After a handful of math teachers left the school last year, slots are waiting to be filled. Fortunately, two new math teachers have joined the school’s roster this school-year: Mr. Patridge and Mr. Garza.
Q1: What math do you teach?
Patridge: “I teach Algebraic Reasoning and Pre-Calculus.”
Q2: What is your experience in teaching and math?
Garza: “Sixteen years, twelve in high school, and four in middle school.”
Q3: What are your expectations for the rest of the school year?
Patridge: “So, math literacy is a huge expectation I have, and that just means instilling the kids with confidence in math, feeling like they can try.”
Q4: What should your students know about you?
Garza: “I have a daughter, and she’s a rocket scientist, and I came from the valley. Same school as Ms. Smiley.”
Q5: What do you like to do for fun?
Patridge: “I love to exercise, I enjoy the outdoors, lots of camping and hiking and adventures. I enjoy rock climbing, Yeah, lots of stuff I enjoy; any kind of problem solving, logic based things, I love reading, I love gardening, cooking. Lots of interests, I can keep going for days.”
Q6: What’s your favorite food?
Garza: “I’m gonna keep it real simple: burger and fries.”
Q7: Where are you from?
Patridge: “Hard to answer. Military family – my father was in the military. So, I grew up in kind of the Southern bases, Mid-East-like Southern bases: Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, Kentucky. And then the other half was in Germany – a bunch of bases in Germany.”
Q8: What is the most interesting place you’ve been to?
Garza: “My daughter’s in Seattle, so I love to go visit her. I like that I can drive an hour and find a great hiking tour. I can be on the coast with rain, or I can be in snow. I can be in Canada for a few hours, or I can be in Mount Rainier at the cascades. I love it,”
