Tara Palomares

Albuquerque, NM | 7-12, Mathematics, 2021

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

I'm deeply motivated by my students, many of whom enter my classroom with math anxiety or trauma. Helping them build confidence and see how math connects to their lives drives me. I aim to develop critical thinkers and collaborators ready to navigate the world in their own way. I'm also inspired by my colleagues—their questions, ideas, and commitment to equity challenge me to grow and fuel our shared pursuit of curiosity, collaboration, and excellence in STEM education.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

There hasn’t been one single transformative moment, but rather a collection of small, meaningful ones that affirm my impact on STEM education. It’s the notes from students—sometimes years later—sharing that they’ve become math majors or that my class helped them thrive in college. It’s the messages thanking me for seeing them as people and math learners, and for igniting a confidence they didn’t know they had. It’s colleagues seeking out my input on instructional challenges or new ideas. It's seeing teachers I've mentored step into leadership roles. These moments, together, are what sustain and affirm my work.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

As a Presidential Awardee, I hope to create small ripples that lead to lasting change. I will use my platform to advocate for greater investment in and diversification of STEM education. I aim to inspire fellow educators to reflect, grow, and take on leadership roles within their communities. By continuing to share my passion for mathematics education with my students, colleagues, and across New Mexico, I hope to elevate the collective impact we can have on our nation’s STEM future.

Biography

Tara Palomares has taught mathematics for 13 years, spending the last nine years at Sandia High School. She will begin her 14th year in teaching at La Cueva High School. She previously taught for two years at Bosque School, for one year at Health Leadership High School, and for one year at South Valley Academy. At La Cueva, Tara teaches 10th-12th grade students in Advanced Placement Calculus. She is dedicated to helping her students believe that everyone belongs in a mathematics classroom. Tara creates a community of learners that publicly value multiple approaches, where students collaborate on mathematical problems and support one another’s learning. Tara works to ensure that all students feel valued as mathematicians and learners. Tara facilitates several professional development groups, including a 3-Minute Observation Club where teachers learn from one another’s classrooms through observation. She serves as a mentor for teachers pursuing National Board Certification through the National Board Network of Accomplished Minoritized Educators and serves as a cooperating teacher for preservice teachers at the University of New Mexico. Tara was the recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Leonore Annenberg Teaching Fellowship and is a Senior Fellow at the Knowles Teacher Initiative. Tara earned a B.S. in mathematics and an M.A. in education, both from Stanford University. She is working on a doctorate in teaching, learning and teacher education at the University of New Mexico. She is certified in secondary mathematics and is a National Board Certified Teacher.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

The views expressed in awardee profiles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF or the PAEMST program.