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Photo courtesy of Ms. Stanford
This year, many students have noticed an unfamiliar face around the school rocking an undercut: Ms. Stanford! In her second year at Masterman, she’s teaching seventh and tenth-grade math along with 11th-grade precalculus.
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Ms. Stanford came to Philadelphia to attend Temple for graduate school and Drexel for her Master’s degree in teaching. After seven years in Philly, Ms. Stanford is a fan! When she’s not catching up with work, she likes visiting Chinatown for their fresh pastries. Having gone to school in downtown Manhattan, she often visited New York’s Chinatown after school, and the one in Philly brings back fond memories. In fourth grade, Ms. Stanford began fencing, a sport she stuck with until graduating from Temple. She also has an adorable, four-year-old pitbull named Ajax, who she’s constantly playing with!
As a student, Ms. Stanford was not the best at math. She felt her teachers did not explain the concepts in a way that made sense to her. However, things started to look up during her junior year when her math teacher, Mrs. Butler, broke the subject down in a way that made everything click. “This is what math is supposed to be,” she thought. By undergraduate school, she knew she wanted to become a teacher and naturally assumed the role, volunteering to teach at SAT prep programs and interning at an adult education program.
When asked about her experience at Masterman so far, she did not hesitate to exclaim, “the students are wonderful and the staff are great!” Ms. Stanford assisted at Masterman as a student teacher for two years prior to the 2021-22 school year. She is now teaching the same kids that she met during that time, and seeing them grow since then has been an enriching experience. After teaching a full virtual year, she admits that this year is a major transition, but calls it a “great experience!” With her experience with Masterman students so far, Ms. Stanford jokingly added that “the kids here are too smart for their own good.” Her students often push to grasp a deeper understanding of the content, asking “how’s” and “why’s”. Noticing this, she made a larger effort to break down content further to match their curiosity. She also acknowledges the stigma around asking for help at Masterman. Her advice to students is not to shy away from seeking support. She shares that help is often necessary; as a student, she had a tutor for all her math classes. Ms. Stanford wants to remind students that teachers are also humans, and are always willing to help!
Ms. Stanford has been filling in for Mrs. Siu, who is currently on maternity leave. Her ultimate goals are to continue with in-person learning and become a permanent teacher at Masterman.
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