Monday, June 6, 2016
Student Life
Teacher Feature: Colleen McFadden Ian Ong Co-Student Life Editor What courses do you teach? This year, I teach AP Calculus AB and Algebra 1X. Tell me about your background. I grew up in Jenkintown, Pa. and went to Bishop McDevitt High School. I then went to Saint Joseph’s University, where I got my Bachelor of Science in Math, and I did a minor in education and got my secondary education certification. I’ve been teaching for 15 years now, 13 years here at Conestoga. What was it like growing up? I had three brothers, and I was involved in everything. When I was younger, I played intramural sports, and then in high school, I did NHS, and I was in the plays. The big activity I was in was forensics, also known as competitive speech and debate, which I did for four years. I also did student council. You name it, I was in it. What was your favorite activity? I definitely enjoyed forensics and being in the plays the most. Where did you teach before? During my first two years, I taught at Springfield High School in Montgomery County. How is teaching at Conestoga different from teaching at Springfield? When I taught at Springfield, it was in block schedule, so just the schedule of the day was very different. Here, I feel like no matter what course I teach, I feel like the students have a genuine interest in school, and that students want to be here and are willing to try. They are comfortable working with teachers, and I like that. I like that the students are open in that way, always wanting to ask questions and participate. The previous school I taught at was more rigid with free periods and things like that, but here, it’s definitely a more flexible environment. Why did you choose to become a math teacher? I always liked math, and I was always the person in class who the teacher asked to help somebody else in class. I probably started tutoring in elemenIan Ong/The SPOKE
tary school in sixth, seventh and eighth grade, and then in NHS in high school, every year I had two or three kids that I tutored in Algebra or Spanish. I just liked helping other people get it, so I went into Saint Joe’s as a math major, with the intent to teach.
it’s fun, but I just haven’t done it recently.
Did you have any part time jobs? I worked as a nanny for four summers, I worked at a movie theater and I worked at a clothing store. That was all in the summer, in addition to school.
What is one thing that students should take away from your classes? I hope students walk out knowing that math can be fun, and that you need to take a risk, give it a shot and not feel uncomfortable when you’re not sure of an answer. You should always give it a try, and when you work together, a lot of the time you figure it out.
Do you have any hobbies? I like to read and I like to go to the park. I have three boys, and they keep me very busy, so we’re always outside at the park going for walks, or reading. We read a lot. What is your most embarrassing moment? During one of my first years of teaching at my first job, I was 23 and I had an SAT prep class, so it was pretty laid back. There was a girl sitting in the very back of the room messing around with an eraser, she threw the eraser and it didn’t just go anywhere. It went down my shirt. As I was teaching! Everybody saw it, and what do you do at that point? I was just like ‘OK,’ and my face turned red because my face turns red very easily. It was funny, I just kind of lost it at that point. Do you have any musical inclinations? I do not play any instruments. Like I said, I was in the plays at high school, so I did sing, but I wouldn’t say I sing well. I just enjoy it. What is something most people don’t know about you? I’m a pretty open book, but I used to tap dance. Not professionally or anything like that, but I used to take tap classes and, having three kids now, I don’t have the time to do that, so that’s just something I used to do.
Who is your role model? My mom. She’s a role model because she works, she raised kids and she’s just a really caring individual that I hope to be like.
What’s one thing you can’t live without? I’m not a creature of habit. I don’t drink coffee, or anything like that. I don’t have anything that I use every single day. I do like iced tea, but I could live without it. I don’t have a routine; obviously I get up and come into work and things like that, but some people have something that they do every morning or every night. I try to be a little more laid back. What is the most important thing you’ve learned over your time teaching at Conestoga? Always keep the big picture in mind. Every day, there’s things that come up, good things, bad things, but when you keep the big picture in mind and keep the best interest of the students in mind at all times when you’re trying to make decisions, I feel like things always work out better.
Favorites: Book series: “Harry Potter” Board game: Scrabble Sport: Basketball (to watch), volleyball (to play) Fictional character: Tinkerbell Ideal vacation spot: Ocean City, N.J. in the fall TV Show: “Grey’s Anatomy” Actor: Ben Affleck
Why did you take up tap dancing? I only did it for a couple of years, but I used to go after work and take a class or two for fun. I did it when I was little too. It was one of those things that I enjoyed when I was younger, and it’s good exercise,
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