District: 4 Elementary Schools (K-6), Middle School (7-8), High School (9-12), Alternative School (7-12), Tech & Career School

Webster County High School: approx. 670 students, 11% IEP students, about 20% ESL students

Having so many ESL students on different levels presents learning obstacles across contents. Many of our students move into school at WCHS having not been in school at all in many years. We also have to figure out what language and accommodations work best to help catch these students up. Our ESL teachers speak Spanish, but many of the students moving in speak their natural dialect and only know very little spanish. So oftentimes to get content across it has to go through two teachers and two students. This takes very planned grouping and strategies in the classroom.

From the SDI, ESL, to GT and all students in between I found the biggest influence on teaching mathematics to be relationships and mindset changes. Based on the well known work of Ruby Payne we know that meeting students' needs is important. To be able to do this and know what hinders students learning behaviorally or from outside the school, having a relationship with them is the key to overcoming those obstacles in the classroom.

When I began in the district and every year receiving my new students, I asked them their opinion of math. Majority feel they are not good at math, they don’t like it, and there is no way they can be successful; this is the overall theme I hear. So I have always spent the first few days changing mindsets. Letting them know its ok to make mistakes and fail as long as they are trying. That if they are trying they will see steps for and progress is progress, doesn't matter the final score or comparison to others. I let students know I have weaknesses also and tell them if they don’t like math it's ok… but I do want them to like coming into my classroom. This approach has allowed me to have attentive students here at the High School who are willing to do the work.

Now that I had that figured out and the teaching and learning was/is happening I knew I needed to boast the content levels. Through work in my STEM course and evaluating my own areas of growth I knew I needed to find ways to raise students' interests and scores. Through my work in this program I have: added more real world problems, higher DOK level questions, math strategies for students to approach problems, technology, STEM focused activities, more student conversations, and just overall rigor. All of these practices combined and built stronger critical thinkers and math students without them always realizing the work they are doing. It has been a win for me to watch their growth.