Who is Ms. Biscombe? JLA’s newest math teacher has been praised by many students for: “helping me understand math,” “being really nice to me,” and “answering all of my questions without judging me. ” But how did Ms. Biscombe come to be our beloved JLA math teacher we know today?
Ms. Biscombe attended both Florida International University and Barry University. She worked hard to attain her national board certification. When I interviewed her, she explained the extensive process it took to become a teacher. “I submitted a portfolio… lessons of my students working in groups… and lessons of my class as a whole.”
She also went to many conferences to present her work, and was tested on her knowledge of math saying, “I think why it was so successful was because I learned so much… I learned calculus at a higher level and I knew more than I got tested on so I felt good but at the same point I didn’t feel like it assessed me in terms of my knowledge.”
Ms. Biscombe knew so much; she was the only person to get a 100% on her university calculus exam. Her old professor still brags about her! “And to this day,” Ms. Biscombe recalls, “when he sees me he reminds people that I am the only person who ever got 100% on the [exam].”
Even though Ms. Biscombe has dedicated her life to teaching math, her first teaching job was with environmental studies. This, however, didn’t stop her from including math in her lessons. “My lessons were all about the environment and recycling and seeing the difference we could make in the world […] I was always there interrupting the teacher’s math class.” This inspired Ms. Biscombe, who shifted her lessons to include her passion, math. “So I chose to weave in the lessons of math and have that be what I merged with the environmental awareness” These lessons led Ms. Biscombe to teach Math.
Ms. Biscombe has changed students’ lives. In her first school, she helped students tie what they were learning to real life; specifically, she helped seniors get started in their careers. She is also making a big impact here at JLA. As Menucha, a 9th grader, states, “Ms. Biscombe has helped me grow in math, and takes my opinions into account.”
Ms. Biscombe is equally excited to be at JLA. As she said, “JLA for me was a possibility to be part of a beginning of a new school and I think it really gives me the chance to grow and expand my knowledge and participate and professionally grow as an educator”
Ms. Biscombe is an awesome teacher and has done many amazing things. From being the only person to ever get a 100% on a calculus exam to volunteering with students, Ms Biscombe has many accomplishments. This being said, she is looking to the future. “I am excited to let people know who I really am because I feel like I have a lot to offer but I am still trying to prove who I am as an educator and my heart. I just really want my students to learn, but I am also willing to let them know that I screw up and make mistakes too.” Ms. Biscombe is a wonderful teacher and we are so grateful to have her here.
