Michelle Kondracki

Many people share a common belief, often stemming from horror stories of trigonometry that bring them to tears, that math is reserved for textbooks, classes and the minds of “math people” only.
Michelle Kondracki is not one of them.

Kondracki has been a math teacher for four years, and her teaching philosophy revolves around the idea that the world is not split into “math people” and “not-math people”; rather, all students innately have the capability of conquering the challenging subject.

“I believe that we as humans are naturally mathematical, and studying math can help explain the world around us,” Kondracki said.

People are often quick to say they don’t understand math, but Kondracki tries hard to make all her students realize they can learn it, and hopefully enjoy it a little. Even if it’s just one chapter, she strives to reach this goal every year.

While she knew she wanted to pursue the general profession of teaching, Kondracki was uncertain about what subject specifically at first. However, she soon found a clear answer.

“I had some really inspirational teachers who believed in me. I didn’t think I would ever be a math teacher, and then had teachers say, ‘Oh, you can teach math!’ Believing in myself, as cliche as it may seem, I realized that math can be a lot of fun and I can help other people.”

Besides having inspirational teachers who gave her the confidence to pursue this profession, she also harbors a natural love for the subject. She values the objectivitiy of the subject, the idea that teachers cannot misinterpret what a student says or disagree with them. Instead, she enjoys that math is a problem solving process.

“[It’s] the idea of working towards a solution. I feel like I’m a natural problem solver, so having a problem to solve is really fun for me… I like that there is usually a correct answer– but always multiple ways to find it,” Kondracki said.

Kondracki attended community college for two years through Missouri’s A+ program, then went on to graduate from UMSL, earning a BS and MA in Mathematics as well a BSED in Secondary Education Mathematics before becoming a teacher. Prior to teaching at CHS this year, Kondracki was an educator at a private Roman Catholic secondary school for women called Incarnate Word Academy, located in a suburb of St. Louis. However, after four years, Kondracki decided to search for a new teaching opportunity.

“I wanted to make the switch from working in a private school to a public school, but I also wanted a school that is doing great things– so Clayton was perfect,” she said.

Kondracki’s beliefs on being a teacher as a whole extend past the act of grading her students. She explains that it entails nurturing each student and aiding them in their journeys as not only students, but people as well.

“I believe that teaching is much more than grades and standards, but, perhaps most importantly, is about growth as an individual and as a learner,” Kondracki said.

When asked about a favorite teaching story, Kondracki didn’t have a specific example in mind. However, she went on to explain that she truly enjoys the day-to-day interactions she has with her students. She’s always looking to build relationships with her students.

“It’s the little moments that I get to see all the individuality of my students that makes me love teaching,” Kondracki said.