Meet Priyanka Pai, known as Ms. Pai (pronounced "pie") to her eighth grade students at Hamilton Middle School.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, Pai is ready to take on the challenges of living in a new city AND serving as a first-year teacher in one of the most demanding yet rewarding school environments: an iZone school.

Although her formal training has prepared her for success in the classroom, it may be Pai’s special aptitude for teaching that will also help her excel as an educator.

"My parents told me I had a knack for teaching from a young age," said Pai. "I want to be a teacher my students can look to for academic and life advice," said Pai.

She's only a couple weeks in, but Pai already enjoys building connections with her students and learning about them as individuals - their personalities, learning styles, likes and dislikes. However, her students aren’t the only ones she’s learning more about.

Pai learned a fast lesson about herself during her first few weeks of teaching.

"I’ve learned that I can be passive at times, and I need to be more assertive in order to get the attention of my class and have them engaged in the lesson," said Pai.

This is an all too common issue for first-year teachers, and Pai has had no shortage of support from her colleagues who have previously been in her shoes.

"I’m... asking seasoned teachers what methods have been effective for them, and what I can incorporate into my lessons," said Pai. "They are always there to support me and I can approach them with any question that I may have. It’s good to have several sources of support as a first year teacher, and my colleagues are definitely always there to help me out."

As the year continues, Pai is committed to learning her students’ interests and discovering how she can use instructional strategies to meet them where they are. It’s her hope that students don’t lose interest in math, which can be a growth area for several students.

"My biggest concern is that students will lose motivation to learn math as soon as they start struggling with a concept," said Pai. "I'm overcoming this by making sure I’m patient with each student and helping them through their questions."

Through her class, Pai wants to let students know that it’s okay to make mistakes during the learning process and that each class is a team effort.

"I am looking forward to the feeling of success when a concept "clicks" for a student and s/he understands what they are learning," said Pai.

At the end of her first year as a teacher, Pai hopes her students can say her class is challenging but enjoyable! And most of all, that they love (or at least like) math!

Got any tips or advice for Ms. Pai? Send it to [email protected] and we'll feature it in an upcoming newlsetter!