Sally Hoch

My name is Sally Hoch, and I’m thrilled to be the Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School Teacher of the Year. I have found my teaching “home” at Belle Isle, and I consider myself very lucky to be surrounded with such incredible coworkers, fantastic administrators, and inspiring students. I currently teach Math Exploration, which is a class where we learn all about how we use math in the real world. I’m passionate about teaching students the why behind math concepts, encouraging an exploration of how math plays into our daily lives. I love to bring community leaders into my classroom to speak to students about how they use math concepts in their jobs, and I love to see students recognize the concrete applications of the abstract mathematical standards. I have created an engaging curriculum that meets students at their academic level and hopefully creates a spark of curiosity to propel them toward learning math knowledge on their own. That being said, I’m a proponent of not thinking of myself as just a math teacher. I try every day to remember that I teach students first, then my subject. I have the incredible honor of meeting students every day in the classroom (virtual or physical), and it is my responsibility to give them a fascinating and fun learning experience, taught with kindness, dignity, and empathy.

I was very fortunate to start my career at BIEMS and learn first-hand experience from my many talented coworkers. I taught 6th Grade Math at BIEMS for three years, then moved across the country and enrolled at Vanderbilt University, where I graduated with a master’s degree in Human Development Counseling. I worked as a school counselor in Edmond Public Schools for three years, then returned to the classroom at Belle Isle to teach Math Exploration. I am very grateful to my past principal, Mrs. Lynn Kellert, who hired me (twice!) and to my current principal, Mrs. Lynne Zahn, who keeps the world spinning at Belle Isle every day. I’m also grateful to my delightful colleagues and brilliant students. They make my job fun, rewarding, and meaningful, and it wouldn’t be the same without them.