This will be the start of my 15th year teaching math at the middle school level. I taught one class of Geography along the way as well but my calling is definitely in math education. I've had the pleasure of teaching in South Carolina, Virginia, Iowa, and Nebraska. I've taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math as well as Algebra I and Geometry.

I'm married with two amazing kiddos and a dog. They keep me busy with their many activities after school and on the weekends. This year my son will be an 8th grader so parents I will be fighting the good fight right along with you.

I will have my own set of extracurricular activities this year at CMS. I will be coaching Intramural Volleyball and Boys Basketball. When I am not busy being mom/wife/teacher/coach, I love to read, workout, and binge series on the various streaming services(who doesn't right?!).

The best way to contact me is by email(rashantz10@mpsomaha.org) or through Synergy. If phone calls are necessary, I will only be able to contact you during my plan(6th period) or after school from 3:00 - 4:00.

I spent my first 5 years teaching pretty traditionally. I taught how I was taught and didn't venture outside the "I do, we do, you do" model that most learners are familiar with inside a math classroom. This led to a lot of mimicking and not a lot of thinking. I was introduced to inquiry, collaborative-based teaching in my 6th year and haven't looked back. This switched the focus of my classroom from my expertise to the collaborative efforts of all minds in the classroom. This way of teaching gives all involved more tools to use and avenues to venture down when problem solving. I want students to be able to make the choice for themselves what is most efficient and productive for them. They will learn from the perspectives of others and open their minds to more than one way of accomplishing a task.

In the 21st Century, it is rare to find an occupation that doesn't involve working collaboratively with others. As with any teacher, my goal is to set my students up for success beyond K-12 education, regardless of the road they're on. 8th grade math starts to venture into math that isn't always used as we grow into adults but the social and problem solving skills they will learn working in groups will last a lifetime.