Welcome! My name is Kayla and I am absolutely in love with teaching! I am passionate about student engagement, building strong relationships and community within the classroom, and STEAM education. I spent a year as a Design Thinking teacher and now implement this process into the classroom setting.
I am known for coming as my own substitute teacher. I have several “subs” that I come as, including Matholomew the Mad Mathematician, Dr. Darla, Silly Sally, Billy Bob, and Hector the Historian. You can find videos of lessons taught by these characters on my YouTube channel. This is a simple way to keep the students totally engaged and laughing throughout the day. It also allows them to see this silly, weird side of me. They beg for these subs to come!
As a kid, I absolutely loved math. I couldn’t understand why most of my friends hated it. To me, math was a subject where I could be a detective to find the missing links to the puzzle. I loved the challenge of it, and the success I felt when I had finally solved these brain teasers. I would have my teachers give me math problems to do in my spare time.
When I became a teacher, I wanted to make math full of imagination, adventure, and engagement, like it was for me. I started “Mad Math Monday”, where every Monday my class gets to do something crazy for math. It always involves our imaginations. Sometimes Matholomew the Mad Mathematician comes and we help him solve problems in order to save the day or it might be Detective Math, where our class is transformed into M.C.I.S. (Mathematical Criminal Investigation Services) Headquarters!
Our classroom has turned into a campground for Camping Math, been covered in balloons with math problems on them, and has even become a Candy Shop. You can follow me on my Instagram account to see pictures of all our Mad Math Monday adventures!
In general, it is my philosophy to make learning so much fun, that the students don’t even realize they’re at school. This means that math isn’t the only creative and innovative subject. For example, we learn grammar through skits, poems, games, and action punctuation (Yes, even in middle school!). You can find these skits and Mad Math Monday activities on my teacherspayteachers store.
My classrooms include flexible seating with a cafe style feeling. I want my students to feel safe, calm, and happy when they walk into our room. It is a place where it is okay to make mistakes, and we are all growing. The students choose how and where they work best.
Teach Like You Mean It 