LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Amy Gallagher was nominated anonymously.

Ms. Gallagher teaches 7th and 8th-grade math. She teaches different ability levels in her classroom, as well, where students with IEPs are included. At times, students need to see the problems in a different way than the book presents. Her teaching style is impressive, as evidenced by her winning the Ashtabula County Education Impact Award in 2019.

As a teacher of students with special needs, Ms. Gallagher lets students know that everyone has talents and everyone has challenges. She is very open with them about her difficulty with social studies and history classes throughout college. Ms. Gallagher tells students that she knew she would not be able to be a history teacher because she couldn't remember all of the information needed, and also really doesn't find it interesting. However, she loves math and thinks of it as a puzzle. Ms. Gallagher makes sure her students know that they will make mistakes in their math class, including her. Sometimes, Ms. Gallagher makes a mistake on a problem; she lets her students know that it is expected when you learn math.

Ms. Gallagher will also be teaching an extra class this year that is designed to help students who have not mastered grade-level skills for solving equations and graphing linear equations or proportional relationships. She proposed this class to the administration after watching all 7th and 8th graders struggle with mastering grade-level concepts. These two basic skills are necessary for success in all high school-level math classes needed for graduation. Providing students with these skills is essential for their success in high school.