*Teacher: Mathematics*
By: Morgan Blechschmid and Danielle Shehee
February 26, 2021
Miss Kristen Field is a mathematics teacher here at Brooklyn High School. She is best known for not only being a great teacher, but she is also known for coaching sports, such as basketball and softball. Field is excellent at what she does. She is always willing to help students with lessons that are difficult to understand, and she individually helps struggling players. She is a great mentor and an even better person, and this is why she was chosen for this week’s Staff Spotlight!
Q: What are some of your hobbies?
A: “I like being outside, as does my daughter. We like to hike and bike. I also like to golf. I love to travel, but COVID has limited those opportunities lately!”
Q: How have your high school teachers influenced you?
A: “I remember all of my high school math teachers. I think more than anything else they encouraged my interest in mathematics, which obviously turned into my career path.”
Q: What’s your favorite sport?
A: “Basketball (college level and below as I’m not a fan of the NBA) is my favorite to watch and coach. The strategy behind the game appeals to my mathematical mind. I enjoy playing softball and golfing.”
Q: What advice would you give to a student who has never had you as their teacher?
A: “It depends on what the student is coming to me for advice about! If it’s about succeeding in a math class, I would tell them to ask questions as soon as they’re starting to get confused. If it’s about succeeding in school (high school or college), I would tell them learning how to prioritize their time is essential.”
Q: What do you feel is most important about math?
A: “The most important thing that a student can learn from a math class has absolutely nothing to do with what math class they are taking. Learning mathematical concepts takes perseverance, problem solving, critical thinking, and logical/sequential reasoning. These are valuable skills for any student to learn and can be applied to any subject/discipline.”
Q: Where did you go to college? Why did you choose it?
A: “I got my undergraduate degree from Miami University (Ohio). I had a short list of schools that I wanted to go visit, and when I went to Miami, it just felt like the right fit.”
Q: What is your favorite inspirational quote? Why is it your favorite?
A: “I don’t know if I have one particular quote that I look to or remember, but one of my first years as a basketball coach, I brought in a motivational speaker to talk to my team. A lot of what he said has stuck with me all these years later. His general message was about not fixating on negative memories or worrying about things that you have no control over. If you can fix it, do it! If it’s out of your control, let it go. To paraphrase one of his favorite mantras, “Manure occureth, get over it!”
Q: If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
A: “I would change the amount of standardized testing. While I understand the intent of them, I lose so much instructional time preparing and talking about them. There are so many more interesting math topics that I would love teaching; I just never have time.”
Q: Do you have any goals as a teacher?
A: “Survive! This year has definitely been a challenge, and the use of remote instruction has been difficult. As we start to get back to “normal,” I hope to take some of the new instructional practices/resources that I have learned and mix them in with some of the traditional things to make my classroom a place where all students can be successful.”
Thank you Miss. Field for all that you do! You are loved and respected by many, and you truly make math as enjoyable as possible. Trust us, this is not easy to do, but you have accomplished this feat.
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 