St. Joseph School's Math Guru

St. Joseph School's Math Guru

St. Joseph School in Danville, PA

How easy do you think being a middle school teacher is? Pretty easy, huh? Well, not so fast. A lot more hard work, dedication, and passion goes into teaching middle school education than one might think at first. Not every person in the world gets a calling to the field of education, let alone a private school middle school math teacher. One must have a special quality unique to just teachers and parents: the desire to see their kids, or in this case, the desire to see their students do well and achieve their goals. In the beautiful, welcoming, and comforting environment of St. Joseph's Catholic School, Dorislyn Palmer represents a paragon of what it truly means to be a good teacher.

Dorislyn Palmer in her ornamental classroom

In order to create this inviting environment, the teacher must exhibit several qualities which are found in Dorislyn. Dorislyn chronicled, "A new student this school year, Ryan, went to school mass in St. Hubert's Hall Chapel. Several parishioners join us for the Mass. When it is time for the Communion Antiphon, a random sweet old lady starts reciting it. Father James Lease, the Pastor of St. Joseph Church, interrupts her by saying, in his Fr. Lease way, 'How about we wait until the students find the page?" Ryan shouts:"Oooooo! DENIED!!!'" This anecdote is an awesome example of the type of scenario in which a crucial characteristic of a sterling teacher, patience, is needed to properly address the issue of when a student blurts out an inappropriate comment at an inappropriate time. Passion clearly displays itself when one encounters Dorislyn. She carries her work outside of the traditional classroom setting and helps current and in some cases, even former students in their pursuit of successful math skills in their academic and sometimes, professional careers. Mrs. Palmer tutors students, sometimes at Dunkin Donuts, sometimes over video chat, or any other type of medium which the student chooses. Dorislyn also shows her love of math through her style of teaching. She sometimes finds herself so excited to teach that she can't hold herself back from breaking out into a jubilant ditty. When teaching students about the concept of the quadratic formula, Dorislyn occasionally cantillates, "Negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus four ac all over 2a" to the tune of the 2011 hit song of Adele's "Rolling in The Deep". Without these two amazing characteristics that Dorislyn has, St. Joseph's School would not be able to have the reputation of being such a uniquely inclusive school.

Dorislyn also willing partakes in and actively engages in weekly faculty meetings and other duties such as creating IEPs for the many students with exceptionalities found at St. Joseph's. She exhibits the superb cooperation necessary in making these vital plans for these students. Not only does she show this when creating IEPs, but she shows it in even the most trivial of circumstances, such as a bingo game in the cafeteria. Dorislyn revealed, "I always try to make myself available for our local fundraisers and events." Actions like this are not too often found in the standard middle school teacher today. This kind of initiative shown by Dorislyn Palmer is awe-inspiring and brings hope for a brighter and more dedicated education system in the future.

Mrs. Palmer's classroom also displays this attitude of hers. With colorful, comical, yet informative posters displayed all around the classroom, Dorislyn conveys the perfect balance of the importance of learning math while also remaining playful and light. Several math facts posted around the classroom, including prime numbers, perfect squares, and perfect cubes, aid struggling students. These posters don't provide irrelevant information that don't relate to the class, but they also don't confuse students with complex or complicated concepts. These are straightforward, clear-cut concepts which prove time and time again to come in handy for students.

A colorful collection of posters

More colorful posters

Dorislyn displays consistent, incredible, and unparalleled qualities in what some students believe to be what makes her their favorite teacher. As one student expounds, "Mrs. Palmer's commitment to my mathematical successes and personal achievements has made me the student and person I am today. I don't know where I would be without her help over the years." Teachers can be a huge role model for many. Dorislyn Palmer puts all of her mind, soul, and being into being that idol for her students. Without her endless willingness and commitment to her work and students, St. Joseph's School would not be the stupendous place it is today.