Uplift Hampton teacher receives Gates Foundation donation to help with math

Uplift Hampton High school algebra teacher Capri is seen as a leader with the ability to seek out and embrace feedback.  This year she led the effort to obtain free graphing for her scholars, and she was successful.

She wrote a grant to Donor’s Choose and her request for $1,200 in math supplies and free calculators was fully funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Her school director and curriculum coordinator were both impressed with Capri’s determination to secure the funds.  They appreciated her collaborative spirit and willingness to do whatever it takes to provide for her scholars

Graphing calculators are essential tools for Algebra I scholars and are used on major college readiness assessments like the SAT and ACT.  This makes learning to use the calculators an important part of getting ready for college.  The calculators also give the scholars the ability to solve more problems in the same amount of time, allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of concepts like slope and intercepts.

Calculators are just one piece of Capri’s instructional arsenal.  She likes to use other pieces of technology to help her mathematicians.

When I first started I did not have access to things such as Khan Academy, StudyIsland, Remind101, SmartBoards, etc. I am thankful for the advanced technology and working with a network like Uplift that invests in their teachers,” she said.

For Capri, changing scholar perceptions about math and helping scholars become better mathematicians is the reason she is a teacher.  The technology has improved, but the feeling of satisfaction has always been the same.

“My favorite part of being a teacher are those “AH HA” moments. I love to hear a child say ’Oh, I get it!’. That inspires me to keep pushing them to learn, especially when they told me that they were not good at math,” she said.