Heather Smith is the 2024 North Carolina Teacher of the Year! She teaches 8th grade math teacher at Waynesville Middle School in Haywood County Schools. These are my notes from her presentation, “Teachers: The Ultimate Influencers“ at the March 24, 2025 NCMLE ‘Middle School Matters’ Conference
MY THOUGHT AND REFLECTIONS ARE IN ALL CAPS.
In this session we will highlight ways to insure we take the normal curriculum I am supposed to teach and invite students to see themselves it it… plus have fun!
“Teachers are the ultimate influencers”
#positivelyinform
“We are teachers because of a teacher or in spite of a teacher”
The teachers who were my influencers
- Mrs Wolfe in 1st grade: We need to think of others, to care for others
Our parents are dropping off their greatest gift every day at school
Coach Hilton Middle School PE: There is a big world outside our middle school
Our learning HAS to transcend the classroom walls!
Mr McDowell, high school leadership teacher
- Lean into your leadership
See math in your everyday life, it’s key!
Maria Shriver: We all have contributions to make
“When will I ever use this in my life?”
Today is about project based learning and STEM learning
- Taking standards and making them fun and connected to standards (if we want it to impact our students)
I start each year with this activity, working in groups, finding numbers
Model for students what good group work looks like
100 Numbers to Get Students Talking
The classroom, where it should all start:
- Curiosity takes root
- Problem solvers are created
- Real world connections are made
- Innovation is celebrated
- Relevance is established
- Perseverance is expected
- More….
Mrs Smith’s 8th Grade Math Classroom
- Small groups
- Hand on activities: Pythagorean theorem, volume, transformations, angle relationships, story graphs (distance vs time)
- Real World Connections: systems of linear equations, comparing linear functions, scatterplots / surveying individuals
Sara’s favorite meme on the Pythagorean theorem:
Story of Sarah Lefebrve – Union County Curriculum Facilitator created Math Trails
Slideshow presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IT0isRLW5asVNWiM-uQdSIJugo4iJKsE1wLhSeLZEXo/edit?usp=sharing
Via: https://2022ncctmannualfallconference.sched.com/event/1Amlz
And via: https://x.com/Lefebvres_class/status/1590567903463866368
The Myanmar Boat Project (high school example)
Good example of Google Maps project using Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany
Your Role in the Puzzle
- Greatest professional development is in our buildings
- continue to spark curiosity and rive that propels students from the classroom into the world
- Your work is part of a larger mission!
hsmithnctoy24 [at] gmail.com
X: @Teach_Hsmith
Instagram: @h_smithteaches
HEATHER’S CLOSING COMMENTS REMINDED ME OF THE “DESIGN CREATE AND SHARE” LESSON AND CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK WHICH SHELLY AND I HAVE NOT FULLY CREATED / BUILT OUT BUT NEED TO!
HER COMMENTS ABOUT HOW MUCH EXPERTISE IS IN THE ROOM ALSO MADE ME THINK OF EDCAMPS AND HOW I REALLY WANT TO HELP FACILITATE SOME EDCAMP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVENTS HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA:
I TALKED WITH A LIBRARIAN FRIEND AND CHURCH YESTERDAY AND I’M HOPING TO GET SOME EDCAMP CONNECTIONS GOING!
#MSMATTERS2025
Source : Wisdom from Heather Smith
