Teacher Feature: Matthew Adams

Matthew Adams is an amazing math teacher at Cedar Falls High School, and sophomore Thelma Culpepper really appreciates “ that Mr. Adams is able to keep a good environment where we are able to learn but also still have fun and joke around.”

Adams said he believes in getting to know his students and setting clear expectations. He said, “The biggest thing I try to do at the beginning of the school year is to learn each of my students’ names by the third day. I think it is important to show each of my students that I care about them and want to get to know them.”

Culpepper also said that Adams can tell when students are confused and offers help. “Mr. Adams is very helpful in answering questions, and even though I don’t ask them a lot, he is able to tell when I am confused and will come help.”

Adams uses fun activities to keep everyone motivated. Thelma said, “He gets everyone motivated by doing fun activities and games related to math.”

Adams said he knows that engaging students is key to a successful classroom, as he learned early in his career, “The biggest thing I learned from my first year of teaching is I need to focus on getting students motivated to try in my class.”

Despite the challenge of balancing work and life, Adams stays dedicated to his students. He said, “Work life balance has easily been the hardest. It is very easy to get wrapped up in creating a lesson, grading, etc. and forget about life outside of school.” 

Yet, his passion for teaching shines through, making his lessons enjoyable and effective. Culpepper said, “A lesson is enjoyable in his classroom because he jokes around with us even while we are learning.”