Ms. VanDyken
Ms. Van Dyken is a high school math teacher at Pearson Online Academy. She started her teaching career more than thirty years ago and joined Pearson Online Academy in 2011. Ms. Van Dyken holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Montana State University and a master’s degree in secondary education from Regis University.
When asked about her experiences with Pearson Online Academy and teaching, Ms. Van Dyken said the following:
“I became a teacher because I enjoy mathematics and found that I could explain the material in a way that makes sense. Teaching mathematics is my way of serving society and giving to others. When students understand math, they are unhindered and better prepared to pursue their dreams.
Teaching at an online school allows me to focus on the individual student. The Pearson Online Academy graduates will have the foundational skills to succeed in college. In addition, the online environment teaches students to become self-starters, while giving them the technology skills to excel in the 21st century.
There are various things that make the Pearson Online Academy school community so special. For example, the staff feels like a family. We know each other’s interests, share celebrations, and feel each other’s pain and struggles. Additionally, students in an online environment often open up and share more about themselves than they would in a traditional bricks-and-mortar school. Therefore, I often find that I forge closer relationships with my online students than I did in a traditional school. Students in an online environment also have more time to build closer one-to-one relationships with their teachers.”
When Ms. Van Dyken is not teaching at Pearson Online Academy, she is working on a family farm or in her garden, or spinning wool to knit socks.
I love the variety and excitement that results from our students’ living in so many different countries and participating in a variety of activities. It is a new adventure every single day.
— Ms. Van Dyken