Where are you based?
I am currently living in the Town of Oyster Bay on the north shore of Long Island, NY.
Tell us a little bit about your background in education prior to joining Prisma.
I’ve been working on curriculum and teaching math in public high schools for about 20 years! (That can’t be right, can it? I’m not that old, am I? ) I started in the New York City public school system as a Teaching Fellow as I was working on my MS in Math Education at City College. After a move to Pittsburgh, I worked in another public school teaching 9th-12th grade students. I’ve taught everything from Pre-Algebra through college-level math, and have built sets of robust and practical math elective courses appealing to learners of all interests. I can’t wait to work with our talented team to bring similar ideas to Prisma High School!
What’s the difference between being a Math Learning Coach at Prisma and teaching math at a more traditional school?
So much! For starters, it’s the amount of thought and care we put into designing meaningful and practical lessons to engage all learners. In a traditional school, where test scores rule the world, the priority is boosting a school’s ranking on standardized tests rather than engaging learners. While tests are important for learners seeking higher education, it actually is possible to focus on practicality and future skills while simultaneously building skills to score well on tests. A second difference is how well I get to know Prisma learners. In a traditional school, learners are funnelled into a track and expected to sink or swim. Problems get swept under the rug and learners are pushed along to the next year or course for someone else to “deal with.” The amount of support and check-ins our learners have at Prisma is unparalleled compared to anywhere else I’ve ever worked.
If you could pick one skill that all kids should master to prepare for the world of the future, what would it be and why?
I’m going to go with a non-math answer and say empathy. The world in which we currently live becomes more divisive and polarized by the day. Everything is seen as right or wrong, black or white, with nobody wanting to see grey areas or appreciate others’ points of view. One simple way to improve our empathy is mindfully and purposefully working on our listening skills, and digesting what others are saying using logical reasoning. (Hey, look at that, logical reasoning is a math skill after all!)
What do you like to learn about, or what is something new you learned recently?
I love studying foreign languages (I’m always working on my French and Russian, and I’m about to embark on learning Spanish.) I like to work on my cooking and baking skills (I took a croissant baking class with a good friend a few weeks ago). My move to Long Island has inspired me to take surfing lessons! On the more “math-y” side, I’m into Cosmology and I am learning Python. Someday I’d like to learn to play piano and fly a plane. It could happen!
Prisma is the world’s most engaging virtual school that prepares kids for the ever-changing world of the future. Our team of educators have a diverse background of experience on the cutting edge of teaching and learning, whether they’ve worked in brick and mortar schools or dynamic online environments. In our Meet the Team blog series, you’ll get to read more about the amazing educators behind Prisma.
Todd Forsyth joined Prisma in Fall 2023 as a Math Learning Coach in our High School program.
