Speaker: SARAH JEDLOWSKI, Arizona
SARAH JEDLOWSKI: When I think about an exceptional teacher, I think about my high school math teacher, his name is Mr. Cardone and he taught Algebra 3-4 and Pre-Calculus. But what really made him so great was for a lot of students. It was the first math class they ever took where they didn't feel completely lost or at least that's how it was for me. You could really see his passion shine in his work every single day and he brought such a fun and energetic environment to the classroom that's so different from a lot of other math classes that students take. He worked really hard to be flexible in the ways that he approached new concepts and catering each lesson to his students learning environments and into their best learning practices. He would treat us all to a song at the end of the semester by bringing his guitar in and make up a song on the spot for us. He would write jokes on the board. It was really just such a great environment to be a part of. And I know so many other students of his that have gone on to succeed, wonderful things and continue pursuing math because of him.
What would you say to that teacher right now?
SARAH JEDLOWSKI: Thank you for being such an amazing teacher. Thank you for pushing me out of my comfort zone. It's really helped prepare me for life beyond high school. And thank you for caring so much about your students and understanding that each of them has a different experience in this topic. And trying to cater your lessons to that. A lot of kids become afraid of a subject when they've historically done bad at it. But you embrace that and you try to create this entirely new environment where they can reshape their idea of math. And I think because of that, you've instilled so many passions in your students.
