Sheryl Clayton, EdS

For over thirty years, I’ve taught mathematics at the high school and college level. Now, I am excited to join the WTMA math program and share my love of mathematics with WTMA students.

I hold a Bachelor of Science of Mathematics and a Masters of Education and Administration, and I’ve also earned an Educational Specialist degree in Administration Supervision. My educational experience has enabled me to keep one foot in the classroom, working with students, and to also train and support a team of mathematics teachers.

My first career was teaching high school mathematics but after 5 years I went to work as an analyst for the engineering department at Bridgestone tires, based out of Nashville, Tennessee. In this position I used the data from the field engineers to analyze the off-the-road tires coming out of the field. This data would help improve the tires going into future production.

When I started a family, I moved back to high school teaching so that I could be more available to my children. In that first teaching position, I drew on my experience as an analyst and statistician and brought real-life examples to the classroom. These examples helped drive home concepts for my students, so that they could see real-life applications to the mathematical concepts they were mastering. Since then I’ve taught everything from Algebra 1 to Advanced Placement Statistics. I have been an adjunct for colleges and universities teaching College Algebra to Basic Calculus. Starting in 2007 I added distance learning and online teaching to my resume. As an educator, I believe in professional development throughout my career which has added to the richness of my love of mathematics. I have done consulting work for ACT Inc., Collegeboard, and recently Pearson Education.

I now reside in Memphis, Tennessee. My hobbies include reading, listening to podcasts, walking, and visiting my three adult daughters. All of my children have gone into STEM-based careers, from engineering to medical school.

In the classroom: My classes are structured to build student relationships and confidence, and to check for understanding. A regular class session starts with a task that activates student learning and prepares the stage for the rest of the lesson. Lectures typically last fifteen to twenty minutes, and then students build on the knowledge presented. Students get into the driver’s seat and present problems they’ve solved, as well as work on other problems. At the end of class, I check for understanding with exit tickets, and after class, I provide students with notes, so that they can review their own work from the session and correct misconceptions. As a teacher, I work hard to meet students where they are. I do this by analyzing where they’re comfortable and where they need additional support to be successful. I then adapt my instruction and feedback to the student.