Making math fun and relatable for middle school students, while also earning their trust and respect, is no easy feat.
It’s that delicate balance that leads to April’s Education Impact Award honoree.
[NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE EDUCATOR HERE]
Jamie Nichols has been teaching math at William Byrd Middle School since 2012. By definition, math doesn’t always inspire excitement or thoughts of being “enjoyable,” but Nichols has seemingly cracked the code when it comes to engaging her students.
“I always hate that whenever you say you teach math, they’re like, ‘I hate that.’ But I just try to engage, like we play games. I will try to make a theme of the sports season, like we turn it into a baseball game, hockey, golf, just a little bit of everything to keep them engaged,” Nichols said.
Whether serving as a math teacher, a track coach or a mentor to other teachers, Nichols is a leader in the William Byrd community.
But it might be her relationships with her middle school students during a key time in their lives that make her more than just “an answer,” but rather “the solution.”
“She is all in about being a Terrier, and she just knows these kids, whether it’s through her coaching or through her teaching, because as you said, middle school is the absolute critical point for our students, and she just loves this age group,” said William Byrd Middle School Principal Katherine Hutchison.
Short of paying for your food, there isn’t much math happening in a lunchroom, but that didn’t stop us from turning the cafeteria into a hall of honor for April’s Education Impact Award honoree.
“Obviously, she makes it fun, but she also embodies what life is beyond math class, right? The critical thinking, the problem-solving, the celebrating successes, and helping them believe in themselves that will carry them through to adulthood,” said Blue Eagle Credit Union Senior Brand Specialist Laurissa Thompson.
“They drive you crazy, but then there are little things that they show that they are good kids at heart that make you want to come back,” Nichols said.
Nichols is also the head girls track coach at William Byrd Middle School and coordinates community service projects, such as school food drives, involving her team in these efforts.