Orchard Center educator Heather Jordan honored
ORCHARD CENTER ELEMENTARY teacher Heather Jordan wants to make math exciting, even for students who struggle. Jordan knows that struggle firsthand. As a child, she found math confusing.
“I really believe if math and science are presented in a way that excites students and relates to them, it can capture them,” Jordan said. “If you can do that early, it can affect their future and even their motivation to do more in math and science.”
To avoid losing kids, Jordan does daily math exercises and gives students examples relevant to life. She’ll have students split a candy bar into fractions to share, or she puts a student’s real name into a number problem.
She also created a short list of math problem-solving strategies for first-graders, steps the West Valley School District now use as a reference. For her classroom and district work, Jordan was selected as one of three state finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
“One of the reasons I’ve had such an interest in math is that math was not my thing when I was a kid,” she said. “I always felt I didn’t get it. It got more difficult in high school for me. Statistically, kids who don’t do well at an early age in math struggle with it later.”
The state finalist award recognizes her work last year with first-grade students. This year, Jordan switched to teaching fourth-graders but has continued putting an emphasis on math. She has taught for about nine years.
Jordan recommends working with students step-by-step, building up until students feel confident to do work independently. “They need to hear it, feel it, taste it. They need to understand there are patterns – thinking in terms of five multiples for example.
“Teachers can model ways to solve problems before students are expected to master it. I give them lots of opportunities to be successful, so much so that they feel confident sharing their answers.”
Today, younger grade levels are tackling more complicated math than when she was a child, Jordan said. Plus, the state Washington Assessment of Student Learning requires students to explain how they got an answer, she added.
“With fourth grade (math), I’ve had some parents say, ‘Do you have a manual?’ I know that some of this math the kids are doing I didn’t do at their age. On the other hand, I’m amazed at what the kids can do. Another thing is having the high expectations. They come through and I’m constantly saying how well they’re doing.”
Jordan said she enjoys math now, but she is not afraid to let the kids see her wrestle with a question. She and a student teacher puzzled with the class over one problem about two siblings and the length of their music lessons. When the answer escaped them, Jordan announced that she would ask another teacher.
“We found out that it was a mistake. The answer wasn’t even in the multiple choices. We all laughed. They saw us struggling, but none of the students would give up.”
The other state finalists were Lisa Cartwright, a Pullman teacher, and Carleen Baldwin, with the Lapwai (Idaho) School District. Jordan said another plus to the state recognition was meeting Cartwright, who was selected this week as the state’s honoree for the national award and recipient of a $10,000 National Science Foundation gift. Jordan and Cartwright now frequently exchange e-mails with teaching tips.
B-ball challenge nets $3,000
A parent-teacher basketball challenge netted more than $3,000 for the Inland Northwest Candlelighters, which supports families of children diagnosed with cancer.
Horizon Middle School raised the money during last month’s “Crooked Cane Classic” parents versus teachers basketball game. The parents won 46 to 44.
Shop teacher Neil Francom presented the winners with a crooked cane he engraved and carved with a hawk shape, the school’s mascot.
At halftime, contests for free throws and 3-point shots also raised money. Aaron Alteneder of TourneySport U.S.A. sponsored the shooting contests, bringing $2,190 toward the total. Former Gonzaga basketball player Kyle Bankhead participated.
Other funds came from concessions and gate admission, said Margie Tibbits, adviser of the school’s leadership class organizing the event. “Albertsons, Alliance Vending, John Morrell Foods and parent Frank Herrera, owner of Movie Style Popcorn, donated food,” she said. “Our student body and parents really supported us.”
Dinner, auction benefits WV band
A dinner and auction next Saturday will support the West Valley High School band, allowing for performance and competition travel.
The WVHS band boosters are sponsoring a hamburger and hot dog dinner, cow plop raffle, and a silent and live auction next Saturday at Pasadena Park Elementary School, 8508 E. Upriver Drive.
Viewing of auction items begins at 4 p.m. The cow plop is at 4:30, and silent auction bidding is set to begin at 5. Dinner will be from 5 to 7:30, with the live auction starting at 7:30. Dinner costs $5 per person or $20 per family. Raffle tickets for the cow plop are $2.50 each.