Faculty Spotlight: Tracey Meade

Faculty Spotlight: Tracey Meade

Ben Haggard, Writer

Tracey Meade is an amazing math teacher at Davis High School, but she is much more than just a teacher. Ms. Meade is a friend, supporter, and a genuine person who wants to help her students succeed in and out of the classroom.

Ms. Meade has always wanted to be a teacher.

“I always wanted to teach, but I really wanted to teach a subject where the teacher really made a difference” said Tracey.

Ms. Meade has always focused on how she can affect her students and change their school experience for the better. She enjoys the challenge of finding ways to connect with her students, and also the social aspect of her job.

Tracey Meade has jokingly been referred to as the “season ticket holder” of all school events. She enjoys attending school events and supporting all of her students. She likes to attend because it shows her students that she cares about them outside of the classroom.

“Its not just about how they are in math, and just about them sitting in my classroom, but that I care about them on a bigger level than that” she said, explaining why she attends school events.

Ms. Meade cares for her students and wants them to know it.

Ms. Meade shared an experience about how early on in her teaching career there was a student in her class that acted very disinterested. She was concerned about being able to reach her student educationally and emotionally.

But when she went to a wrestling match one night and saw her student was an amazing wrestler. The next day in class, she brought it up to him and they were able to become closer and more comfortable in class.

Ms. Meade is still able to recall some specific moments that were very intriguing. After that experience, he was much more interested in class and would talk to Ms. Meade often.

The love of her students drives Tracey to discover ways to connect with them. Showing she cares for her students is one of the ways she connects with them.

“They are interested in my class because they know I am interested in them” she said.

One of Tracey Meade’s goals for her students is for all of them to pass the AP test, with at least an 85%, resulting in a 5. This is a lofty goal but still reachable for a great teacher such as Tracey.

Ms. Meade is a very successful teacher. She designed the calculus curriculum for Davis High, as well as starting the Statistics department.

This year Ms. Meade teaches AP/BC Calculus and Secondary III Honors. Both of these classes have a history of being very successful at Davis High and Ms. Meade is a big reason for that.

While she’s had an amazing amount of success, not everything has gone smoothly.

“Hybrid was a nightmare. During that time I got behind by about half a unit, which is frankly sort of miraculous that we are still that close to being on.” She said, explaining the difficulties she’s had to endure this past year.

With this year being so difficult for many schools around the state, there is an optional later AP test date which the BC calculus classes will take this year. Ms. Meade is a fan of the later test date because it allows her to add her review in again. She predicts that the AP class is in good shape to pass the test.

The key to preparing her students to be successful according to Ms. Meade is “Practice, practice, practice, practice” near the end of the year in late 3rd term the class has already learned all of the material.

Now the classes just have to go over what they have already learned; review quizzes, assignments, and many practice questions, along with test questions from previous years.

“It makes all the difference in the world to have them prepared, and know when they get to a question on the test, they have seen one like it” said Ms. Meade.

This kind of preparation is how Ms. Meade empowers her students to be extremely successful.

The care she has for her students outside of the classroom shows that Tracey Meade is a prime example of a teacher who goes above and beyond for her students.