ISLE OF WIGHT, Va. (WAVY) – Teaching is a tough career, and teaching math to high school students is very tough. Throw in COVID anxiety and it becomes a monumental task. But one local excellent educator is not afraid, and she is meeting the challenge head on.
Mindy McCann teaches math at Smithfield High School, and she really cares about the children’s knowledge as well as their personalities. She acknowledges that math anxiety is real, and she aims to remove that anxiety so they can understand the material better.
Along with working hard in the classroom, she also offers extra help after school on Thursdays. This is has led to some great success. Last Fall, her students had a 90% pass rate on the SOL’s. That adds up to a big A for her and her students.
She doesn’t just work with the kids on math. She also promotes a couple of extra-curricular activities. Currently, she is the assistant Field Hockey coach. Plus, she runs the Interact club. This club supports student understanding of community relationships and giving back. This is a high school version of the Rotary Club which does a lot of community service and projects. The club is run by the students, and they choose the projects.
McCann also chairs the Blue and Gold committee which fosters positive staff and morale. And it doesn’t stop there. In her most unique position, McCann serves as the co-sponsor for the Dungeons and Dragons club. It has grown from a few kids to about 20 over the last few years.
Part of Mindy’s success is her love for her job! Mindy McCann is continuing her education so that she can teach even more types of math classes.
Let’s hear it for Mindy McCann!
