ASMS Math Instructor Receives Recognition by NSHSS for Excellence in Education Through Nomination by One of Her Students

Within a very successful classroom, there is respect and appreciation between both teacher and student. ASMS educators instruct, yes, but they also mentor and support their students. Many instructors here offer classes that do not correspond to a specific grade. This means that students are able to take multiple classes from the same teacher throughout their time here, building meaningful, professional relationships. Since our faculty are both seasoned researchers and impassioned educators, the courses they teach are often personal to them, which is reflected in the quality of their classroom experience.

Kristal Webb, an ASMS math instructor and alumna, was recently honored as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction, a program of the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). NSHSS is an academic honor society serving over 26,000 high schools across 170 countries. This award “recognizes exemplary educators whose passion and devotion inspire their students to grow and develop as scholars, leaders, and citizens.” Ms. Webb’s recognition is a testament to the valuable connections that teachers here form with their students. In the words of NSHSS, Ms. Webb is a “role model, source of inspiration and leader…”

Ms. Webb was nominated by her own student, May Molina-Meija. May has taken several classes with Ms. Webb and even decided to enroll in a high-level math class, Integral Calculus, because Ms. Webb was the instructor! May says she really connected with Ms. Webb who, according to May, “teaches not because she gets paid to do it, but because she genuinely cares about her students and wants to help them grow academically.”

May learned about this award when she was applying to be an NSHSS ambassador and saw that they offered an award for teachers making positive impacts in their students’ lives. The first teacher she thought of was Ms. Webb. May says she is an instructor that understands the rigor of ASMS but reminds students of why this school was appealing to them. Though she teaches demanding courses, May says that Ms. Webb uses lots of real-world applications in her lessons that make the concepts practical and easier to understand. At the beginning of May’s first term in Ms. Webb’s class, she was nervous to email her teacher after class about homework, but Ms. Webb replied quickly and assured her that she was happy to help. May echoes the sentiments of the Ms. Webb’s award, calling her an “amazing and considerate teacher.”

Congratulations to Ms. Kristal Webb on her recognition of excellence as an instructor and inspiration.

By ASMS senior, Ruth Delmas