Connecticut Transplant Brings Positive Energy
New teachers join the math department this year facing new challenges and new changes.
By Jisela Negrete
New teachers join the math department this year facing new challenges and new changes.
By Jisela Negrete
In the new 2021-2022 school year, Pioneer welcomed Whitney Goodman as a Geometry and Algebra 2 teacher to the math department. After seven years of being a stay-at-home mom in Connecticut, she’s back for her tenth year of teaching.
Goodman attended Saint Michael’s College in Vermont as an undergraduate in mathematics. After she graduated, she attended the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut for her masters in secondary education. Goodman originally didn’t want to be a teacher, but as she started tutoring in college, she found it to her liking.
Since Goodman taught in Connecticut, there has been some adjustment to California. Connecticut has a College Prep B level class, a College Prep A level class, and an Honors class, compared to California which has one level for each math subject.
“For instance, Geometry would have three levels of geometry so kids could find a spot that best works for them where they could see progress and they could succeed. If there’s a kid that’s struggling in class and they're in an honors level, they could always drop to a CPA level or even a college B level to see the same material just presented in a different way were in less depth where they can still be successful.”
Although there is a difference between the two states, Goodman enjoys her time here at Pioneer with her students. Algebra 2 student, Nima Ghezavat, 11, feels that if a student doesn’t understand one way of teaching, there are other ways to try.
“It’s really useful because if you don’t get it one way she always has multiple ways of doing it. She won't just teach one way she’ll teach other ways,” said Ghezavat.
Department Co-Chair Aruna Renduchintala appreciates the positive energy Goodman brings to the math department.
“Good experience brings a lot of positive energy to the team and very good class management and teaching skills,” Renduchintala said.
While some students are dreading to attend their math class, Goodman has positive energy and fun activities.
“We will do something fun or something that is interesting in class,” said Alyssa Lindblom, 9.
Goodman’s teaching has also inspired students to pursue math related careers in the future.
“Mrs. Goodman does inspire me to do something in my future math related,” said Lindblom.
With last year’s online classes, it was harder for some students to learn and comprehend what was being taught. For others it was easier, but there is still a gap from when the pandemic started to when classes came back in person.
Goodman’s Algebra 2 class has geometry skills from online learning, but not all their algebra skills from the 2019-20 school year, causing concern for their academic future.
“We can’t go into so much depth because they don’t have the basic skills like Algebra 1. So I had to reteach graphing a line. When I should be teaching systems of equations and graphing two lines. So we are taking that much more time so that means we aren’t going to get to that much curriculum,” Goodman said.
Geometry student Patricia Carmona Hernandez, 10, feels that online learning has caused her to get more behind than ever in her classes.
“Before online learning I used to be a really good student, I got straight As and Bs but after online learning I feel behind on a lot of subjects,” said Carmona Hernandez.
Though the pandemic has affected the last two school years, it doesn’t change the fact that being back is exciting for everyone, including Goodman.
“I'm psyched to be here at Pioneer. I’m psyched to be back, it's been a long time away and I feel at home again so it’s cool,” Goodman said.
Goodman attended Saint Michael’s College in Vermont as an undergraduate in mathematics. After she graduated, she attended the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut for her masters in secondary education. Goodman originally didn’t want to be a teacher, but as she started tutoring in college, she found it to her liking.
Since Goodman taught in Connecticut, there has been some adjustment to California. Connecticut has a College Prep B level class, a College Prep A level class, and an Honors class, compared to California which has one level for each math subject.
“For instance, Geometry would have three levels of geometry so kids could find a spot that best works for them where they could see progress and they could succeed. If there’s a kid that’s struggling in class and they're in an honors level, they could always drop to a CPA level or even a college B level to see the same material just presented in a different way were in less depth where they can still be successful.”
Although there is a difference between the two states, Goodman enjoys her time here at Pioneer with her students. Algebra 2 student, Nima Ghezavat, 11, feels that if a student doesn’t understand one way of teaching, there are other ways to try.
“It’s really useful because if you don’t get it one way she always has multiple ways of doing it. She won't just teach one way she’ll teach other ways,” said Ghezavat.
Department Co-Chair Aruna Renduchintala appreciates the positive energy Goodman brings to the math department.
“Good experience brings a lot of positive energy to the team and very good class management and teaching skills,” Renduchintala said.
While some students are dreading to attend their math class, Goodman has positive energy and fun activities.
“We will do something fun or something that is interesting in class,” said Alyssa Lindblom, 9.
Goodman’s teaching has also inspired students to pursue math related careers in the future.
“Mrs. Goodman does inspire me to do something in my future math related,” said Lindblom.
With last year’s online classes, it was harder for some students to learn and comprehend what was being taught. For others it was easier, but there is still a gap from when the pandemic started to when classes came back in person.
Goodman’s Algebra 2 class has geometry skills from online learning, but not all their algebra skills from the 2019-20 school year, causing concern for their academic future.
“We can’t go into so much depth because they don’t have the basic skills like Algebra 1. So I had to reteach graphing a line. When I should be teaching systems of equations and graphing two lines. So we are taking that much more time so that means we aren’t going to get to that much curriculum,” Goodman said.
Geometry student Patricia Carmona Hernandez, 10, feels that online learning has caused her to get more behind than ever in her classes.
“Before online learning I used to be a really good student, I got straight As and Bs but after online learning I feel behind on a lot of subjects,” said Carmona Hernandez.
Though the pandemic has affected the last two school years, it doesn’t change the fact that being back is exciting for everyone, including Goodman.
“I'm psyched to be here at Pioneer. I’m psyched to be back, it's been a long time away and I feel at home again so it’s cool,” Goodman said.