Background on Mrs. Montgomery

             Mrs. Montgomery has been a teacher at Hauppauge for about 20 years while teaching various classes: AP Biology, Human Genetics, and Oceanography. She obtained her undergraduate and masters degrees at Stony Brook University in order to become a beloved teacher at Hauppauge High School years later. At first teaching was not on Mrs. Montgomery’s radar, however after observing a chemistry class she immediately knew this was what she wanted to do as a career. 

The Montgomery Method

             Mrs. Montgomery implements multiple different methods to help her students excel and be engaged in what they’re learning, and they are quite effective. While taking notes in each of her classes, Mrs. Montgomery will talk about the topics that she is explaining in depth and keeps the topic interesting rather than just simply reading off the slideshows. This way her students can ask questions and participate in conversation on the topic that they are learning, and this is effective in not having students zone out during the lesson. Additionally Mrs. Montgomery makes it extremely clear to all her students to never be afraid to ask questions, even if they may seem to be pointless, especially when working in group activities or assignments. She will walk around when students are working in groups or working individually and ask them if they have any questions or need help on anything that may be troublesome, this way her students feel that they can ask for help while trying to work independently to practice concepts. Another teaching strategy that Mrs. Montgomery implements in her AP Biology class most commonly is a quick sort, my personal favorite. After learning a concept or lesson Mrs. Montgomery hands out envelopes for each lab group and they have to match the definition to the word or concept, and each lab group that can quickly match all them wins. This makes it so her students are engaged in what they are learning and can effectively memorize new concepts in an enjoyable way. 

Mrs. Montgomery’s Lasting Impact on Her Students

              Not only is Mrs. Montgomery a phenomenal teacher, but also a great person to be around that radiates positivity. As one of her former students, who returns to visit her throughout the school day, she instills motivation in her students to excel and try their absolute best at science even if they might think they will never learn science well enough. Most importantly Mrs. Montgomery has made her classes some of the most memorable aspects of high school for myself and various other students that make them miss taking her classes, both for learning and the environment of her classroom. Mrs. Montgomery has surely made AP Biology my favorite class of all of high school, and I still miss it as a senior now. At the end of the year she ensures that all her students excel and most importantly have fun with final projects, or exams that readily prepare them for the coming years. Since I love biology and certain topics within it, I have cherished sophomore year with Mrs. Montgomery as my teacher and I will always remember the impact that she still has on me today to be motivated in my education. Thank you Mrs. Montgomery you’re an extraordinary teacher who deserves to be recognized for all that you do for your students!