Each Friday during the school year, we will spotlight one of our M3T Fellows. This week, let’s meet Joshua Jones from Martinsburg North Middle School!
Joshua Jones
M3T Noyce Fellow – Cohort 2
Middle School Mathematics Teacher
Martinsburg North Middle School
Berkeley County Schools
Twitter: @Ziphreeon
Number of years teaching: 12
Positions and Roles: Head of Mathematics Department, Honors 8th Grade and Honors Algebra 1 Teacher
Professional awards, distinctions, and points of pride: Has presented twice at the Wilson College Humanities Conference and was selected as the Distinguished Scholar at 2018 Graduate Day at Shepherd University
Interesting personal facts: Is an Affiliated Twitch Streamer and former Speedrun World Record holder for Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Why are you excited to be part of the M3T project?
“I have been looking forward to participating in a program for years that tackles the issue of mathematics education across the state. I noticed throughout my career there is a trend of “teaching the book” or “teaching to the test” instead of creating lifelong learners and demonstrating the application of Math outside of academia.”
Why do you teach mathematics?
“When I was young, I fell in love with math thanks to Math Field Day. I found joy in being able to “solve puzzles” quickly and with different approaches. As a teen, I realized I used different methods to solve problems than teachers, and I would show these skills to classmates, making math easier for them. I wanted to continue to make math easier for everyone, so I decided to do so as a teacher.”
What are you focused on improving about mathematics teaching?
“Mathematics is a puzzle solving tool, and life is full of puzzles. I want to take my feelings about math, and change the presentation and the stigma by reintroducing math as a way to make things easier and how math can be a ‘cheat code’ for life.”
Final Thoughts:
“Nearly all of my time in a classroom, as a teacher and as a student, has been spent in Berkeley County. This county has a community and passion that is unparalleled, and I have wanted to be able to contribute back to the system that helped me and so many others become successful. With M3T, I have already expanded my view of teaching, and with the strength and talents of Master teachers all over West Virginia, I feel confident I will be able to bring home some amazing skills and techniques to help our schools, teachers, and students, and make my community proud.”
Spotlight Tweet:
Check in each week on #M3TFellowFriday throughout the school year to meet another M3T Fellow. You can find a listing of all of the M3T Fellows and stay up-to-date with the work of the M3T network at our website, https://m3twv.org. You can also follow us on Twitter, @m3t_wv.
