I believe that a math classroom is not simply a place to teach how to “solve for x,” but rather an opportunity to shape young minds.”

Madeline’s Story

Madeline Waud considered a number of career paths before committing to teaching.  Two experiences influenced her decision:  Working with teenagers as a summer camp counselor and interning at a college campus ministry.  She realized that she wanted to teach and work with the high school age group.  Madeline has particularly enjoyed her student teaching experiences, which were “challenging, exhausting and rewarding all at once.”

Madeline’s goal is to create a classroom where her students are “motivated to learn and in which I provide them with the tools they need to succeed.”  She would like her students to learn actively by “discovering concepts and connecting them to a context whenever possible so that they have real-world meaning.  One of my goals is that my students value confusion as an integral part of learning.”

Madeline graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University and earned her teaching credential from Vanderbilt University.  She will be starting her teaching career at Harpeth Hall School, an all-girls school in Nashville, Tennessee  The school has “cutting edge technology and methods, small classes and a huge network of support,” an ideal situation for a beginning teacher.   A fan of Ultimate Frisbee and other team sports, Madeline hopes to coach a team or a club at her new school.