About Mr. Bowman

My name is Ryan K. Bowman. (I am notorious for lying about what my middle initial stands for.) I am originally from Petersburg, Indiana--about 35 miles northeast of Evansville. I am a 1998 graduate of Pike Central High School in Petersburg. This is my ninth year as a teacher, my fifth year working in the EVSC, and my first year at Reitz.

I was a pre-mechancial engineering student at Vincennes University, but I knew very quickly that engineering was not my passion. I love sharing ideas and concepts with others, and I love facilitating discussion about these ideas. I combined my love of mathematics with these desires to craft a career in mathematics education.

I am a 2009 graduate of Vincennes University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Mathematics Education. (I was one of the first students to ever graduate from that university with a Bachelor's Degree.) I was fortunate for the opportunity to teach for four years in my hometown at Pike Central High School. During my time at Pike Central, I taught Algebra I, geometry, pre-calculus, trigonometry, and AP Calculus. I take pride in having built an AP Calculus program that saw students pass the AP Calculus AB exam for the first time in school history.

In 2014, I left Pike Central to join the teaching staff at Harrison. At Harrison, I taught Algebra I, Math 10, pre-calculus, trigonometry, and AP Calculus. While at Harrison, I worked with my colleagues to develop a system of Standards-Based Grading (SBG), a philosophy that student grades should be based on and tied directly to student understanding of specific standards. It fosters a growth mentality and positive attitudes for students. Some of the reasons why I support SBG are referenced here.

I am a dedicated teacher, willing to do whatever it takes to foster student success. In 2017, I began guiding my students in creating Interactive Student Notebooks (ISNs). In my classroom, students create colorful, organized notebooks to take ownership of their own learning! This blog post summarizes some of the benefits of ISNs.

A couple of years ago, one of my former students wrote to me in a letter that "[she had] never been a strong math student, but that never mattered in [my] classroom." I trust my students, and I expect my students to trust me.

I enjoy mathematics very much! I often refer to myself not as a "math teacher," but rather as a "mathematician who teaches."

In 2016, my classroom at Harrison was deemed a model classroom for implementation of PBIS.

I believe that the attitude you select for yourself speaks volumes about who you are. You'll find this Charles Swindoll quote in my classroom. I strive to live by this on a daily basis, and I think you should, too.

I am blessed to share life with my (much) better half, my wife Randi, stepchildren Alex and Adalyn (both future Panthers!), and our four-legged friend, Lorenzo. (He's a cat.)

As a current graduate student at the University of Southern Indiana, my free time is limited. When I have some, I enjoy reading, exercise, watching the St. Louis Cardinals, binge-watching Netflix, and recreational mathematics.