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What do you teach?
I currently teach pre-algebra, algebra 2, and AP statistics. I have also taught pre-calculus and geometry in the past at Hillel, as well as algebra 1, and college-level pre-calculus and business calculus at my previous teaching positions.
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What do your students call you?
Mrs. McDougall; I have one student who consistently accidentally calls me Mrs. Myers and I've occasionally been called Mom ;-)
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How long have you been teaching at Hillel Academy?
This is my third year teaching at Hillel.
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What is the most rewarding thing about teaching your grade / subject?
The most rewarding thing about my subject is that it comes as a challenge for a lot of students and most of the time, I can get my students to better understand math concepts that they have found difficult in the past. Seeing a student succeed after struggling with a concept is very fulfilling as a teacher. Reteaching students topics that they should have learned in a previous course can be frustrating, but it is also extremely pleasing to be the one who helps them to understand it.
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What gadget do you rely on most when teaching?
The Smart Board / white board. If the Smart Board isn't working right, I calibrate it or try to fix it and if all the dry erase markers are dried up, I bring my own as back up! I also talk with my hands an awful lot; I do a lot of pointing and large hand gestures.
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What phrase do you find yourself using the most during your day?
"What day is your homework due?"
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What three words best describe your class?
Warm up packets.
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I wish my classroom had...
A pencil sharpener, tissues, hand sanitizer, and my own classroom!
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The most important thing I teach my students is:
To ask questions. I'm able to read faces very well to determine if students are understanding / grasping the material, but sometimes, you just have to ask!
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My students teach me
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That I can learn something new every day. I think I learn something new about the Jewish religion at least once a week.
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By the time they leave my class, my students know how to:
Hopefully solve for 'x!
'
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My favorite rainy day activity is:
Watching Netflix: Friends, Grey's Anatomy, Parks 'n Rec, The Office <- I tend to watch these shows over & over again!
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What were you like when you were your students' age?
I was very busy when I was in high school. I had a part-time job during 11th grade and 12th grade that I mostly worked on the weekends. I was also on the swim team for my school and was the team captain with my younger brother during my senior year. We had swim practice every day after school during the winter and had meets at least once a week in the evenings. Swimming was a lot of my life during high school! I attended an honors high school that gave a lot of homework, and I also put a lot of effort into my school work. I cared a lot about school and my grades. During the summers, I worked almost full time at Stanganelli's (an Italian food production company my neighbor owned where my brother and I worked), Tim Horton's, or The Erie Zoo (where I met my husband). I also played softball during the summer for a city league and manned second base or short stop.
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What is your motto?
"It ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward," a quote from Rocky.
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The most useful lesson I ever learned is:
To never stop trying. It's when you stop trying that you actually fail. As long as you're trying, you are still succeeding a little at a time.
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The skill I would most like to have is:
Patience. I find myself without it often.
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The most amazing / odd / inspiring place I have been is:
"The Rocky Steps" in Philadelphia. They are actually the steps leading up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, but I prefer to call them the Rocky Steps. I have always loved the Rocky movies since I was a little kid. I watched them with my Dad and my brothers. Rocky has inspired me to never give up. When I was in high school, my family went to visit my mom's uncle who lived outside of Philadelphia. It was my dream come true to run up those steps. My brother and I ran up the entire steps and sang the Rocky Theme Song ("Gonna Fly Now" by Bill Conti) the whole way up. I was unbelievably disappointed that it happened to be during the time that they had removed the Rocky statue from the bottom of the steps. The Art Museum soon agreed to replace the statue at the bottom of the steps due to people complaining.
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Do you play an instrument? If so, what?
From 6th through 12th grade, I played the flute and was in the school's concert band. During middle and some of high school, my parents purchased a piano and my brother and I took lessons. I enjoyed both the flute and piano but play neither now.
