Tell us about yourself!

I have been teaching 7th and 8th grade math for the past 24 years. Ever since I was in second grade I knew I would be a teacher. There was a teacher who lived down the street from me, she had filing cabinets of worksheets. I loved playing that I was the teacher and the other neighborhood kids were my students – I would teach lessons, give them worksheets, and grade them all summer long. My favorite thing about teaching is that every day is a new adventure. You never know what kids are going to say or do at any given moment in time. Their honestly and willingness to try new things is always refreshing and exciting.

I am the union president for our local teacher’s union as well as the district representative for the New York State teacher’s union.

What is your favorite part of the Future Goals™program? How do you see STEM in the game of hockey?

As a math teacher, I always try to think outside the box with the lessons I plan. This year, one of my most difficult students is a hockey player. He LOVED this Future Goals program – it brought math to life in a way that made it interesting to him.

If you played hockey, what position would you play and why?

I guess I would have to pick defense. Defensemen don’t get all of the glory, they work hard to do their part no matter what. They protect the goalie, no matter what it takes. Sometimes, things get a little too rough, so they serve their time whether the refs made a bad call or not.