Have a Question? Contact me: sproctor@scholarcharter.org
Mrs. Shannon Proctor
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Mrs. Proctor, the teacherI knew I wanted to teach since before I ever attended my first day of school. I used to play school with my imaginary friends and draw couch potatoes for homework. Now I am living my childhood dream and teaching for real! I earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Teaching from the University of Utah. Upon graudating from the University, I spent ten years in buisness, finding hundres of real life mathematics applications, before finally following my dream to teach. I spent my first four years teaching all levels of math at Tooele High School and moved to Scholar Academy just last year. In the beginning, I was nervous to make the switch to teaching the lower middle school grades, but after finishing my first year teaching sixth and seventh grade, I have found my home. I love the mathematics topics of middle school and I love Scholar Academy. I am passionate about my profession, and I love working with students. I hope not only to teach them math, ciritical thinking, and problem-solving skills, but to instill a passion for life long learning. |
Other Tidbits
- My parents moved me to Tooele the summer before my sophomore year of school and I was bound and determined to hate it here. I was quite successful in this endeaver, that is, until I met my high school sweetheart in band class. We got married as we worked our way through college and now have two sons who also go to Scholar Academy.
I love reading and always regret not making more time for it. I love to sew and make gifts for others whenever time allows. I'm learning to knit and crochet, but I'm still pretty terrible at it. I love to learn and my husband jokes that Google is my best friend. I can't sit through a movie or television show without picking up my phone to research a question (curiosity strikes at the oddest times).
I love smelly things like lotions and candles. My favorite drink is coffee and my sweet tooth is beyond out of control. I love camping and running and lounging at the beach. My favorite color is purple and I love to listen to music.
My Teaching Philosophy
Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn." This approach to learning was the foundation for training team members in my career as a retail manager and it continues to be a strong principle in my philosophy of teaching. Hands on, self-discovery type activities not only have high engagement, they are memorable and impactful to student learning.
I am a huge fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his character Sherlock Holmes. In "A Study in Scarlet", Holmes tells Watson, "a man should keep his little brain-attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he wants it." I reference this quote whenever I begin a self-discovery task in the classroom. I remind students that I could tell them the end result of the activity, give them a formula or theorem, and throw a bunch of practice problems at them, but to do so would be to fill their brain attic with useless furniture that belongs in the lumber-room. Instead, I give them the tools they need, a goal, some guidance, and enough time to let them work until the end. The result is a memorable process and a solid understanding of new mathematics instead of an easily forgotten, attic-cluttering formula. When students are engaged in the learning process, the learning endures.
Human nature is to learn. It is the teacher's job to capitalize on that innate curiousity and provide meaningful tasks to enhance learning and cultivate curiosity and wonder.