Let’s introduce you to our new Cohort 3 M3T Fellows. This week, let’s meet Crystal Bere from Shepherdstown Middle School!
Crystal Bere
M3T Mountain State Fellow – Cohort 3
Middle School Mathematics Teacher
Shepherdstown Middle School
Jefferson County Schools
Twitter: @CrystalBere1
Number of years teaching: 16
Other roles & positions: Math Field Day Co-Coordinator, Math Tutor, High School Equivalency Test Administrator
Professional awards, distinctions, and points of pride: National Board Certified Teacher, Pi Lambda Theta Honor Society, Citizenship Education Teacher Award for state of WV
Interesting personal facts:
I enjoy painting, reading, puzzles, and traveling. With my genealogy hobby, I found distantly related cousins in the southern part of Italy called Calabria. I learned basic Italian and took a trip to visit!
Why are you excited to be part of the M3T project?
The M3T project gives me an opportunity to network with other teachers across the state of WV. By networking, I will continue to learn more strategies to help my students. I am also excited to be a part of the decision making, as the change ideas start with what “bugs” us as teachers.
Why do you teach mathematics?
I teach mathematics to share my joy of learning with my students. I have a passion for the subject that goes back to my childhood. My teaching philosophy includes a growth mindset to boost students’ confidence when learning mathematics.
What are you focused on improving about mathematics teaching?
I am focused on teaching students how to think about and engage with mathematics. Too often, students only mimic procedures without deeply thinking and understanding the mathematics.
Final thoughts:
Getting started this year with M3T will be both challenging and rewarding. I am excited for this new adventure!
Keep checking in with us on #M3TFellowFriday and throughout the school year! 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 stay up-to-date with all of the activity of our network by following us on Twitter, @m3t_wv, and on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/m3twv.
