Jessica Kuehn, a fourth-grade teacher at the Lynbrook School District’s , has been named the 2012 Nassau County Mathematics Teachers Association (NCMTA) Elementary Mathematics Teacher of the Year.
Kuehn will be honored at NCMTA's annual spring dinner on Thursday, May 17, where friends, relatives and colleagues will join in the celebration of Ms. Kuehn’s dedication and impact on mathematics education.
“I take a constructivist approach when teaching,” Kuehn said. “I encourage my students to analyze problems, make conjectures and discover theorems, rather than merely giving them formulas. I differentiate my instruction according to process, content and individual learning style.”
Among the award-winning techniques that Kuehn utilizes in the classroom are Math Enrichment Circles, which are small group lessons in which students master a difficult topic through the use of problem solving and math manipulative's. Students rotate to each enrichment circle. This fosters an understanding for higher-level thinking in a hands-on approach.
Kuehn demonstrates real-world applications for the math concepts that she teaches. Students discuss how they can apply each unit to everyday life. This reiterates that math is all around them and useful each day.
“When the committee read your nomination of Jessica Kuehn, we were so proud to be her colleagues,” said Mary Ann Mansfield, chairperson of the Teacher of the Year Selection Committee. “Her contributions to our profession are truly impressive and worthy of recognition.”
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