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2020 WVCTM Teachers of the Year |
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WVCTM recognized teachers at four programmatic levels as WVCTM 2020 Teachers of the Year (TOY).
West Liberty University teacher Jenna Cook was named the 2020 College/University Mathematics Teacher of the Year. Comments on her nomination from a colleague include the following: "Mrs. Cook is extraordinary well-liked and well-respected by both her students and her colleagues. Her two primary roles at WLU are teaching and coordinating the general mathematics courses and teaching Math Methods courses to future elementary, middle, and secondary teachers. She works tirelessly in the classroom to give each and every student an opportunity to succeed while simultaneously holding commendably high standards and expectation."
 High School TOY Jennifer Nail-Cook
Jennifer Nail-Cook, mathematics teacher at Pocahontas County High School, is the 2020 High School Mathematics Teacher of the Year. Her nomination form stated, "She is completely devoted to giving the best mathematics education to her students. To hear students speak to intelligently about mathematics in her classroom is simply impressive." Another colleague wrote, "Jennifer is one of those teachers who just keeps getting better at their craft over time." A former student said, "Mrs. Nail-Cook is one of the most driven, inspiring, and compassionate people I know. I feel like I could go to her with anything."
Heather Yoho, mathematics teacher at Mannington Middle School, is the 2020 Middle School Mathematics Teacher of the Year. She has taught at Mannington Middle School for 12 years and has served as an instructor at SM2 Math Camp for approximately 15 years. In addition to her exemplary teaching, she works at Fairmont State through its Professional Development School Partnership as a representative on the planning committee for the year-long Residency and Induction Program and the 4+1 Master's Program. Her nomination form said, "She actively assists [the Fairmont State program] by providing up-to-date and accurate information about mathematics education and offers a practical and informed perspective as a public school professional. She exemplifies what we hope our teacher candidates aspire to be."
Bryan Hott, a teacher at Eagle Elementary School, is the 2020 Elementary School Mathematics Teacher of the Year. A colleague wrote, "Mr. Hott works hard to instill math confidence in his students. He believes that all students are capable of learning and growing in math class and adapts his instruction to meet the needs of his students. He embodies what every teacher should be and is a dedicated teacher that Berkeley County is lucky to have serving their students." His principal wrote, "Mr. Hott is one of the most engaging and energetic teachers I've seen. The way he engages and gets to know his students on a personal level is outstanding." A student wrote, "Mr. Hott teaches us very well. He will help us when we get stuck but won't just give us the answer. He makes us think, but I like that."
WVCTM congratulates these outstanding educators on their efforts in improving mathematics for students in West Virginia. |
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Other Recognitions from the 2020 Conference |
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 Erica Conaughty and Sheila RuddleSheila Ruddle, a retired mathematics teacher from Pendleton County and past WVCTM president, presented the Walter Regula Mathematics Teacher-in-Training Grant to Erica Conaughty, a student at West Virginia University. This award is given in honor of Walter Regula, Sheila’s father, who was a mathematics education professor at Marshall University and who also served as president of WVCTM.
  Roger Bennett, Golden Holtan Grant chair, shared the purpose of the Golden Holtans, the new awardees of these grants, and encouragement for future applicants. Named for Dr. Boyd Holtan, a retired professor from West Virginia University, the Golden Holtans are grants for practicing classroom teachers for development of a particular project in their classrooms.
This year’s Golden Holtan Grant recipients were Sara Klesel, Parkersburg South High School, Wood County. Sara submitted an application called "Graffiti Mosaic". The other recipient was Sarah Waugh, Aurora Elementary School, Preston County. Sarah submitted an application called "Garden to Projects: Creating and Utilizing Our National Dye Garden."
 Karen Donathan Kerianne SmeadThe Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, or PAEMST, is awarded to teachers who complete an in-depth application showing their commitment to mathematics education, both in and outside of the classroom. Finalists are selected by a state panel and forwarded to a national selection committee, who determines one math and one science winner from each state. State finalists from the secondary level were recognized at this year's banquet. They were Karen Donathan, George Washington High School, and Kerianna Smead, Fairmont Senior High School. WVCTM would also like to recognize Allison Shriver, Bradley Elementary School, 2018 K-6 National Awardee in Mathematics, and Craig Mason, 2017 7-12 National Awardee. At the time of his award, Craig taught at New Martinsville School, but has since taken a position at Magnolia High School. |
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Election results at the 2020 Annual Conference are as follows:
High School Vice President - Allan Meck, Hampshire High School, Hampshire County
Elementary School Vice President - Melanie Meck, Math Coach, Hampshire County
Member-at-Large - Allison Miller, Spencer Elementary, Roane County
NCTM Representative - Sheila Ruddle, Pendleton County
Community Relations - Jeanne Finstein
Historian - Samantha Service |
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First in Math Responds to School Closures |
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 First in Math
Due to the closure of all PreK-12 schools in West Virginia, First in Math is offering free online and offline math lessons to West Virginia teachers to use with their students until July 2020! First in Math is a K-8 resource WV districts can count on to facilitate learning from home. Help your students build and retain skills vital to math success with 24/7 online content, plus an option for students without Internet access. Students practice with standards-based online math games in school or at home; teachers curate and monitor the activity. Choose from more than 200 K-5 worksheets to download and print for students who do not have internet access.
To access First in Math, email the following information to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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District Name:
District Address:
District Contact Email:
Number of Students:
Number of Schools: |
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WVCTM 2020 Conference Online Registration Closed |
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 Pamela HarrisOnline conference pre-registration for the 2020 WVCTM Annual Conference has closed! You can still register at the conference, Thursday night, Friday morning, or Saturday morning.
The WVCTM Annual Conference will be held at Stonewall Jackson Resort in Roanoke, WV from March 13-14, 2020. Reservations can be made at Stonewall Resort by calling (304) 269-7400 or the Holiday Inn Express in Weston (about 20 minutes away) at (304) 269-3550. Be sure to mention that you are attending the WVCTM Annual Conference to receive the conference rate. To purchase a t-shirt for the event, please visit
https://wvctm20.itemorder.com/sale. Orders can be picked up at registration.
This year's event begins on Friday morning with the opening general session at 8:30, followed by the keynote presentation. The remainder of the conference will be filled with breakout sessions for learning new ideas for teaching mathematics at all grade levels!
Friday evening, we hope you will attend the banquet, where awards will be presented to some of our outstanding mathematics teachers from around the state. If you are bringing an additional guest, please purchase an extra banquet ticket when registering.
Pam Harris will be the keynote speaker at the 2020 WVCTM Annual Conference. Currently, Harris teaches Elementary Math Methods at Texas State University. She co-authored the Bridges in Mathematics textbook for grades 3-5 and was the lead author of Discovering Advanced Algebra, Third Edition. According to her website, mathisfigureoutable.com, her interests include teaching real math, building powerful numeracy, sequencing rich tasks to construct mathematics, using technology appropriately, smart assessment, and vertical connectivity in curricula in schools from Pre-K to 12.
Harris will be presenting the opening session of the WVCTM Conference on Friday morning, and she will also present during some breakout sessions on Friday. We welcome Pam Harris to the WVCTM Annual Conference! |
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West Virginia’s math4Life initiative is a comprehensive and intensive statewide effort to improve student mathematics performance throughout the state over the next five years. The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) is working with counties and schools throughout the state to institute best practices, expand pedagogy, and student engagement strategies to improve students’ mathematics achievement.
The five year plan emphasizes a system of mathematical improvement. Using West Virginia’s College- and Career- Readiness Standards to select instructional materials, WV educators are implementing math programs, technology supports, and community engagement practices to promote the county math4life initiative. The WVDE, working with a national advisory team, including Dr. Jason Zimba, Dr. Cathy Seeley, and Dr. Jo Boaler is supporting county efforts with other national experts to support best teaching practices and administrative leadership, with a focus on ALL students.
The following is a synopsis of the plan and how it has been communicated to county chief instructional leaders:
Year 1
- Data analysis and self-reflection; planning overview
- Parent/Community involvement/awareness
Year 2
- Monitoring progress and implementation of math4life content and strategies in schools and classrooms
- Teacher/Administrator participation in online modules
- Utilizing instructional coaches to support integration of math4lifecontent and strategies in the classroom
- Sustainability
- WVDE
- PLC Guides
- Educator Guides
- Summer Speaker Series
- Online Professional Learning Opportunities
- Elementary PK-5 Math Modules
- Radford University Elementary Modules
- Algebra I Math Modules (Part I/Part II)
- Geometry Modules (Part I/Part II)
- Stanford University Mathematical Mindset’s Jo Boaler Online Course
- Middle Math Modules
- Principles to Action Toolkit
The WVDE, through the math4life initiative is providing a myriad of professional learning opportunities, both online and face-to-face, for teachers and administrators. It is the belief of the WVDE that ALL students can achieve high levels of mathematics if provided the appropriate instructional supports. It is the goal of our counties and the WVDE to revolutionize how mathematics is learned and taught in the state of West Virginia. For more information about the WV math4life initiative visit: https://wvde.us/math4life/ |
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