Valley High School Math Teacher Goes the Extra Mile

Article from the Valley Times-News
Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Toni Fetner Shaddix was pursuing a lifelong dream when she decided to complete her college degree after 25 years and became a math teacher.

She does not regret her decision to enter the classroom after rearing her two children and spending several years in the business community.

For six years, Valley High School’s 2005 Teacher of the Year has taught math classes ranging from pre-algebra to calculus.

Shaddix currently teaches algebra, geometry and math remediation.

In addition to her teaching duties, she has served on the SACS Accreditation Action Committee, as junior class prom advisor, Key Club advisor and cheerleading coach.

“Teaching begins in one’s heart,” says Shaddix. “An individual’s heart reveals the real person. My heart has always had a passion for educating children. I believe this passion is the core of an outstanding teacher.”

“I went into teaching because I wanted to be able to make a difference in the lives of young people. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a student who has been struggling with a concept and finally understands it. It seems like a light switch has just been turned on in the child’s mind.”

According to Shaddix, an outstanding teacher is willing to go the extra mile for her students.

Shaddix enjoys arriving at school early and often stays after hours to help students, individually.

“I make it a point to be available to the students for one-on-one tutoring after school each day,” she said. “Since it is my goal for the students to learn, I allow the students to re-take tests. In essence, this allows students to correct the mistakes on a test for additional credit.”

This practice gives students a chance to review concepts they did not understand originally, she points out.

Mrs. Shaddix is sold on the TEAM-Math concept, piloted this year at Valley High and other East Alabama Schools.

TEAM-Math (Transforming East Alabama Mathematics) is a hands-on approach that helps students understand the “whys” of the math process in addition to getting the right answers.

Encouraging the use of TEAM-Math is one way that Shaddix believes she can strengthen the teaching profession.

She explains: “I had my doubts about this new, innovative method of teaching math. After attending a two-week seminar last summer, I was still skeptical about whether this would actually work in a classroom. I was astounded by the results I received after implementing the TEAM-Math concepts.

“In the future, I would like to initiate new math teachers in the Chambers County School System with this worthwhile concept during professional development and departmental meetings…We as teachers must prepare our students to succeed in the global marketplace. I think that these TEAM-Math methods will assist us in accomplishing this goal.”

Using TEAM-Math concepts successfully with her math remediation class has resulted in one of her most unexpected rewards from teaching.

The class consists of seniors who need to pass the Alabama High School Graduation Exam and who have struggled with math.

Shaddix has been amazed by the results of using TEAM-Math with these students.

“These underachieving students were all of a sudden succeeding in math. Of the 19 seniors who took the exam, 15 passed it. As I received the results along with the students, we were all in tears. It is a humbling experience for a student to come up to an instructor with tears in his or her eyes and express gratitude to you for helping him or her pass the graduation exam. I feel like my own children have succeeded. In a way, they have. This is the reason I became a teacher.”

Principal Vickie Lynn commends Shaddix’s dedication to teaching and to her students.

“Mrs. Shaddix has given so much of herself to the field of education and to the students of Valley High School,” she writes, pointing out the teacher’s involvement in helping organize school events such as the prom.

Ms. Lynn says Shaddix has contributed greatly to students’ passing the math portion of the AHSGE.

“Since Mrs. Shaddix has gotten involved, the number of students passing the exam has drastically increased,” she said. “She is an asset to our faculty and to our student body.”

Shaddix holds a B. S. degree from Auburn University in math education and is pursuing a master’s degree in education leadership from Troy State University.

She is listed in Who’s Who Among American High School Teachers.

She is a member of AEA, AEA, and the Alabama Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Mrs. Shaddix is active in her church, Lanier Baptist, where she participates in community projects including free tutoring.

Colleague Tammy Culbertson says Shaddix’s commitment to teaching is indeed making a difference in young people’s lives.

“Because Toni had life experiences when she began her teaching career, she started out as an excellent teacher,” she said. “However, over the past six years she has continued to improve. I have witnessed her dedication to professional development through her involvement with and enthusiasm for TEAM-Math. Toni has demonstrated a willingness to make innovative changes in her teaching strategies for the sake of all children.”

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