What we are learning...
Ms. Niki Taylor, Science and Design Teacher
What is your favorite color? Purple.
What is your favorite book? The Princess Bride.
What is your favorite movie? "The Princess Bride"
What is your favorite movie? "The Princess Bride"
If I hadn't been a teacher, I probably would've been... a forensic scientist.
What is your favorite artist? Mumford & Sons
Where were you born? St. Louis, MO.
Any interesting trivia about you? I have a masters of Raptor Biology.
Where did you attend Middle School? Our Lady of Providence and Sperring Middle School in St. Louis.
Who was your favorite or most influential teacher? Roger, one of my high school soccer coaches.
My 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes are all now investigating the Concept of Relationships. Sixth graders are relating the variable x to y in equations and forming lines. Seventh graders have moved deeper into this x and y relationship so that the lines are now intersecting. Eighth graders have been optimizing linear relationships by graphing linear inequalities. These relations form the foundation for understanding natural and human worlds in powerful ways. For example, gathering data and relating it in a bar graph is a way to detect patterns and make reliable predictions. The justifications for things such as climate change or the use of investment strategies depend on these mathematical techniques. People who value the clarity that math can provide find a clear path forward into a future of independence and self-reliance. Inspiring middle school students to focus on math as a way to bring order to their lives is an enduring and elusive challenge that keeps my mind active.
