Great teachers who encourage students to challenge themselves while creating positive, motivating environments can have a life-changing impact on students. Sarah Mann and Jalinette Reyes, who both had teachers like this in high school, were inspired to become teachers themselves. Sarah and Jalinette are currently taking GTCH 2003 while also working as tutors through the Math Matters program, serving students in DC Public Schools.
Sarah, who is majoring in Applied Mathematics and minoring in STEM Teaching, was inspired to pursue her certification to teach math in the public school system after taking her first GWTeach class with Professor SuJin Choi. “I loved how engaging the class was and being part of the program has made me a better student in general.” Sarah knew that she was interested in mathematics and helping others, and she has been able to combine those interests together through teaching in DCPS with GWTeach. With the introduction of the Math Matters program, Sarah was instantly captivated by the combination of two of her passions: service and math. One moment in particular was rather meaningful to her as she became motivated when at Eliot-Hine Middle School, she and her fellow tutors “were able to see a student who had been very reluctant to engage with the material for weeks make a breakthrough and solve one-step equations with mental math.” Sarah saw how important the bonds she had created with students, such as her mentee mentioned before, were when she attended a pep rally at Sousa Middle School and one of her mentees ran up to her and hugged her. For Sarah, she is motivated by the moments like these which she experiences through both programs.
Jalinette, who is majoring in International Business and minoring in STEM Teaching, joined the Math Matters tutoring program during the first year of the program as a Federal Work Study job. Through this, she has worked with middle school students in DCPS and witnessed “the excitement these students have when they finally overcome topics in math they thought they would never understand.” Math Matters tutors have a significant positive impact on the communities that they are working with, and Jalinette feels like the program has had a huge impact on her. She’s been challenged to put her best self forward and reflect on her own knowledge in every tutoring session. One inspiring moment she shared was when she was able to attend a graduation at Eliot-Hine Middle School, and was thanked by many of her mentees who felt more capable in their abilities thanks to her tutoring. Through Math Matters, Jalinette met Professor Choi, who introduced her to the GWTeach program. When discussing her enthusiasm towards GWTeach, Jalinette said, “It combined everything I loved studying at school with communities I felt especially connected to.” Jalinette is currently pursuing her certification to teach math and just taught her first lesson at McKinley Middle School through GTCH 2003. Jalinette is excited to continue teaching throughout the semester and looks forward to encouraging each student that she interacts with to reach their full potential.
Sarah and Jalinette have both had a tremendous impact on the students that they’ve worked with in DC Public Schools through the Math Matters tutoring program and their GWTeach courses. At the same time, the programs have had a life-changing impact on them by showing how important it is to motivate and bond with students. To learn more about the Math Matters tutoring program, click here. To learn more about taking GWTeach courses and pursuing teacher certification, click here.