Arizona Coyotes November 2023 Teacher of the Month
Future GoalsTM Program
Arizona Coyotes November 2023 Teacher of the Month
Tell us about yourself!
Gretchen Donnell is a gifted teacher in Prescott Valley, Arizona who holds a masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from ASU and has been teaching for almost a decade. A mother of 4 and a step-mom of 2 more, Gretchen chose to be a teacher because of her passion for encouraging students to build lifelong skills and a love for learning. She strives to do this every day in her professional career and has also dedicated years of service to community organizations that help children to develop skills that prepare them for life.
What is your favorite part of the Future Goals™program? How do you see STEM in the game of hockey?
I love that the Future Goals program helps students practice important skills in math and science in an engaging way! It’s fantastic that the program is customized to your local NHL team so that students can connect more with it when they see familiar uniforms and logos. Hockey is a sport that includes many STEM aspects; everything from ideal ice temperature (science), to the angle of a shot (math), to the glide of skates across ice (science), and even team finance (math)!
Who is your favorite NHL® player and why?
My favorite player right now is probably TJ Oshie. Not only is he an amazing player, but he, like many others, gives back to his community. While many NHL players, and professional athletes are involved with chariest such as Make-A-Wish, from what I have heard Oshie goes above and beyond and seeks to truly know the people he interacts with. Based on what I’ve read about him, he makes it personal. It says a lot about someone who is willing to give their time and energy to others without reward.
If you played hockey, what position would you play and why?
Although I doubt I would ever be a hockey player (I was a competitive figure skater as a child and teen), if I were to be one I would probably be a center. The center has a very important job on the team and creates scoring opportunities for other players. Setting up opportunities and letting others make goals reminds me of what I seek to do with students in the classroom so I believe it would be a good fit for me.