After becoming a math tutor in 2017 and student teaching at Chapel Hill High school in 2022, Jade Sweeney knew she wanted to stay as a permanent teacher.
“I really liked it [teaching at Chapel Hill High School]. I think last year I had a really good year, and I think this year so far has been even better,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2022, majoring in Human Development and Family Studies and minoring in mathematics.
“I just like doing math, so that’s not necessarily something you’re always doing in other careers,” Sweeney said. “Also I’ve done a lot of educational avenues: I worked at an education nonprofit; I’ve worked at other schools.”
Sweeney grew up in Jacksonville, NC, around a three-hour drive away from Chapel Hill. She enjoys Chapel Hill High School’s visual and performing arts opportunities, having herself been a member of the band program at White Oak High School.
“I did band in high school, and I was very attached to the school. There are other avenues as well, but I did band and that was my attachment to the school. if you didn’t do something like band or a sport, then you just had very few connections to the school,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney became a math tutor in 2017, which she said helped steer her to become a math teacher.
“I’m very into education and what it does for society, as well as how it can be improved, so I think that interest is kind of what pushed me into being a math teacher,” Sweeney said.
Last year, she served as Blake Norris’s student teacher at Chapel Hill High School. Norris said Sweeney is a welcome addition to the math department.
“Obviously having worked with her during her student teaching time, I had the opportunity to offer my two cents to the department, to the administration,” he said. “Just based on what I’ve seen, I knew how great of an addition she would be to the department.”
Junior Miles Catlett echoed a similar opinion to Norris and said she is an effective educator.
“Her teaching method is laid back but effective. We’ll go over some problems and try some on our own, and then we’ll have time to do homework and ask questions. She’s also really good at helping one on one,” Catlett said.
Fellow junior Ethan Rodriguez had similar thoughts about Sweeney as a teacher.
“I think her teaching style is different, possibly because it is her first year [at Chapel Hill High School], but I like it and am really happy to have her as a teacher,” Rodriguez said.
With her students and colleagues liking her teaching style, Sweeney said she hopes to become a veteran teacher at Chapel Hill High School.
“Absolutely [I want to stay long-term]. I’m really excited to be here and I would love to stay,” Sweeney said.
