WOODVILLE, Ala. — It didn’t take long for one math teacher in Jackson County to impress his students. After just two years of teaching, he’s able to show how far numbers will go.
This week's Valley's Top Teacher is Ryan West, and he loves math and loves his students.
In West's class, math is fun, and he loves his subject. "I've always enjoyed math. From the time I was a kid like them, I enjoyed competing. I enjoyed the numbers. It's something that is concrete. It is what it is," said West.
We know working with numbers is no easy feat. Just ask 6th-grade student Lily Lambert. "If I was having trouble in a math class. I could go in there and I could bring the problem and I would understand it within minutes," said Lambert.
His kindness and understanding led her to nominate him West for Valley's Top Teacher. "He is an amazing math teacher and an amazing teacher overall. If anybody deserves this prize it's him," added Lamber/
West says his goal is to make a difference, and he loves seeing the lightbulb moments. "You take a child that thinks that, 'I can't do this.' and 'I'm going to struggle with this', and you can just get down and you can get dirty and you can work, and you can keep working and keep grinding and when they finally it clicks, and you say 'wow, I did that."
Math on some days doesn't click for the kids. And West says, "There's days that are bad and there are days that you feel that you're defeated, but you come in and just put your shoes on and come back the next day and let's hit it again. It's all about the kids. Without them, none of us would be here."
To nominate your favorite teacher to be the Valley's Top Teacher, click here.
[RYAN WEST TOP TEACHER SURPRISE]
