Melissa Buntin, Jr. High Algebra Teacher

What do you love about teaching at St. Agnes and St. Dominic

First and foremost, I love being around the children. The students are young and full of life. They have unlimited possibilities!  I appreciate that the administration trusts and supports me. I am given the responsibility to teach the children, and the administration believes that I will teach the children in ways that will help the children learn. Lastly, I enjoy working with many amazing people from colleagues, to support staff, to maintenance!

What makes the Jr. High experience unique at St. Agnes and St. Dominic?

Junior High at SAA-SDS is special because of the attention each child gets. We are small enough that the teachers know the names of all the students. The faculty wants each child to succeed. We work together to make that happen.

How do the Pillars impact daily life in the Jr. High?

After 17 years of teaching at SAA-SDS, the pillars have become part of the day. Service is expected and the students serve others freely. Junior high students have an extreme sense of right and wrong. This is the perfect age to discuss how we can help others both in our immediate community and in the greater community at large. I think I take the pillar of prayer for granted. I am so accustomed to praying with and for the students that I can’t imagine being in a classroom where prayer isn’t allowed.

What do hope to accomplish as an educator?

After enough experience in the classroom, one understands that the material is probably what a student remembers the least! I hope my students leave 8th grade knowing they were loved, respected, and appreciated! The greatest award I can receive as an educator comes when students write me sweet letters or when a student comes back to visit. I hear how much I'm missed!

How do you brings lessons to life for your students?

I want students to understand that in math there is more than one way to approach or solve a problem. Many students think there is one right way to do the math, and, for many, that right way is elusive.  I want students to realize that every thought process is valuable. I ask students to share their thought processes. This allows the class to see that there isn’t “one right way.”