Teachers have many interrelated roles in society. First, we are responsible for creating a classroom within which students can develop their academic skills. However, our classrooms are only one piece of whole school community in which students spend their days, so we must also contribute to making our schools into places where our students can feel safe and supported as they learn. This means that we are continually focused on improving our schools as a whole. Finally, we must serve as representatives for our profession and advocates for our students.

Taryn’s Story

Teaching Discipline

Mathematics

Why Mathematics

“When I began studying math in college, I began to find mathematics to be fascinating in the ways that it can be used to explain patterns we see in the world, and I saw that there was much space for creativity in the way we use mathematics to solve problems. I found it sad that so many students do not get a chance to see mathematics in this way and that so many struggle with it at the secondary level. For this reason, I decided to teach high school math.”

Professional Experience

As an undergraduate student, Taryn worked as a math tutor and taught linear algebra and calculus study groups at the University of California, Berkeley Student Learning Center. She also taught a calculus course as an adjunct instructor.

Additionally, Taryn spent one summer working as a teaching intern with Breakthrough Collaborative in Austin, Texas. During the internship, she taught two writing classes for rising ninth grade students, and designed and taught a journalism elective course.

Following graduation, Taryn worked as a private math tutor and taught SAT prep classes. After completing the Stanford Teacher Education Program, she taught three classes with SPEAR, a summer enrichment program for middle school students hosted at UC Berkeley. During the 2015–2016 school year, Taryn began teaching full time at Envision Academy.

Hobbies

Taryn enjoys rock climbing, skiing and exploring the outdoors.

Academic Background

  • Stanford University (Master of Arts in Education)
  • University of California, Berkeley (Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics)