Two Howard County teachers who have a knack for making math fun have won national awards that recognize them as state leaders in their field.
Deborah Jagoda of Waverly Elementary School and Charles Koppelman of Wilde Lake High School are among 216 nationwide winners of prestigious Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching, sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
The 11-year-old program picks an elementary school and a secondary school science teacher and math teacher from each state to serve as models for their colleagues and help advance reforms in their fields.
Mrs. Jagoda and Mr. Koppelman will be honored in separate ceremonies in March and April in Washington. They also will receive $7,500 to improve math and science programs at their schools.
Each of the teachers has worked for more than 20 years in education. But they have the spark, enthusiasm and creativity of rookie teachers.
Mrs. Jagoda, 42, is the kind of teacher parents who never grasped math wish they had had when they were younger. Rather than relying on pencil, paper and rote memory, she uses computers, colorful plastic cubes and other visual aids to teach fractions, means and medians.
'She's innovative'
And, instead of using multiple choice exams, she occasionally uses a video camera to record students answering questions, bolstering their communication skills and giving them an alternative way to show how much they know.
"She's innovative; she's energetic," said Carey Wright, Waverly Elementary's principal. "She's constantly looking for new ways of presenting information. She works very hard at making her classroom where students want to be."
Mrs. Jagoda also is a resource teacher for gifted and talented students. Last year, she was honored as the state's outstanding elementary schoolteacher by the Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She heads the school's math committee and frequently gives presentations at state and national conferences.
"We need to involve children in active ways," she said. "Math is much more than algorithm and geometry. There's much more to do than that."
Her students get upset when they have a substitute.
"It's fun to learn things from her," said 10-year-old Christine Zwahlen, a fifth-grader. She has lots of fun ideas and makes it interesting."
Mrs. Jagoda posts the objectives of the week on a bulletin board in her classroom so that students know what they need to learn. To teach a geometry lesson, she has students stand up in class and make obtuse and right angles with their arms. Her love of math is contagious.
The county's other winner, Mr. Koppelman, heads Wilde Lake's math, science and technology program and teaches many of the county's brightest math students in advanced courses. His math team consistently brings home top honors in county and state competitions.
The only years his team came home empty-handed were when his son, Josh Koppelman, was a student and math team member at Oakland Mills High School. The younger Koppelman helped propel the Oakland Mills team past his father's team for several years.
"We had a lot of lively discussions," Mr. Koppelman, 47, said.
Mr. Koppelman emphasizes critical thinking in his classroom. He doesn't stop students from stretching their minds when a correct answer is given -- he prods them to determine whether there are other ways to solve the problem.
'Super-dedicated'
"His energy level is so high," said Charles Levie, a county math department supervisor. "He gives so much of his time outside the classroom. He's super-dedicated."
His students have nothing but praises for him.
"A couple of years ago, I had a teacher here and she soured me on math," said Stephen Tan, a 16-year-old junior. "After I came into Mr. Koppelman's class, I saw his energy to teaching math. It was refreshing."
"He's really in love with math," said Erin Ou, a 17-year-old senior. "I really enjoy him as a teacher because he's interesting. He makes the class fun, though he likes to get to work."
Mr. Koppelman said one of his greatest joys is coordinating annual math team competitions that pit students, alumni and math professionals in problem-solving matches. The contests prepare the county's top 30 math students for the annual national competitions.
"There are a lot of teachers in the county that are fine teachers," he said. "A lot more teachers deserve recognition like this."