Yet, a teacher saw beauty where Sample did not. That teacher salvaged the drawing and entered it into an art contest, where it won two awards and was displayed in a museum in Columbus.
Like that educator, Sample strives to help her students see the best in their work as an eighth-grade math teacher at Lakota Plains Junior School.
The Today’s Pulse caught up with Sample, a national board certified teacher who also has been recognized nationally for making a difference in her students’ academic growth. She grew up in Dayton, and she and her husband have two sons.
Q: What has been your educational journey?
A: I earned my bachelor of science degree from University of Dayton and masters degree from University of Cincinnati. I have been teaching for 19 years.
Q: Why did you become a teacher?
A: My ninth-grade algebra teacher taught me to love math.
Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching?
A: I enjoy helping kids realize they can learn new things and math is used every day. I love when kids come back to see me and say how much my class prepared them for high school math.
Q: What is the biggest challenge facing teachers today?
A: Keeping up with the new technology. It's time consuming learning new technology, then something newer comes out.
Q: What is your teaching philosophy?
A: In math, we need to face our mistakes and fix them. Learning from our mistakes is when we really learn and make our brains grow. You never know unless you try.
Q: What is a favorite memory from your teaching career?
A: I got my National Board Certification in early adolescence math. I worked many long hours and videotaped my class and wrote long essays to get it.
Q: What are some of your hobbies?
A: Tennis, I love art — drawing and painting.
Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: My sons (ages 10 and 6) play ice hockey, but I don't know how to ice skate.
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