Page 24 - Priorities #47 2010-June/July

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Faculty Profile: A conversation with
Nancy Newman
What are some of your teaching goals for
your students?
I want my students to learn that hard work and taking responsibility for their own learning will lead to success. Math is not everyone’s favorite subject, but I believe that everyone can learn to be good at it if they spend the time and ask for help when they need it. I believe that there is always a way to explain a new math concept that will resonate with each student and their learning style. The hard part for students is taking the extra time to ask the questions until we find the explanation that works for them. I want them to say, “I am good at math”!
When/how did you discover your love
for mathematics?
I have always been good at math and my parents encouraged me. I am just comfortable with numbers the way other people are comfortable with spelling and writing. I love puzzles and thinking outside of the box. I love it when something in the “real world” can be explained with an equation. During my MBA program, I once tried to put the admissions process into an equation that Directors of Admission could use to predict enrollment numbers.
How would you describe your teaching style?
I have high expectations of my students. I take what I do seriously, and I expect them to do the same. I try to be crystal clear in my explanations but try hard to re-explain an idea in another way if a student is having a hard time with a concept. I care a lot about my students and will go the extra mile with someone if they want to master the material and are willing to put in the necessary time.
What were early influences that shaped your career and personal development?
Fellow staff members who showed me the effort and dedication that it takes to be a great teacher were the best role models for my career. Personally, my parents’ influence is at the heart of who I am. It is pretty simple really - work hard, family comes first, and play golf when you get the chance.
Tell us about your first teaching job.
When I got my MA in Education and teaching credential, there were very few teaching jobs in the Bay Area. I was sure that I was going to have to support us with my typing skills, which was very scary since I typed like a turtle. At the last minute, a week before school started, I got an interview at the College Preparatory School in Oakland which was, at the time, a very small and relatively new independent school. I know the head of school thought I was too young and inexperienced - my student teaching had been at a continuation high school in Daly City - but desperation won the day and he hired me to teach Biology, AP Biology and Algebra II. It was a great school for a new teacher. It was also my first experience at an independent school, and I was struck by the connections we made with the students and the way we all worked together to make CPS the best school it could be. Everyone put in long hours and picked up jobs whenever they needed to be done. I painted my classroom, drove the school station wagons to games and field trips, and developed my own summer school courses in math and marine biology. It was an amazing place to start a career. I was there for 6 years before a transfer to Hong Kong took me away.