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Mrs. Nimmy Thomas
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Brazosport High School
Class Information:
Room Number: 457
Students per Class: 85
Class Description:
Well, if you saw "Freedom Writers" last year, that's a glimpse of what my class is like. Poverty isn't just a word anymore - it has a face for me now. In fact, not just one face, there are hundreds of little sweet faces. I teach at a Title I school where the majority of students are on free/reduced meal plans. My 85 students are an at-risk population. Their resources are very limited. Their experiences are not vast. The majority of my students have never been outside this small rural town. There is not much family support at home often because the households are single parent homes. These single parents are often juggling 2 jobs just to survive. I don't just teach, I'm also a mother hen for my kids here. They have a lot of heart and just need some guidance to open their eyes to the possibilities.
Position:
Math Teacher
Needs:
What would I get for my kids if I could... a really good digital camera (these kids have so few photos of themselves), a document camera, an Interwrite Write Pad system, a TI navigator system, a field trip to a university in Houston with a campus tour - most of these kids think college is just a local community college, take these kids to a real restaurant (all they've been to is McDonalds)
My Philosophy:
My students have been entrusted to me for a very short precious time and I need to use that time wisely. I like making lists, so here's my philosophy list: 1. Do hands-on math to increase understanding. 2. If I get "I don't get it" from one of my kids, we don't move on until it is got! 3. Make class fun through labs and games. 4. Tell them I love them. 5. Show love by listening to them always and going to their games, plays, concerts. 6. Laugh and smile everyday with them as much as possible. They deal with so much outside school. Let this continue to be a classroom they love coming to. 7. Find that special gift in each one and tell them what it is. Help them see what they could do with that in the future. 8. Believe in them even if they give up and lose hope.
Personal Information:
About Me:
I grew up in NYC and Connecticut. I have a great husband who is super-understandingabout the time I put into teaching. I worked as an engineer for 5 years. Then, I stayed at home for 12 years to raise our 5 amazing kids. Staying at home involved creating and running a science club for 50 students over those years and coaching number sense math teams. I love science and math! I love trying to make it fun and interesting for kids!
College and Degrees:
My bachelors is in Materials Science and Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). My masters is in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University. My alternative Teaching Certification is from Texas Teachers for Tomorrow.
Activities:
reading, cooking, playing chauffeur to 5 kids, attending the games of my students,
Favorite Books:
Pride and Prejudice, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, The Tempest by Shakespeare, The Oddyssey, Joshua,
Favorite Quotes:
In my classroom: "Put some ink to the paper" In my heart: "We do not know the plans He has for us, they are not to harm us."
Interests:
reading, politics, history, science, math (of course!), international cooking, baking,
Employment History:
IBM 4 years; Omega Engineering 1 year; Doctors for the Family 6 years; Brazosport High School 2 years
Why Do I Teach?:
I went into teaching thinking that I would help kids really understand math and maybe help someone to be a math genius. I wanted to make a difference in their lives. What I didn't realize is that teaching changes the teacher too. I can never look at the world in the same way. I am amazed with the courage and endurance my kids have to face all the things they have had to face. Teaching is about increasing their understanding but also giving them hope in themselves and in their futures. These kids deserve that and more.