Maegan is a middle school math teacher at Raymond Junior Senior High where she is described by many as a “natural teacher” and “math crazy.” Now entering her 2nd decade of teaching, Maegan embraces the benefits of teaching in a small community where she has been able to work with students at many different grade levels. The community connection Maegan has with her students and their families infuses her work with the richness of relationships long cultivated. Her days are peppered with casual run-ins with parents and early morning hang outs in her room – the community is like a family.
Maegan believes great teachers are both leaders and learners. She continues to be eager to test new strategies. In her work as a Washington State Math Fellow, Maegan has brought new ideas and techniques into her community. She has been a leader in standards based grading, Positive Behavior Intervention Support, and utilizing Open Educational Resources. She is passionate about tackling achievement gaps – especially in math – early on before they have a chance to grow. Maegan is also a vocal advocate for creating more equity between math and reading readiness at an early age.
Maegan is a coach in and out of the classroom – always demonstrating an expert balance between cheering and challenging students to work harder. Her students help craft their own behavior matrix at the beginning of the year, and her focus on truly knowing and appreciating her students – their skills in class and their passions outside of class helps her develop strategies for motivating and engaging them. Outside of class she coaches both cheer and the math team.
“Maegan has an amazing talent for zeroing in on the concept begin taught while keeping her students actively engaged and involved in their learning,” says colleague Karen Camenzind. “Her classroom management skills are especially impactful. She utilizes research based methods to ensure that all students are not only actively engaged in learning math, but also treat each other with the respect required to have a fair and equitable classroom learning environment. It is a classroom full of rich experiences and where learning is valued.”
