Jessica Bernards believes anyone can be successful in math class.
This is the mindset she instills in her Portland Community College students that helped her win the Community College 2021 National Prize for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching.
Bernards, who teaches algebra and trigonometry in college, began working full-time at Community College in 2010. She is the first lecturer in Portland to win the biennial award, presented by the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges.
“I decided to become a math teacher to really get the scared students to come in – this is the one-college level (math course) they need – to really see they aren’t You can only survive the class, you can thrive in it, have fun and be more confident, ”she said.
Bernards, together with her colleague Wendy Fresh, developed the Flipped + approach to teaching and learning, with which she would like to share the prize. The duo took the traditional flipped model, where students view lectures as homework and do classroom assignments, and complemented it by breaking videos into smaller, less overwhelming chunks.
The Rock Creek Campus Teacher engages students ages 15 to 50 by dividing them into small groups where they conduct activities and socialize. Her favorite part of the job is the “aha” moments of students who started out with fear of the class.
Bernards was used to online classes even before the pandemic, so his arrival didn’t affect her style very much. But she missed the cohesive class community she had worked hard to build. She learned how to navigate zoom breakout rooms, which students split into small groups, with icebreaker questions and activities to try to recreate the personal environment.
She advocates a growth mindset – she lets students say, “I don’t get this yet” instead of “I don’t understand”. Your assignments will include real-world applications of math to help students see the value of the work.
In the classroom, you can find Bernards exactly where the students are. She does activities with them instead of teaching them. She once had to close the door of a class at 7:30 am where the students were playing a game loudly and excitedly so as not to disturb people in the nearby offices and classrooms.
Jessica Bernards with Rock Creek student Samantha Huang.
“When I teach, I really try to connect with every single student in my classroom, not only to help them learn math, but to feel part of a supportive, inclusive learning community in which they feel safe and have fun. ”She said.
Nicco Martin, a freshman studying computer science, came to appreciate math this spring thanks to Bernard’s trigonometry teaching method. He said that if more professors took inspiration from her, the academic systems would be stronger and more supportive.
“She’s clearly passionate about what she does, which is very contagious when it comes to math,” he said. “It is very difficult to make math an enjoyable learning process.”
The 25-year-old, who moved to Portland from Hawaii three years ago, lost his internet connection for one of his exams. Without local resources, he wasn’t sure how to do it. But Bernards understood and adjusted his situation, he said.
“This was the first time I had called a teacher on his cell phone, which I thought was a total invasion of privacy,” he said. “But she was so understanding and we worked it through.”
Bernards helps students in areas beyond math – such as applying for four-year colleges and scholarships. She answers emails and phone calls on weekends and evenings, and takes it upon herself to be available for all of her students’ needs.
“Jessica’s commitment to supporting her students in and out of class is always evident,” wrote student Julian Shepherd.
Emily Nelson, the college math professor, turned her classroom around and followed Bernard’s lead. She said she was a stronger instructor because she had implemented some of Bernard’s techniques.
Not only does Bernards focus on training her own students, she also goes out to help other educators, Nelson said. She focuses on professional development and sharing the Flipped + model with the broadest possible network.
“It’s the real deal, the whole package,” she said.
– April ruby; arubin@oregonian.com; @AprilMRuby
source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/portland-community-college-instructor-wins-math-award-champions-classroom-engagement/
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