High school math teacher Jane Bugden is known and loved by many students. Bugden teaches her students by periodically using creative projects to solidify a subject’s content, such as the “Parallel City” project students do in her geometry class, making a city with different angles, and encouraging students to be creative in their work.
Bugden is the type of teacher who encourages students and their creative learning, fostering a positive learning environment.
“Ms. Bugden understands the minds of her students. Her students can be themselves in her class, whilst still showing her respect,” junior Juju Fisher said.
Bugden’s students talk very positively about her and her ways of teaching, and the learning environment in her classroom.
“Ms. Bugden is just a fun teacher that will also teach you at a professional status. She balances fun and learning time,” junior Parker Wilt said.
Bugden teaches many different levels of math, including Academic Geometry, Academic Algebra I, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Honors Algebra II.
EE: What inspired you to go into teaching and/or choose the subject you teach?
JB: “Teaching always came naturally to me and along with my propensity toward math, becoming a math teacher made sense.”
EE: What is your favorite thing about teaching?
JB: “I seem to teach the best group of students every year. I’m very fortunate.”
EE: What are some of your hobbies and interests?
JB: “Traveling. My favorite trips so far have been to Bali, Costa Rica, Poland and the United Kingdom. I’ve managed to visit 34 states and hope to check more off of my bucket list. Other interests include going to concerts; listening to music and reading; completing escape rooms; watching and cheering for the Buffalo Bills; and spending quality time with friends and family.”
EE: What is some good advice you’ve been given as a teacher?
JB: “That all students ‘can do math’. My goal is to help every student feel some achievement in math class.”
EE: What is the hardest part of teaching and why?
JB: “At this point in my career as a teacher, the hardest part for me is being humble and accepting that being a professional with years of education and work experience inside and outside of the classroom, is often not respected or compensated adequately.”
EE: What are some of the jobs you held before getting into teaching?
JB: “In between teaching positions, I spent 15 years working for a healthcare analytics company, Initially, I was hired as a data analyst and eventually promoted to a Director position prior to leaving the company. Other jobs I have held over the years include textbook editor, adjunct professor at a community college, hostess in a restaurant, ticket taker at Walt Disney World, and office temp worker for various companies.”
EE: What is your best advice to students?
JB: “Never, never, never give up. We do not know what tomorrow holds. It might just be the answer we are looking for.”
