Mathematics Department Head
Know Your Pelicans
What do you teach? What is one of your favorite parts of the curriculum?
I teach Upper School Math. One of my favorite parts of the curriculum is helping students to embrace the role of the infinite and infinitesimal in calculus. It is a brand new way of thinking that opens up a whole world of mathematical possibilities that were not available before.
Besides your subject, what’s something you hope to teach your students?
I hope to teach students how to be resilient, creative problem solvers. When faced with a challenging problem, I hope that my students will have the tools to tackle it and the persistence to push through to a solution.
What’s one thing you love about your colleagues?
I learn from my colleagues every day. Sometimes that is formally in professional growth opportunities, but more often it is informally. I love working in the math office, knowing that if I have a question about math, pedagogy, or student growth, I can turn and ask the room and be guaranteed a thoughtful response. I have learned as much or more in these informal settings during my time at Packer as I have in formal professional development throughout my career.
If you had an inspirational fridge magnet (and we’re not saying you would), what would it say and why?
I do have an inspirational fridge magnet, which was a gift from a student many years ago. It says, “Ride the Tiger of Creativity!” I don’t know why she made it, or why she gave it to me, but I love it. It captures the excitement and joy (and sometimes terror!) of grabbing hold of a new idea and seeing where it goes.