Betsy Alderman is now in her fifth year of teaching math at Centennial High School in Champaign Unit 4 School District. Betsy credits her second-grade teacher, Ms. Morgan, with inspiring her to want to become a teacher. “She made learning feel magical for all and treated new topics like special events we were invited to attend. I knew that I wanted to be just like her one day.”
Betsy’s experiences as a Golden Apple Scholar during college revealed a whole new side of teaching for her—teaching in an urban setting as opposed to a more rural setting. Her dreams of teaching in her hometown quickly faded as she embraced teaching in Chicago public schools. “I found that while teaching in a small town would be absolutely lovely, I belonged in a more urban environment where I could continue to learn about the world, myself, and how my students can truly mold me into being a better teacher and advocate for justice,” she said.
From the day she started teaching at Centennial, Betsy has been an advocate for the ever-growing population of English language learners. She has worked closely with the school’s ESL teachers in developing successful strategies to help students succeed in Algebra 2. Betsy is considered a leader by her colleagues and administrators. Jay Hooper, who is chair of the math department, shared this with us: “Her work as a member of a professional learning community benefits a wide range of students. Betsy’s commitment to teaching goes beyond just the walls of her classroom and school.” Last summer Betsy and a colleague were asked to present at a national conference in California for College Preparatory Mathematics.
Betsy shares her collaboration skills with her students, encouraging them to work together and learn from each other. Her teaching focuses on knowing and understanding her students and how they each best learn. Betsy keeps copious notes on each day’s activities and refers to them when helping students who are struggling. She offers ways to find additional support, works on key points to remember, and designs mini-lessons that help students find success. One of her students sums up Betsy’s numerous strengths this way: “With her determination for greater learning and teaching, I’d be lucky to have another teacher like Ms. Alderman.”