Teacher Spotlight January 2020

This month’s teacher spotlight is Jeff Christensen! Jeff has been teaching at North Davis Jr High for 6 years. His nominator wrote that he is a “dedicated secondary math teacher who works hard to provide his students with rich mathematical opportunities that are steeped in student mathematical discourse, productive struggle and student engagement”.

One of the things I love most about the teacher spotlight is learning why teachers teach, and what they find rewarding. When Jeff was given this question, he responded, “I think for me when I give students the keys to the car and let them drive is when I feel the reward. When students are working together, sharing their ideas, and making progress is where I feel like I make my biggest gains.”

Jeff was inspired to teach by his 5th and 6th grade teacher Rhenda Powers. She helped learning come alive for him. He remembers how they didn’t just learn about the Civil War, but how they “took on the characters of historical figures and lived the Civil War in the classroom”. In his own classroom, Jeff wants his students to know how math can help us understand patterns and relationships in the world.

When he isn’t teaching, Jeff enjoys cross country skiing , sports (go Utah Jazz!), and is learning how to woodwork.

We would like to thank Jeff on behalf of the Utah State Board of Education for his commitment to his students and mathematics education.