Golden Apple Award: Jennifer Brewer, Boyd Buchanan
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – A-P Calculus is one of the most challenging classes on any high school curriculum. Jennifer Brewer has a gift for making her students at Boyd Buchanan understand and even appreciate the subject. Her outstanding problem-solving skills earned Mrs. Brewer this week’s Golden Apple Award.
“She is so passionate about teaching math and critical thinking skills that kids will use forever. She wants everyone to know that their brain was designed to do math.
And her uh support as an administrator, she’s the the best,” Renee Hood, Upper School Division Head of Boyd Buchanan School said.
“Well, my name is Jennifer Brewer and I love teaching math. I’ve been teaching for 25 years at Boyd Buchannan School and I tell students all the time
to find something that you love to do and do it well. I’m passionate about teaching math. I’m passionate about my school and my mission of teaching Jesus during the
school day. And I get to do that every day all day long,” Jennifer Brewer, Math Teacher at Boyd Buchanan School said.
“Uh I’ve got two wonderful children that go to school here. I’m the mom of two boys and husband name is Will Brewer.
I have several mentors in my life. One is Mary Helen Wood. She is a Chattanoogan. She was my math teacher, and then my principal.
And then I actually got to work for her and really hone my teaching skills under her. I also would attribute some of my success to um Mrs. Roland uh in first grade.
She said, “You are a mathematician.” And I believed it and that’s where I am today,” Brewer said.
“I want to make a difference. I feel it’s important for students to believe in themselves. It’s important for them to know that they can do hard things. I like to create a space where students can do hard things in a very safe environment,” Brewer said.
“The place that the priority that she puts on this class is amazing. It’s like there’s not one time where she doesn’t care about you. She she will work as
long as she needs to make you understand the subject,” Noah Weeks, Junior at Boyd Buchanan School said.
“I mean, being here kind of gets me excited about math cuz like she shows us like the applications of it. So like we really get to like know what
we’re doing besides just like looking at numbers,” Reid Staples, Senior at Boyd Buchanan School said.
“She uses Jesus through all her math which is a great way to, you know, better our faith and math at the same time. And she’s always there for us.
Even outside of the math classroom, like in our social life, any kind of other things we have going on, she’s always there for us,” Macy Beard, Senior at Boyd Buchanan School said.
“She’s always willing to help us no matter what it is. Even like if you’re struggling in class, she’ll be patient with you and guide you through it rather
than just leaving you in the dust and telling you to do it on your own time. She’s willing to help you always, no matter what,” Parker Plumlee, Senior at Boyd Buchanan School said.
“I want them to know that they’re loved. I want them to know that they can do anything that they really set their mind to do. I want them to know that they are created by a heavenly father and that he believes that they can do anything,” Brewer said.
