NYSMAS Vice President Heidi Bromely, left, presents Questar III BOCES Senior Mathematics Specialist Sam Jovell with a plaque commemorating her induction into the New York State Mathematics Educators Hall of Fame.
While Irene “Sam” Jovell has received many honors and awards over the years including seven G.E. STAR awards, two Capitol Business and Education Scholar Recognitions, and twice being named a Cornell University Merrill Presidential Scholar, her most recent induction into the New York State Mathematics Educators Hall of Fame is particularly special to her.
On Friday, September 28, colleagues, friends and family gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn in Albany to witness Jovell’s induction into the Hall of Fame. Even friends from as far away as Tennessee flew to be a part of the memorable occasion. Although Jovell herself is somewhat modest about receiving the award, it is clear it’s something to be proud of.
The New York State Association of Mathematics Supervisors (NYSAMS), an organization made up of professional developers and math educators, inducts members into the New York State Mathematics Educators Hall of Fame based on their entire body of work throughout their career.
“These ‘bodies’ have been around for a while,” joked Jovell, whose extensive career includes 33 years as a teacher at Niskayuna High School and a senior mathematics specialist in the Office of School Improvement at Questar III BOCES since 2005.
Many of the previous Hall of Fame inductees were Jovell’s mentors, people she has looked up to over the years, many of whom opened doors for her throughout her career. These mentors were what enabled her to attain a Princeton University fellowship in 1990, a significant moment in her career and what ultimately lead to her expertise in professional development.
Likewise, Jovell has been an inspiration to others. Heidi Bromley, another senior mathematics specialist at Questar III and the vice president of NYSAMS, nominated Jovell for the Hall of Fame. “She has given me career advice and has really been a mentor and an inspiration to me for the last 20 years,” said Bromley. “Sam is just awesome.”
Bromley credits her current leadership role at NYSAMS to Jovell’s encouragement to not just teach in the classroom, but to get involved in professional organizations and contribute to the success of other educators.
Jovell herself continues to do just that. She pioneered an embedded professional development program for Questar III where she and other professionals go into classrooms and work directly with teachers. Here they observe the teaching style of the instructor and then provide them with advice and creative ideas to incorporate into their lessons, helping educators to stay on the cutting edge.
Sam Jovell works with local math teachers to score Grade 1 “baselines.”
Professional development programs like these and the workshops that Jovell facilitates have never been more important given the implementation of the new Common Core Learning Standards.
Jovell helps educators utilize the Concrete-Representative- Abstract (CRA) approach to teaching to help meet these new standards. This approach helps the student understand mathematical concepts first, rather than simply teaching the rule. For example, a teacher might use blocks number lines to help students understand multiplication or fractions.
“Our kids today are different, more visually stimulated,” Jovell said. “They can’t simply be told what they are supposed to think, they need to touch it, see it, build understanding for themselves.”
It’s important for teachers and parents alike to realize that the old way of teaching and learning is not necessarily the only way. The way parents might have learned when they were in school may not resonate with their children.
While the new standards are drastically changing the face of math education, one thing will remain the same: Jovell will continue to share her love of math in an effort to enrich the lives of others.
“[Math] is logical and like a puzzle; it’s a beautiful discipline,” said Jovell. “We love what we’re doing. It fits together and it makes sense. To get a kid to see that too is truly awe inspiring.”
