Ms. Metts has been a math teacher here at RD since the turn of the century (2000). We interviewed her to learn a little bit about what it’s like to be a teacher for such a long time.
“I’ve always liked math, so I started as an accounting major thinking that would be just raw calculations. I came to find out that there was a lot more business involved than I thought. I switched to education in hopes that I could inspire kids to get as excited about math as I am.”
She currently teaches Geometry, Honors Calculus, and Computer Science.
“My favorite class to teach is Honors Calculus because it challenges me the most. I’ve only been teaching it for three years, so I’m still discovering new ways to explain key concepts.”
On her long tenure at River Dell, she remarked, “Teaching at River Dell is great. The administration here is always making things new and better. For example, we were at the cutting edge of bringing laptops into the classroom.”
When we asked her how teaching has changed in the past 25 years, she responded, “Back in the day, I was up at the blackboard with chalk while students were writing on paper. Now, I have a Smartboard, and the kids all have laptops. There are always ways to integrate new technology into the classroom. The latest struggle is AI. We as teachers are figuring out how to use it as a learning tool rather than an ‘answer machine.’”
Ms. Metts’ students agree with her love of math.
George Schnider said, “She’s a great math teacher who explains things thoroughly and is always positive. You can tell she loves her job.”
Sinan Sarioglu said, “When I started this school year, I was anxious that I wouldn’t click with my math teacher’s methods since that’s usually what makes a difference in my grades. Getting to know Ms. Metts really eased my nerves. Her teaching style is interactive, and she’s always helpful.”
When we asked Ms. Metts about her method for making students excited about math, she responded, “I don’t really do anything specific to make math fun. I think the students you talked to enjoy my class because I enjoy teaching it. The enthusiasm rubs off, which is my exact intention.”
Finally, we had to ask Ms. Metts about her favorite baseball team, the New York Mets, and her thoughts on the team as of late.
“I think they made some great moves in the offseason. The same team that’s been out there for the past few years isn’t running out on the diamond this time. What they had wasn’t working, so this was a necessary refresh.”
