Meet Alex

I had my first long-term assignment as a sub, and I was so excited to teach science. But right on the dot, I was thrown into a 5th grade math class, and it turned out to be the happiest mistake ever.

I met good students stuck in a rushed system that was failing them. My math skills needed brushing up, too. It wasn’t the same math most of us learned back in school 10 or 15 years ago. People think you can’t be honest with students, but they deserve more credit than we give them. I told them things wouldn’t be perfect, but I promised we’d get through it together.

As I retaught myself at home, I taught them at school. One student in particular caught my eye. She sat all the way in the back, ripping up her paper. I stopped the entire class. No one was moving on until the slowest person finished writing. We worked together, every step of the way.

I struggled in school a ton myself. Out of 12 years and college, I can count only four teachers who truly took the time to help me. My mom also sat with me nightly at the kitchen table all the way through 12th grade, sometimes until midnight, making sure I got it right. That’s the kind of patience I want to bring to my students. When you join me, you’re invited to my kitchen table too: a space of patience, fun, and friendship for those who struggle.