Each Friday during the school year, we will spotlight one of our M3T Fellows. This week, let’s meet Karen Keener from Brooke High School!
Karen Keener
M3T Noyce Fellow – Cohort 2
High School Mathematics Teacher
Brooke High School
Brooke County Schools
Twitter: @Keen_Beann
Number of years teaching: 25
Positions and Roles: Teaches Juniors and Seniors including everything from AP Calculus to Transition Math; Math Department Chair; Member of WVCTM
Professional awards, distinctions, and points of pride: Achieved National Board Certification in 2007 and has successfully renewed; Has led several district and RESA trainings
Interesting personal facts: She has a fantastic husband and awesome teenage son; her family just purchased a cabin, and she is using huge amounts of math to do the renovations; is a HUGE fan of Disney World!
Why are you excited to be part of the M3T project?
“I love to learn. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to engage in professional development opportunities and discussions with such a wonderful group of teacher leaders. I look forward to being stretched out of my comfort zone to help improve my students’ learning.”
Why do you teach mathematics?
“It breaks my heart when I hear someone say, ‘I was never good at math.’ I do my very best to help each of my students gain confidence in their mathematical ability. For me, teaching math is more about changing the mindset of these students to one where they believe they can be successful.”
What are you focused on improving about mathematics teaching?
“For my own teaching, I would like to concentrate on providing more learning opportunities for my students that take me out of the limelight and allow them to delve deeper into the subject on their own. I would also like to expand my ‘toolbox’ of remote teaching strategies and online resources.”
Final Thoughts:
“The excitement I have for this project is beyond anything I could or would want to contain. I am constantly sharing information and activities with my colleagues, and they are experiencing professional growth as a result. But, more importantly, my students are doing math! It’s so refreshing to listen to the math conversations and connections they are making. The positivity I have about this project has rubbed off on my students and they look forward to learning! I truly haven’t had this much fun in years! And the opportunities I have been given to collaborate with such amazing teachers from across the state has also been an absolute dream. It’s so nice to have a group of teacher leaders who specialize in mathematics who can provide different ideas and resources for any topic. This truly is a team effort, and I am blessed to be included as a part of it.”
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.
