Science and Engineering. After serving a mission in the Philippines, she returned to school, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University. She completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University.

Michelle’s professional history as an educator includes a stint as a math teacher for Mountain View High School in Mesa. She is also a former member of the Mesa School Board, a post she held for four years.

To learn more about Michelle Udall, visit her government website at House Member Michelle Udall.

Dr. Patricia Jordan inducted into the 2015 National Teachers Hall of Fame

Posted on by
Patricia Jordan

New York’s Dr. Patricia Jordan inducted into the 2015 National Teachers Hall of Fame

It’s always gratifying to learn that a fellow educator has been singled out for special recognition. This happened to Dr. Patricia Jordan, a high school math teacher from New York who was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 2015.

Patricia earned her Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Psychology African Studies from New York’s Vassar College in 1972. She earned her Master’s degree in Special Education from City University of New York in 1974. She completed the requirements for her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Long Island’s Hofstra University in 1991.

Patricia inaugurated her career as an educator in 1972, when she accepted a position at New Haven Public High Schools. There she taught courses in consumer math and algebra. The next year she taught individualized math instruction at Park East Alternative High School, and the two years following that she taught general math at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., High School. From 1976 through 1980, Patricia taught general math, algebra, and geometry at Malverne High School, and from 1980 to 2001, she taught all math levels at Roslyn High School. In all, Patricia served 29 years as a professional educator before her retirement.

For her outstanding work in the classroom, Patricia has earned many honors. In 1993, she won the Humanitarian Award from the NAACP, she earned the Disney Teacher Award, and she was named the New York State Teacher of the Year. In 1995, she garnered the National Council of Negro Women Achievement Award, and in 1998, she was named a Tandy Corporation Technology Scholar. In 2004, Patricia was given the Chasing Rainbows Award from the Dolly Parton Foundation. And in 2015, this remarkable chalkboard champion was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Since her retirement from the teaching profession, Patricia has been a practicing clinical psychologist. She has also served as a volunteer tutor, and she is actively involved in alumni programs, professional organizations, and parent associations. With her sister, she established the Juanita James Memorial Scholarship Foundation in memory of their mother. This organization provides college scholarships to students from housing projects in the Bronx.

Feel free to view this short YouTube video that depicts the moment Patricia learned she had been honored by the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Cheers and a little dance for high school math teacher Bob Williams of Alaska

Posted on by
Bob Williams

Cheers and a little dance for high school math teacher Bob Williams of Alaska

High school teacher Bob Williams of Alaska used cheers and little dances to generate enthusiasm for math. His strategies have garnered him an induction into the National Teachers hall of Fame.

Bob was born and raised in Palmer, Alaska. The son of a sawmill operator, Bob graduated from Palmer High School there. He earned his Bachelor’s in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in 1982. He earned his Master’s in Mathematics Education from Columbia University in 1991. He completed the requirements for his Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, in 2006. In addition, this talented educator achieved National Board Certification in 2011.

Bob inaugurated his teaching career in 1987 when he accepted a two-year post to Gambia, West Africa, as a Peace Corps volunteer. When he returned from Gambia, he taught high school math in New York Public Schools, where he worked from 1989 to 1991. Then he returned to Alaska, where he taught for three years at Nome Beltz Jr. and Sr. High School in Nome, Alaska, and seven years at his alma mater, Palmer High School in Palmer, Alaska. From 2004 to 2006 Bob devoted his professional talents to the K-12 Alaska Statewide Mentorship Project, and from 2006 to 20017, he returned once again to Palmer, where he taught math at Colony High School. At present he is the Director of the Division of Educator and School Excellence in the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

In the classroom, Bob is famous for his high-energy teaching style. He loves to lead his students in cheers and dances to reinforce a math concept. This energy generates enthusiasm for learning and motivates students to achieve. “I think some of the biggest and most meaningful breakthroughs I make with students is that I tell them all that I want them all to feel welcomed, valued, safe, and respected when they walk in the class, no matter who they are. And I work for that,” Bob once revealed.

For his work as a professional educator, Bob has earned many accolades. In 2009, he was named the Alaska State Teacher of the Year, and the same year he earned an NSF Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching. In 2010, Bob garnered an NEA Foundation Horace Mann Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2017, he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, the first teacher from his state to be so honored.

“Bob is inspiring to all his students, colleagues, and parents he serves,” colleague Trevor Townsend once remarked, “and he represents all educators through his passionate teaching style, love for teaching, and his high standards of respect he creates in his classroom for all students to be successful. He cares deeply for students and the education process,” Trevor concluded.

Well done, Bob. Well done.

Remembering Chalkboard Hero Michael Landsberry

Posted on by

 

Michael Landsberry

Junior high school mathematics teacher and veteran Michael Landsberry sacrificed his life to save as many as 30 students from a teen gunman.

Sometimes it is sobering to remember what a heavy responsibility we teachers have when it comes to protecting our students from harm. And there are many examples of heroic educators who have paid the ultimate price to protect their kids. One such hero is Michael Landsberry, a junior high school math teacher from Reno, Nevada.

Following his graduation from high school in 1986, Michael served in the United States Marine Corps where he had risen to the rank of corporal. He served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, and later became a member of the Nevada Air National Guard.

After his discharge, Michael attended college at Nevada State University, Reno, on the GI Bill. There he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 2001. Following his college graduation, Michael accepted a teaching position at Sparks Middle School in Sparks, a suburb of Reno, Nevada. In addition to being a math teacher, he also coached basketball, cross country, track, and volleyball, and he served as the girls soccer coach at Sparks High School. Michael quickly became a beloved teacher known for pushing his students, but doing it with love and compassion.

On October 22, 2013, Michael was getting ready for the morning bell, when a 12-year-old student suddenly opened fire on his classmates. After the first student was shot, the chalkboard champion’s military training in kicked in. He calmly walked toward the shooter, putting his hands up in a motion to try to talk the youngster into giving up his gun. The student shot him in the chest at point blank range. Michael later succumbed to his injuries, but his heroic actions gave the other students on the playground time to run to safety. He is credited with saving as many as 30 lives that day.

For his heroism, Michael’s name has been inscribed on the Memorial to Fallen Educators at the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas.