Welcome New Math Teacher Mrs. Fairchild!

posted September 15, 2022

Karen Fairchild is joining the Cardinal team to teach high school math: Algebra 1, Geometry, and general math. We are so excited to have her teaching our students! We asked her some questions so you could get to know her a bit as the school year begins. 

Why did you want to teach at Cardinal?

I've lived in Eddyville the last 19 years. Cardinal has an incredibly positive reputation in the south central Iowa area, and I've wanted to be part of that awesomeness. I know that I made the right choice to become a Cardinal Comet because I've already experienced a lot of the positivity and welcoming attitude that I had heard about. I am so glad to be here.

How long have you been teaching?
This is my fifth year teaching. I was a paraeducator and substitute teacher for three years before that.

What do you like about teaching math?

High school students are capable of learning math at a level that really stretches their developing reasoning and abstraction skills, and it is incredibly gratifying to see students understand a math concept they initially thought was too difficult to grasp. I really like this age because they can be especially brutally honest with me, whether it's what I want to hear or not.

I also have a class of 8th graders enrolled in Algebra I. Since I also have my talented and gifted teaching endorsement, I love working an accelerated group of students.

What is your favorite part of being a teacher?

I have a lot of favorite things about being a teacher, but my favorite is probably when students have their "a-ha" moment with a concept they previously found very difficult.

I love building relationships with students who may or may not like the subject I teach. I love seeing how students work through problems in different and creative ways, sometimes in ways that are new to me.

What is your ultimate goal as a teacher?

I want to continue to finish my graduate-level certificate in math so that I can possibly teach dual-enrollment courses in a couple of years. I want my students to walk out of my classroom knowing something more than they knew before walking into my classroom, whether it is mathematical knowledge I've taught them or not.

What do you hope students take away from your class this year?

I want students to know they are welcome in my classroom. It's okay to not like math, but it's not okay to not try at math. I want them to walk out of my classroom knowing they can solve problems, whether the problems are mathematical or not. I also hope they know that it is okay for everyone to be human and make mistakes sometimes. Mathematical thinking requires making some mistakes, and that's okay.

Fun Facts/Hobbies:

My family has four spoiled house bunnies. I have been married to my husband Richard for 19 years, and we have three daughters: Julia is 21 and is a fiber artist, Katie is 18 and is a freshman at Central College, and Lillian is 16 and in her "jenior" (combined junior and senior) year at EBF. 

Teaching is my second career. I used to work in healthcare as a nurse and in medical documentation. I can read and write in braille.