Mr. Gamble is a math teacher who teaches algebraic reasoning and advanced quantitative reasoning, also known as AR and AQR. He has continuously shown his skills as not just a math teacher, but a supporter of his students as well.
Some teachers go into the education field knowing from the beginning that it is the career they want to pursue, however some had no original intention of going into the field.
“I first was a mechanic for over 10 years and going to school to be a mechanical engineer, however I realized I enjoyed doing the math for engineering, but I did not enjoy the challenges that the engineering class were presenting,” Gamble said. “I decided to change my degree major to mathematics and instantly became a math person, where I learned very valuable lessons I wanted to share with others, so I decided to give teaching a try, which runs in my family.”
Having the career of teaching others how to do something, especially young adults, can have its ups and downs, however a dedicated teacher such as Mr. Gamble, doesn’t let that stop him from spreading his knowledge in the hopes to benefit his student’s success.
“I would say my favorite part about teaching is being able help others become better versions of themselves, which can be both math related or just being a better person, because I truly want to help guide students to make better decisions, so they don’t have to learn life lessons the hard way,” Gamble said.
Gamble is also very enthusiastic about the subject he teaches but finds even greater value in the education he’s able to offer.
“That moment when a student goes from telling me ‘I’m so bad at math’ to then saying ‘oh, that’s it! I get it now!’ is the most rewarding experience, which all falls back on my favorite motivational quote in which I live my life by, being “If it doesn’t challenge you, then it will not change you,” Gamble said.
While the job comes with rewarding experiences, it also comes with challenges and frustrations regarding both the work side of things as well as student interactions.
“I would say my least favorite part about teaching is that there are too many things to do and not enough time to get them done,” Gamble said. “It is also quite difficult trying to motivate and help students who do not want to help themselves.”
Many teachers partake in a multitude of different teaching styles, some being lenient, some being strict, some being in between, etc. Mr. Gamble claims his class is extremely collaborative.
“My teaching style revolves around class conversations, stress, holding students accountable, and timed low weight assessments, which are a frequent complaints, because again I am holding students accountable,” Gamble said. “Overall, I love to help students learn how to navigate time management, math concepts, and just general good habits for life.”
Math is one of the most controversial classes spoken about due to the fact that some people get it, and some just don’t. It is a class that can bring on quite a bit of frustration, but with assistance from a patient and caring teacher such as Mr. Gamble, concepts will be understood in no time.
“People often say, ‘I cannot do math,’ and I respond with, ‘you use to be bad at walking, now look at you. How did get better at walking as a child? You walked more. Do you play a sport? Were you good at the sport when you first started? No, you had to learn the rules, exercise, practice the plays, work with a team and you did it often.’” Gamble said. “Math is no different, it takes repetition and practice to see the patterns and to anticipate what is about to happen.”
Gamble explains that similar things can be said about teaching.
“It is also the teachers responsibility to want to improve their teaching methods, but they need to be willing to find alternate ways to teach students who have different learning needs,” Gamble said. “I always say ‘my favorite part about math is that there is at least 100 different ways to do any one thing,’ and If the average instruction isn’t working, I promise I can find a way to teach it to you.”
Each day Mr. Gamble shows his dedication to his students, understanding and success. He goes out of his way to have both class interactions, but also one on one time with students who need it. I have witnessed it myself that no matter how many times a student says, “I still don’t get it,” Gamble will continue to try and show another way which always results in the student’s understanding.
