The math department has had many changes in regards to former geometry teacher Matthew Joyner’s departure. The recent loss of geometry teachers has caused major changes in the number of students per class; Central staff were required to add students to their roster.

Current geometry teacher Elizabeth Rawson and Edgenuity advisor James Snyder have had to adapt to the abundance of new students in their classes. Along with these Central teachers, a professor from Chattanooga State Community College, Kathleen Majoras, has volunteered to teach one class of honors geometry, aiding those in regular geometry on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Rawson receives an abundance of help from Majoras. They teach and plan lessons together to keep all students on track.

“​I had about 50 new students added to my classes after fall break. My smallest class used to be 14 and my largest class used to be 25. Now, my class sizes are 18, 26, 25, 25, 26, and 17,” Rawson stated.

Majoras taught developmental math at Chattanooga State for 23 years. Along with being a professor, she also taught geometry at Sequoyah High School, but retired after many years. Subsequently, she was chosen to fill the gap in the geometry department until a permanent teacher is chosen.

“When the previous teacher left, Central High School was in need of a math teacher and I just retired from teaching geometry at Sequoyah High School for 31 years. I guess my name was given to the principal, and here I am until a full time teacher can be located,” Majoras explained.

“Since we have combined classes, Ms. Majoras now co-teaches with me in my classroom during 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th period. On the days that Ms. Majoras cannot be at Central, she leaves work with a substitute teacher so the students [in honors] can practice the material,” Rawson stated.

Despite the stressful situation, Rawson keeps a positive attitude and makes sure to consult other teachers, along with Majoras, in order to help her students to her best ability.

“​Initially, I was overwhelmed with the changes, but I have had great support from Mr. Iannarone, Mrs. Farrow, Ms. Majoras, and Mr. Snyder. There have also been several teachers in the math department that have helped me plan lessons and offer supplies to support all the additional students I have gained. It really is a team effort and we are making the most out of an unfortunate situation,” Rawson said.

The two teachers let the students work together in groups to see where individuals are concerning their studies. They let students compare ideas and work in order to improve benchmark testing.

We reviewed benchmark scores as a class the first day of the new quarter. It was clear that some students had fallen behind because they hadn’t had a consistent teacher. I allow the students to discuss their ideas and compare answers with one another. This has been helpful in determining students’ strengths and weaknesses,” Rawson said. “Overall, students tend to struggle with the same concepts so we all just work as a team to figure out problems together and learn from our mistakes.”

Mr. Joyner will be missed by Central High School and the students who had him for a partial year, but the students who made the transition are keeping high spirits, enjoying their new teachers.

“Ms. Majoras has been a great help since Mr. Joyner has left, and I feel like she has really adapted well to our school environment. I’m happy she’s here at Central,” Freshman Seth Young, an honors geometry student, said.

“The class is not really that different, but I do miss Mr. Joyner, even though I like Rawson and Majoras,” Sophomore Karl Moore admitted.

Overall, everyone has tried their best keeping students caught up and excited about learning. There were many significant changes and adjustments, but Majoras, Rawson, and Snyder have all worked hard and kept a positive attitude.

“I like Central. The kids have been polite and seem to want to learn. I like working with Ms. Rawson. I’m trying to chill her out. She’s young and energetic. Central is lucky to have her,” Majoras concluded.