ALVS Teacher Kathleen Monegan Believes Math Can and Should be an Enjoyable Experience

Kathleen Monegan always knew she wanted to be teacher. But it might not be for the reasons you think.

“When I was in high school, I loved math, but it didn’t always come easy to me,” said Kathleen. “It took me awhile to process it.”

“After that experience, I wanted to be able to make math more accessible to students,” she said. “You can’t rush how students learn. I know it takes some students longer to learn a concept than others, and I am just there to guide them. Mistakes are okay and actually they’re a good thing. It means they’re learning! I don’t want students to feel like they have to move through the material too quickly.”

Kathleen has been a math teacher for Apex Learning Virtual School for the past four years, and she has enjoyed finding new opportunities to reach her students.

“I love being able to teach students around the world and across the country,” she said. “ALVS allows students to work at their own pace, and I appreciate that ALVS provides students with the ability to get ahead in math. This is especially helpful during the summer when students have an opportunity to recover a credit so that they can get back on track for the next school year.”

Kathleen also appreciates all of the supports that are built into the ALVS curriculum, including the checks for understanding and the study guides. She likes that students have the ability to use these resources to ensure they’re successful before they move onto the next module or concept.

“I also appreciate how much ALVS curriculum has supports for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs),” she said. “There are so many options for students who need a customized program. They can take as much time as they want to go back and read or review study guides, click on materials for a second or third time and quickly check their work. They also have the benefit of having access to live tutors. Any student can use these supports and many are grateful for them(!), but it’s particularly helpful for giving students with disabilities the time they need to process their work.”

“When I was in high school, I loved math, but it didn’t always come easy to me. It took me awhile to process it. After that experience, I wanted to be able to make math more accessible to students."

Kathleen loves watching when a student who tells her in their welcome email, “I am not good at math” ends up doing really well in their math course. She believes it’s these students who just need a different approach and a fresh perspective.

“But if there is a part of my job that I love the most, it’s seeing a student have that ‘aha’ moment when they finally grasp a concept for the first time,” she said.

When she’s not teaching, and the pandemic subsides, Kathleen is looking forward to getting back on an airplane and pursuing one of her other passions, traveling the world. And she’s also an aunt to her 15-month-old nephew whom she absolutely adores.

Kathleen’s advice for her current and future ALVS students is to be inquisitive and have perseverance – what great advice as we say goodbye to the year 2020 and welcome a fresh start in 2021!