Daniel West

After graduating from the University of New Haven in Connecticut, the campus welcomed a new precalculus teacher at the beginning of the year, Daniel West. Wingspan interviewed him to learn more about his journey so far and what he would like to accomplish this year. 

Wingspan: What made you want to teach in the Frisco ISD?

West: “I chose FISD because Frisco is a great area and FISD has a great reputation.” 

Wingspan: What made you decide that you wanted to teach? 

West: “I’ve always loved sharing ideas with people and have had a lot of friends and family tell me I should be a teacher. Being able to do what I love and teach subjects that interest me as a job is truly a wonderful experience.”

Wingspan: What got you to follow the career path to becoming a teacher?

West: “I was a student teacher in college and have also tutored quite a bit in various subjects, including math, physics, music, and Spanish. I really love academia and being able to help people learn challenging subjects, so teaching seemed like the perfect fit.” 

Wingspan: Why math in particular?

West: “Math is one of my passions. I’ve always loved math, physics, science, and logic. Math in particular is endlessly fascinating to me, and so I wanted to have the opportunity to share some of that enthusiasm and passion with others. Most people I talk to really do not like math, and I’m hoping I can make some small difference to change that.”

Wingspan: What’s your favorite color? 

West: “My favorite color has always been blue.”

Wingspan: What’s your favorite season? 

West: “I think fall is nice, especially when I lived in Georgia as well as in Connecticut. The temperature is great and the leaves are beautiful as they’re changing colors.” 

Wingspan: What is one word that describes you? 

West: “Pensive.”

Wingspan: What college did you go to and how was your time there? 

West: “I went to several colleges, but the one I graduated from was University of New Haven in Connecticut. It was a good experience. Nothing exceptional but I learned a lot and met plenty of great people. I took my work very seriously and did exceptionally well and was on good terms with all of my professors.”

Wingspan: What so far has been the most confusing or difficult thing to adjust to on campus? 

West: “It’s been pretty overwhelming learning all the online stuff, administrative stuff, keeping up with countless emails, and so much more. Luckily I sincerely enjoy the teaching aspect and the students and teachers. Otherwise I probably would consider doing something else because the job does keep me very busy at all times.”

Wingspan: What book genre(s) do you like best? West: “I tend to enjoy philosophy books, certain types of sci-fi, and dystopian novels.”

Wingspan: What would you say to students who say that math will never be used in the real world? 

West: “I grant that most people will never have to use anything more than basic arithmetic, geometry, and perhaps some basic algebra in their day to day lives. But math is clearly very useful and all of the technology we rely on wouldn’t exist without it. Mathematical thinking is also very powerful and can be used to solve real-world problems even for the average person.”

Wingspan: What would you say your teaching style is like? 

West: “I’m pretty laid-back and am mostly focused on making the material understandable for students, perhaps cracking some jokes here and there to lighten things up. I am still developing my style but I like to identify common mistakes and then teach in such a way that will minimize students making those mistakes, both by example and by having them participate.”

Wingspan: What would you like to accomplish this year? 

West: “I would love to just get the hang of everything so I don’t feel like I’m overwhelmed all the time. And I really want to see my students do well and have the occasional ah ha moment. All of the teachers have been so helpful and, well, that I can’t thank them enough. Before the end of this year I’d like to be someone that people can go to for help and give back similar to what everyone has done for me.”