Article written by Ainsley Hall and published in The Journal on March 25, 2026, link to article HERE.
Musselman High School math teachers presented at the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (WVCTM) conference on March 13 and 14 at the Stonewall Resort. Elaine Cook, Sara Porter and Laura Jarrett had the chance to share their resources and help other teachers improve their classroom.
For several years now Cook, Porter and Jarrett have been involved in the WVCTM conference to connect with other teachers across the state. Cook first invited them through Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teachers (M3T), a teacher-led organization that brings West Virginia math teachers together to better teach students. In order to present at the conference, they had to prepare their presentation, apply and have their presentation approved. They are given a time slot where teachers interested in their topic can come listen and learn about their work.
This year, the three teachers prepared a presentation about improving students ability to argue and debate about math. Individually, Cook created a presentation about motion sensors that help students have a better understanding of difficult algebra concepts. The sensors look at slopes, Y intercepts and other things that relate to physical movement. She shared this technology and taught other teachers how to implement it in their classrooms. Porter talked about different ideas she’s implemented into the classroom to get students talking about math. Showing data she’s collected in her class, Porter’s goal was to create a collaborative classroom where students work together and are excited to learn. Meanwhile, Jarrett taught others about incorporating SAT practice into the classroom on a regular basis. Her main goal was to give teachers resources and show them that it's possible.
“When you go to the conference and you get to have someone else’s resources that worked in their classroom, that they’re going to talk to you about and go through with you, the teachers just salivate with energy and confidence,” Jarrett said. “They realize that they can go do this because they have the tool and don’t have to spend hours making this tool.”
When Jarrett saw the impact she could make just by sharing resources with other teachers and giving them more time to dedicate to helping their students, she knew she wanted to share the strategies she’s implemented in her classroom. Porter explained that sometimes teaching can feel isolated but having a network that shares what works can help lighten the load and make teachers feel more confident.
Presenting at the conference also helped Cook, Porter and Jarrett to build confidence in their own skills as teachers. Seeing other teachers interested and eager to implement their ideas in their classrooms validated the work they’ve done to help their students and other students across the state.