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“A First Year Teacher in a Rural

Community”Ryan Dahlberg

Math for America – University of Utah

Ryan.dahlberg@ssanpete.orghttp://ryandahlberg.weebly.com/

Who Am I?

• Born and Raised in Salt Lake City, UT

• Avid Sports Fan (Go Utes!)

• College Soccer Player• LDS Mission in Lima,

Peru• Live in Manti, UT with

wife and four kids (ages 10-14)

Education

• Brighton High School (2005)

• University of Utah – B.S. Business Information Systems (2010)

• University of Utah – M.S. Mathematics (2016)

Work Experience

Paramount Acceptance:

• Billing and Processing Manager (1 Year)

• SQL Programmer (1 year 10 months)

Goldman Sachs

• SQL/Unix Programmer (1 month)

Programmer to

Teacher?• Can’t Buy

Happiness

• Human

Interaction

• Family Time

• Who Am I

Helping?

Back To School

• Started Second Bachelor’s in Education

• Transitioned to Master’s through Math for America

• Projected to finish Fall 2016

Math for America

What is it?

• Founded by business

leaders,

mathematicians,

educators

• Community for

Collaboration

• Mathematics Teachers

Requirements

• Full Year Student Teaching

• Level 4 Math Endorsement

• Four Year Teaching Commitment

• Completion of Master’s Degree

My Year in Review

• Began student teaching in August 2014 while still in school

• Met my wife in December 2014• Applied to job in Sanpete County (Two

hours south of SLC) in February• Interviewed and Hired in March• Moved to Manti, UT in July• Began full-time teaching in August• Purchased house and got married in

October

Teaching AssignmentGunnison, UT (Pop. 3,269)

Gunnison Valley H.S.

• Three Secondary I Classes

• One Secondary I Math Lab

• Head Boys’ Soccer Coach

Gunnison Valley M.S.

• One Math 7 Class

• One Math 8 Class (Assigned to me 5 days before school began)

My Schools

Gunnison Valley High

• Total Enrollment: 343

• Ethnic Breakdown:• 87.5% Caucasian• 10.5% Hispanic• 1.2% Asian• 0.8% American Indian

• 45.5% Free/Reduced Lunch

• 97.3% Graduation Rate (2014-15)

Gunnison Valley Middle

• Total Enrollment: 242

• Ethnic Breakdown:• 81.8% Caucasian• 11.6% Hispanic• 2.9% African American• 2.1% American Indian• 0.4% Asian• 1.2% Unclassified

• 57% Free/Reduced Lunch

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Was I Prepared?

It Depends…

I want to discuss the following…

• What didn’t help to prepare me?

• What helped prepare me?

• What could have been added?

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So what was lacking?

Where did my preparation fall short?

Disconnect!!!

• Math Classes: Check.

• Education Classes: Check.

• “Math Education” Classes:

Uhh…

Math Classes

• Discrete Mathematics

• Applied Statistics I

• Foundations of Geometry

• Intro to Differential Equations

• Foundations of Analysis

• Math Capstone Course

• Calculus III

• Linear Algebra

• Foundations of Algebra

• Topics in Math History

• Probability and Statistics

• Contemporary Math

Education Classes

• Introduction to Teaching

• Inclusive Secondary Classrooms

• Introduction to Multicultural Education

• Principles of Instruction and Behavioral Support

• Principles of Assessment & Data-Based Decision Making

Math Education Classes

• Teaching Math in Secondary Schools

• Math Teaching Internship (TA)

• Middle School Math

So What’s the Takeaway?

• 12 Math Classes

• 5 Education Classes

• 3 “Math Education” Classes

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So what helped?

BEING IN THE CLASSROOM!!

Traditional vs. MfA Student Teaching in Utah

Traditional

• 2.5 months in classroom

• Full workload of classes

• Fail to see beginning and ending of year

• Mentor teacher absent from classroom

• Thrown into instruction

• No SAGE Testing

MfA

• 9 months in the classroom

• Only three classes

• See both the beginning and ending of year

• Mentor teacher always present

• Eased into instruction

• SAGE Testing

What did student teaching lack?

• Summer preparations

• Choosing content flow for the year

• Deciding which materials to use

• Dealing with administrative issues

Professional Development

• All MfA members meet monthly

• One member agrees to present on a chosen topic from the classroom

• Student teachers required to present at one of the meetings

• Two semi-annual conferences held to strengthen teaching

• Creates a large network of math teachers

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Math Education Classes

Mathematics Teaching Internship

• Teacher’s Aide in a College Algebra Course

• Led Weekly Discussion Session

• Helped Grade Tests

• One-on-One Tutoring with Students

Teaching of Secondary School Mathematics

• Outlining a Unit

• Lesson Creation

• Teaching Lessons

• Two Weeks in a Public School

Teaching and Learning Middle School Mathematics

• Relearning and Understanding Middle School Math

• How do we interpret the Common Core Standards?

• How to Teach Middle School Students

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My Preparation Came From…

• Digging through the content I would be teaching

• Learning how to understand the core

• Spending time in the classroom gaining experience

• Working with fellow professionals

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What Can Be Added?

More Time in the Classroom!

Specifically, we need effective and focused time in the classroom. We need…

• Time with an instructor present…

• Focusing on particular aspects of teaching…

• Getting immediate and constructive feedback

More Effective College Courses

More Courses focused on…

• Learning what will be taught

• Learning how to teach it

• Learning how students understand it (or don’t…)

• Utilizing Technology

• More Discovery Learning

More Professional Development and

Seminars

• Help future teachers establish networks and resources

• Focus on the realities of daily teaching

• Discuss how your first summer should be spent

• How to deal with administrative issues

• Standing up for yourself and maintaining your sanity

Why Just Urban Education?

• 30% of students in urban settings, but 20% are in rural settings

• All education settings have unique challenges

• A well-prepared teacher will be able to flourish in any setting

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What Couldn’t I Prepare For?

• Working on two different campuses with two different administrations

• Being assigned a fourth prep five days before school started

• Marrying a wonderful woman with FOUR kids just a month and a half into the school year

• Dealing with issues unique to a rural setting

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To Sum It All Up…

We Need…

• More Time Teaching

• More Valuable Classroom Time

• Support Systems for Teachers

Questions?