Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Marlin Dominguez | NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (Feb. 6, 2025) Nancy Rogers, a teacher at Rota Middle-High...... read more read more
Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota, Spain’s very own Nancy Rogers, a math teacher at Rota Middle-High School, was among a handful of awardees selected for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching 2023.
“There are so many great mathematics teachers within DoDEA, so I considered it an honor just to be nominated for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching,” stated Rogers. “Being selected as the DoDEA 2023 awardee for Mathematics is a surreal honor.”
From a young age, Rogers had a passion for mathematics. She states that math is like a puzzle and that she loves the challenge of solving problems related to the subject she sees as integral to understanding the world around us.
Through mathematics, we have success in the sciences, architecture, medicine, and so much more,” Rogers explained. “I am always looking for opportunities to make mathematics real for my students by drawing connections between the math topic and the real world. I love being able to share my excitement for mathematics with my students.”
Looking back at her childhood, it seems obvious where her love for her career came from; Rogers’ parents were both high-school teachers. Her mother taught both English and history while her father was a math teacher himself. Having the opportunity to see first-hand the bonds her parents developed with their students and how they helped them develop, It was a no-brainer for Rogers when it came time to decide what career she’d pursue as she got older.
“As I transitioned to college, choosing to study mathematics was the easy part of my decision as I always had my father's passion for mathematics,” said Rogers. “I also considered studying sociology so that I could become a social worker. Teaching gave me the opportunity to merge mathematics and my interest in helping people!”
Rogers favorite aspect of her work is seeing the personal growth that develops alongside the academic growth during the school year. And, just like the math problems she helps her students solve, Rogers loves the problem-solving and constant striving for improvement that teaching brings to the table.
“I think the constant change is an aspect that has helped me to continue for so many years,” said Rogers. “Not only do we get new students each year, but as a teacher you get the chance to start over each year. You get to set goals for the year, plan and implement strategies to reach the goals, re-evaluate, then edit the original goals or set new ones. Each year is a new year, where you get to take the successes and challenges of the previous year or years and use those to help make the next year better.”
Now, over 30 years later, Rogers has found that the key to success in working in an unconventional environment like that of teaching on a military installation overseas is to see the student for the whole person that they are.
“Every student deserves to be seen, valued, and supported,” Rogers stated. “I heard a quote the other day that really resonated with me, ‘Kids do well IF they can’ by Dr. Stuart Ablon. His point was that students want to be successful. If they are not being successful, there is a reason that is hindering them. We need to consider the whole student when they are struggling.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2025 05:40 |
| Story ID: | 490698 |
| Location: | ROTA, ES |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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