About+Ms.+Madaris

**Who is that lady in the room on the corner?**
__My Wonder__ This will be my 7th year teaching 7th grade mathematics in room 151. I tutor on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. I also sponsor the Beta Club and co-sponsor Quiz Bowl.

This year, I am excited to begin a Game Club: board games and such are not only FUN, they let us practice logic, strategy, math, and interpersonal skills. Finding more opportunities to collaborate with and involve our parents and our community is a focus are for both my classroom and my sponsored clubs.

Lastly, but of course not least, I am looking forward to cheering on my Lions at sporting events.

__ Why I became a teacher __ I went to college with the intention of becoming a teacher. Once I discovered the wonders of psychology, I changed my major. After college graduation, while preparing for graduate school decisions, teaching was still on my mind. So, I changed my plans again and came to Wonder Jr. High.

__Why I choose to teach math__ I love math because its use allows us to turn a mess of confusing information into explanations or descriptions that make sense. Understanding the purpose of math is a big deal for me because I was terrified of math when I was a student. I didn't "get it" until high school--all because of I got confused in 3rd grade and didn't catch up until my sophomore year.

How does someone go from lagging to leading in just a year? The basic skills that had stumped me for nearly an entire educational career never stuck until I was in upper level math where we didn't just practice, we USED those skills. By using them for something else, those evasive skills found purpose, finally stuck, and continued to grow into larger ideas and more complex uses (like the awesome research studies).

As a teacher, this is what I strive to provide for my students: identification, support, purpose, and most importantly opportunity. It is tough to turn a fear into a triumph, but that it why we're together for these 180 days.

__My Goals__ I am SUPER excited about Common Core. I participate in a collaborative professional development program with the University of Arkansas's Engineering department and am eager to put this in action in my classroom by further incorporating science and other purposeful, realistic uses into my class's curriculum. I plan to begin working toward National Board Certification this year as well.

__My background__ I grew up in North Carolina before moving to a Little Rock suburb for the end of high school. Arkansas State University, the college at which I earned a degree in psychology, gave me the opportunity to collaborate on research projects that led me to develop a love of statistics---explaining the world through mathematics.

__My Hobbies__ I love to play games: backgammon, speed, qwirkle, and I'm learning to be a better chess player. I enjoy traveling, reading, and most of all exercising. My exercise interests include Bikram yoga, pilates, kettlebells, Turbokick, and running. Currently, I am participating in the Memphis Road Race series which requires runners to complete 2 of each of the following: 5k, 5 miler, 10k, 10 miler, and half marathon. The series ends in November, so wish me luck!

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