Math class through the perspective of the 8th grade students

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit with nine eighth graders at Athol Royalston Middle School recently. These students were selected to be interviewed by their math teacher, Rebecca Divoll. They were selected for different reasons which I will be mentioning throughout this article. Ms. Divoll wanted to highlight her students and their successes in her class. They were very engaging and delightful.

The class had just learned about the Pythagorean Theorem and how they will be able to use it in real life when measuring angles of rooms and other structures, particularly if they go into the field of architecture.

Jaylynn Chapalonis was the first student to be interviewed. Ms. Divoll chose her because she is an extremely hard worker, and is very thorough in her work. She cares deeply about her learning and future success. Jaylynn said that Ms. Divoll is a great teacher because she uses different ways to teach and is extremely patient when explaining things to the students. She also mentioned how her teacher has great interaction with the students and connects theories such as the Pythagorean Theorem to real life. She encourages everyone to participate in discussions. Jaylynn is also the President of the National Junior Honor Society at ARMS.

Eli Wein has great number sense and is able to think deeply about problems. Eli enjoys having Ms. Divoll show how to solve problems on the board as she is explaining a theory. Eli especially enjoys helping his classmates with problems that they are having difficulty with. He explained to me that his talent lies in being able to understand and figure out equations very quickly.

Peace Orso enjoys asking asking clarifying questions. She is very thorough when completing her work and is very focused on her work when in class. She just moved to Athol in November and she said that Ms. Divoll really made her feel welcomed and made Pease feel as though she was part of the class.

Brody Cwalina and Jacob Lethomacki work great as a team. They are able to discuss ideas and strategies and really listen to each other’s perspectives. They are both always striving for success. Brody and Jacob feel that Ms. Divoll helps the class to feel engaged. They really like working together and are neighbors at home too. They agreed that their classroom environment is more conducive to vigorous learning than any other classes that they have been in together.

Dominic North was chosen by Ms. Divoll to be interviewed because he is a very hard working student. He is also very helpful to those around him caring about the others’ success. Dominic said that what he enjoys the most about the math class is that he is able to encourage and help his classmates.

Brandon Adams has a great number sense. He is such an asset to the class as he helps keep his friends stay focused on the current problem and to get back focused on the task. He really likes Ms. Divoll and feels that he can talk with her about math or any other issues. Brandon loves playing basketball in his free time.

Madilyn Hermes is a very hard worker and always completes her assignments. She is very industrious in checking her work and making any corrections when needed. Madilyn particularly enjoys working with fractions. She uses fractions at home when she is cooking for her family. She also enjoys helping her classmates when they are struggling with a mathematical concept.

James Williams has great number sense and is able to work with number flexibility. He is a natural leader. He enjoys working with hard equations; He explained that he does most of his math in his head. He is also taking algebra as a subject. He spoke about how he really likes being the leader which really showed in his mannerisms. He enjoys using math in taxes and figuring out the best deals when shopping for high priced items. James plays on a basketball team.

Ms. Divoll is one of the coordinators for the 8th grade field trip this year. They will be traveling to Kimball’s Ice Cream in Westford for a day of great fun and lots of ice cream on June 3. She also helped to plan the eighth grade Field Day which will be held at Tully Lake Recreational Area on June 10. Ms. Divoll is the advisor for National Junior Honor Society. This year the members of the NJHS have raised money at the River Rat Race for the Relay For Life; food for the animal shelter; and have offered to help on other tasks for ACES.

Joanne Davidson is the Newsletter Developer for Athol Royalston Regional School District