Angela Clem has been through something that a lot of adults have dealt with. She owned her own custom picture framing shop and she felt a calling to be a teacher. Instead of going for it, she ignored it. But eventually, it became too much to ignore.
“I did not see myself as an educator,” she said. “I felt quite intimidated going back to school after twenty plus years. With a lot of support from my family and friends, I graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University with a Bachelors in Mathematics Education. I look forward to meeting new faces every year and getting to watch the growth each one of them gains throughout the year. Education has many hurdles but the rewards are great.”
Clem teaches Geometry and Business Finance at Woodward High School. In the past, she has also taught Algebra I and College Career Math Ready. She and her husband Bill have been married for twenty-six years. They have two sons; Brennan is a junior at Oklahoma State University and Blayze is a sophomore at Sharon-Mutual High School.
As most any new teacher appreciates, advice was plenty for Clem when she started teaching in the classroom. Some of the best advice she received was from her professors at NWOSU.
“They told me to never stop learning,” she said. “Also, meet each student where they are and help each one reach their individual success. First year will be hard, and it was, but each year will get better, which it has.”
In her fourth year as a teacher, Angela says that she enjoys a lot of great moments in the classroom, but for her there is one moment that is best of all.
“The most enjoyable thing about being an educator is when I get to see the moment a student understands the concepts being presented,” she said. “The ‘Ah Ha’ moment I like to call it. I try to make connections for the students to relate what is being presented to real world applications.”
When she is not teaching or preparing lessons, Clem enjoys a variety of ways to spend her time.
“I enjoy being with my family and swimming as much as possible,” she said. “We live on a small farm and I enjoy being outside.”
