Kortney Smith is the Pre-Calculus, statistics, and AP Calculus teacher. Wingspan sat down with her to learn more about her and her teaching ways.

Wingspan: When did you decide to become a teacher and why did you choose this field?

Smith: “I decided in graduate school, I was a math major and I wanted to help other people. I went to observe a sixth grade class and that’s when I decided this is what I want to do. That’s when I started my major in education, 13 years ago.”

Wingspan: What personal strengths do you find especially helpful in your teaching?

Smith: “Probably being patient and having a good sense of humor and laugh a lot. Being well organized is helpful too.”

Wingspan: What do you like most about teaching as a career?

Smith: “Really just working with students and getting to see them from year to year when they come back and visit you and those sorts of things. I like seeing their progress throughout the year and through the future.”

Wingspan: Describe your teaching style.

Smith: “My teaching style is a bit laid back, sometimes too nice, but we work really hard and move pretty fast.”

Wingspan: What’s the greatest success you have had in teaching?

Smith: “Usually back to when I was coaching, I coached cheerleading and I took girls to their first ever cheer competition. I took them out of the state, like going to New Jersey, so that was a really big deal. I was really proud of that. And this year I’m really excited because it’s my first year to teach AP.”

Wingspan: What do you think is the greatest challenge facing students today?

Smith: “Cellphones. It’s hard because a lot of people have instant gratifications, so it’s gonna take me a year to learn this. I’d just do it right now or today or know the answer immediately, but to wait.”

Wingspan: Why did you choose to teach here?

Smith: “I heard great things about this school and the district. I’ve always wanted to teach here and then whenever my boss interviewed me, I loved it. It was just perfect.”

Wingspan: What were you doing before you came here?

Smith: “I was still a teacher, I was teaching in Louisville.”

Wingspan: Why did you choose to teach high school students?

Smith: “I felt like I remember being in high school and that I could relate to students, maybe more. But now that I’m older, it’s getting harder. I really like high school students, they’re my favorite.”

Wingspan: What do you want students to remember about your class?

Smith: “I want them to remember that they had fun, felt safe, and that they felt more in a community.”

Updated (9:15 p.m.): This story was update to correct the spelling of Kortney which was mistakenly spelled Kourtney.