Teaching students to 'believe they can'

Judith Geller

Ocean Township High School (OTHS) teacher Judith Geller is one of only two recipients of the 2007 AP Outstanding Teacher Award in the Middle States.

The Middle States Region is made up of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

Geller, Marlboro, has been teaching mathematics at Ocean Township High School for 19 years.

According to OTHS principal Julia Davidow, instructing students in advanced math courses is "a challenge" that Geller rises to each year with professionalism and dedication. And, it shows in her students' high AP scores.

In the past four years, she has taught 59 students in her BC Calculus classes. Fifty-one of her students achieved a score of 5 (which is equivalent to an A), seven students achieved a score of 4 (equivalent to a B). According to Davidow, these are exceptional results.

This year, Geller celebrates her 25th year as a teacher of mathematics. Prior to teaching in New Jersey, she taught for six years in New York.

According to Davidow, upon entering Geller's classroom, the most striking observation is the level of engagement of her students, regardless of their level of ability.

Teaching to a diverse population, she believes that all students can learn mathematics and demands that her students believe it as well.

She encourages students by developing their emotional intelligence to embrace math as a universal language which transcends racial, ethnic and economic boundaries. "If you believe you can, you can," she tells students.

It's not uncommon to see Geller working with individual students or with small groups before, during and after the school day.

Her enthusiasm for mathematics is contagious. Davidow refers to her as "an icon of pedagogy" and a mentor to the newer members of the math team at the school. Students, parents, colleagues, and members of the community celebrate Geller for her love of and dedication to teaching.

On Feb. 15, she was honored at a special College Board Middle States Regional Forum 2007 Awards Luncheon in Baltimore.