Natalie Montoney has been tied to ISU for a while now, from first being an intern at U-High and cheerleader at ISU, to now working as a mathematics teacher while also being the assistant coach of ISU cheerleading.
While having a lot of her activities revolving around ISU, Montoney is not originally from Bloomington-Normal, IL. She is actually from the Chicago Suburbs. When she made her decision to move to Normal it was an easy choice.
“I mostly chose to work here because I interned here and I got the chance to fall in love with it [U-High] before even noticing other schools. I am from the Chicago suburbs and I knew I didn’t want to move back there because the people are less nice than here and I really enjoy the community here,” Montoney said. “Then when I interned I got the chance to see how everything worked and I liked the freedoms of it and the [math] department and all that on top of great students, and having a job opening. It just felt too good to be true.”
Montoney’s choice to teach math was also an easy one for her to make. When she was younger she knew it was her calling to be a teacher.
“I liked math in high school, and I really didn’t like it in college,” Montoney said. “I think both of those together made me want to teach it because I saw what a good teacher could do for you and [help you] want to learn it and have a desire to learn more, and then also what a bad teacher can do and make you want to have nothing to do with it [math].”
Math is a subject that many students struggle with. In the face of such struggles, the U-High math department lends not just support from teacher to students but also teacher to teacher. Math teacher Katherine Smith identified many activities the math department participates in together to help achieve a close, supportive environment.
“The best part of the department is being surrounded by high quality teachers that can push you and help you to get better,” Smith said. “We also just have a lot of fun here, like sometimes we throw lunch in for each other and for someone’s birthday we decorate and bring in treats. We just do little things to build community here and make each other feel valued.”
A previous student of Montoney’s geometry class, Allie Hougas, expressed an appreciation for Montony’s teaching style.
“In class there was a good balance of learning material and being able to practice in our own time,” Hougas said. “I was able to ask questions if I had any, but I also got a lot of work time.”
Montoney also has a busy life outside of being a math teacher as assistant cheer coach at ISU and raising two kids, one being only four months old.
“It is tiring and rewarding. I know that I could drop coaching, I know that I could do less, but all of those aspects are really rewarding,” Montoney said. “It’s definitely a balancing act; I think just having people who support me helps.”
Overall, Montoney feels the U-High atmosphere benefits her as a teacher.
“I think our [U-High] students are just unique, I really enjoy working with them,” Montoney said. “Even though it is a public school, the fact that you have to apply means somebody wants you to be here. So I think that most of the kids really want to be here and enjoy learning and the freedom that we have to try different things, teaching methods, and strategies is very exciting.”
