Teacher Spotlight January 2019

We are excited to announce this month’s teacher spotlight is Michelle Richardson! Michelle has been teaching for over 20 years at Union High School in Roosevelt. Her nominator declared she is a “great example of what a teacher should be and how they should act”.

Michelle’s grandmother was also an educator, and taught during the “the era of one room schools”. Michelle described how she was always intrigued by her grandmother’s stories of teaching, and was thankful her grandmother got to see her as a teacher before she passed away.

Growing up, Michelle’s teachers were the ones that inspired her to become an educator. She explained that while many of her classmates struggled with math, it came easy to her. She found herself being able to explain the concepts to them and making it easier for them to understand.

“I have the philosophy that if you make a math classroom fun and entertaining, then students are more willing to work hard. I spend a lot of time coming up with games, activities, and formative assessments to help my students learn math in an interesting way. I believe that if you are passionate about your content, teach like you love your job, and are genuinely concerned about your students, they will strive to perform well” - Michelle Richardson

When she is not teaching, Michelle can be found spending time with her husband and daughter. They might be spotted hiking, hunting, riding horses, volleyball, bocce, bowling, or any other sport!

Thank you for your dedication to Utah students Michelle, we are so grateful to have you as a mathematics teacher in our state!

Don't forget to nominate an outstanding mathematics educator today!