How This High School Teacher Gets Students to Challenge Themselves in Math

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When Salvador Quijada, a seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher at Philip's Academy Charter School, looks back on his own journey as a mathematician, he credits a high school math teacher who encouraged him to take AP calculus. Quijada said his teacher's belief that he could succeed allowed him to challenge himself in ways he otherwise would not have considered.

Now, Quijada channels that positivity into his lessons. Last year, she approached Philip Principal Yasmeen Sampson and asked her to pilot a new, accelerated program to help prepare more students for Algebra 1.

State math test scores remain a concern, as Newark's overall passing rate is 15% for students in grades 3-9. Both the city's traditional public and charter schools have prioritized increasing math proficiency during the 2023-24 school year.

Quijada believes that giving students the opportunity to work on more difficult equations fosters enthusiasm for the subject. He said this year, his accelerated students have appreciated the opportunity to be challenged and have flourished in Quijada's classroom.

In a recent interview with Chalkbeat Newark, Quijada, who is in his seventh year teaching at the preK-8 school, spoke about his passion for mathematics and his desire to pass it on to the young mathematicians at Philip's Academy Charter.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I was a student at the New Jersey Institute of technology and came to Philip's Academy as part of a work-study tutoring program. I enjoyed watching students increase their appreciation for mathematics and thought about my favorite mathematics teacher, who inspired me to pursue a career in mathematics. Due to all these factors and many reflections, I decided to change my career path to become a high school mathematics teacher. It has been the best decision. I enjoy coming to work and helping my students in any way I can!

What is your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My favorite lesson is how to solve and write algebraic equations because algebra is the basis of all mathematics. Students always enjoy it because they get joy from solving a difficult equation and finding the value of an unknown variable!

What is the best advice you have received and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I have received has been to get children to talk in class. It seems like a counterproductive situation, but it promotes engagement and higher learning when children talk to each other. They learn more from each other! Children can talk about a problem and reason their thinking, and this allows errors to be understood much better. We do a lot of group work, especially when using our vertical learning surfaces: we work on problems on our windows or whiteboards, which gets the kids up and moving.

What new issues arose in your classroom during the most recent school year and how did you address them?

There were many students who needed an extra push in terms of mathematics. Another teacher and I saw many students who excelled in math, so we wanted to bring an accelerated version of the seventh grade curriculum. We wanted to offer a challenge and help them become more successful and avoid stagnating. We brought the idea to Principal Sampson and she encouraged us to go ahead. I did the research to find the right curriculum. The children definitely enjoy the work and challenge that the class brings. They are collaborating, arguing and working hard.

What is happening in the community that affects what happens inside your classroom?

There are always so many things to do in Newark! As a Newark resident, I see new restaurants, shows, and opportunities for culture and the arts. We have taken students to the museum, the New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts, and Prudential Center events. I normally teach STEM classes for electives, but we have been working on exposing students to more holistic experiences, so I applied to teach percussion. In this class, we look at a variety of percussion styles from around the world and learn different rhythms to immerse ourselves in different musical genres.

How do you address news events in your classroom?

I like to be transparent with children and talk about things. Our Leader in Me classes promote time dedicated to discussions and social-emotional learning, which are extremely important. Academics always share their feelings and great perspectives as young citizens of the world.

Tell us something you have done as a teacher that you are especially proud of.

I am especially proud of creating a classroom environment that fosters respect, learning, and participation for all who enter. I always want my students to feel comfortable and safe, even when they make mistakes. I try to emulate my favorite teachers throughout my life. In my first year as a teacher, I had a student who always challenged me and made teaching difficult for me. I really had to learn to work with him and get to know him to better support him. Once I was able to build a relationship with him, it was much easier to teach him. Now, seven years later, I still keep in touch with him and enjoy hearing about all of his accomplishments.

chalk beat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

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