One secret to learning to love math, oddly, was her background in language arts.
“My students do a lot of writing in math,” says Nicole, who teaches at Peck Place School in Orange. “I think it’s really important they learn to communicate their thoughts and ideas.”
On a Friday morning in January, her students are busily working in small groups, solving word problems by illustrating or talking them through. In Nicole’s classroom, arriving at the right answer is less important than students explaining how they got there.
“I want them to reflect on their thinking,” she says. “That’s a really needed skill right now, especially in STEM.”
Nicole can relate to students who struggle in math, as she herself did in elementary school. She credits a Foote teacher, Joan Johnson, with helping her master the dreaded times tables. “She just kept telling me I could do it, gently encouraging me. That’s definitely my style of teaching.”
Peck Place School Principal Eric Carbone says Nicole is “constantly reflecting” on how to meet the needs of her students and adjusting her methods accordingly. “She’s not the person up in front of the class leading in an old-school style. She’s more of a guide who works to facilitate and coach students.”
In Washington, Nicole spent three stimulating days with fellow award winners from around the country, touring Washington and participating in professional development workshops. “It opened my eyes to how many policymakers are out there really rooting for teachers.”
Now Nicole is pursuing a STEM Leadership Certificate from Columbia University with the goal of eventually transitioning into administration or curriculum development. “I love working with children,” she says. “You might be an expert in something, but they come to you with their own knowledge and they can make you think differently.”