Kate Sandoval

Savage, MD | K-6, Mathematics, 2022

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

I’m motivated by the belief that every child deserves high quality math instruction and that every child is capable of learning and excelling in math. For too long, systemic inequalities and fixed mindsets have created a belief system where some people are “math people” while others are not. Dismantling this falsehood is my life’s work.

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

I hope to inspire and support other educators in seeing every child as a capable mathematician by modeling high expectations, sharing strategies for equitable teaching, and advocating for students who are often underestimated. By helping teachers believe in all learners and that we should never give up on any student, we can build a stronger, more inclusive future for STEM in our nation.

Biography

Kate Sandoval has worked in the Howard County Public School System for ten years. She is currently serving as an Elementary Math Specialist at Bollman Bridge Elementary School, where she previously taught all subjects of fourth grade. Kate also has experience teaching first, second and third grade. In the classroom, Kate highlights a growth mindset where mistakes are valued. Students are encouraged to take risks by engaging in productive struggle, sharing strategies, and participating in mathematical discourse. Kate creates lessons with real-world applications to further motivate students. Most recently, Kate led her class through an environmental, problem-based task, to examine the school’s use of single-use water bottles. Using a smart water fountain, students tracked the number of bottles saved, researched recycling impacts, and presented the information to other classrooms around the school. Outside of the classroom, Kate has served as Instructional Team Leader, Math Content Leader, and Elementary Science Teacher Leader. These roles have provided her with opportunities to write and present curriculum during her tenure in the county. Kate has also played an active role in Bollman Bridge’s School Improvement Plan. After a lack of basic mathematics fact retention, Kate led her school community through an Intermediate Family Involvement Night where teachers shared multiplication and division expectations for each grade level, provided fact practice games, and gave tips and tricks for maximizing small moments. Kate earned a B.F.A., magna cum laude, in advertising design from Savannah College of Art and Design and an M.A.T. in elementary education from Loyola University Maryland. She is certified in first through sixth grade elementary education.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

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