Faculty on Fire

Maria Rinehart

After graduating from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Maria Rinehart had no idea what to do next. A friend informed her Santa Fe College was looking for adjunct instructors to teach Math and shortly thereafter, not the program coordinator asked if she could start work the next day?  Maria did just that and promptly fell in love with teaching - especially students who may need additional academic support.

Professor Rinehart actually started her teaching career around the age of 9 when she would host a “summer camp” on her back porch for neighborhood children where she mentored them in reading, math and science. A couple years later, she realized the family’s housekeeper did not know how to read or write, so she decided to remedy the situation, explaining “I took the time every day after school in which I gave her lessons. She learned well enough to be able to read books, write letters, and she learned arithmetic to the point that later in life she owned her own little business and she did her own accounting.”

Professor Rinehart explains how she practices transparency and inclusivity techniques in her classroom, “I use a philosophy of kindness, trust, and respect in all my Math classes … students are encouraged to ask and answer questions during lessons and activities. They feel safe participating in class, and this allows them to reach for higher levels of learning and success.” She has also found that sharing her own experiences as a student - the struggles and the successes – has increased commonality with her students. Additionally, she shares testimonials of her former students and how they succeeded with perseverance, hard work, and support from teachers, family, and friends.

With the COVID 19 pandemic and the sudden switch to remote teaching, she had to develop new math delivery strategies and refine her communication methods, so students understand she is still there for them - watching, listening and ready to help. The diverse student population is the best part about Professor Rinehart’s teaching experience at Santa Fe College. Not only the wide range of her students’ previous educational experiences - from GED to some previous college - but she once had a class of 30 students with a total of 17 nationalities.

Her natural teaching abilities were supported and encouraged by several positive role models – the most important being her father, explaining, “He paved a road of optimism and love for me, and of love for mathematics as well.” Professor Rinehart’s attributes her success as a teacher to the community of support in the Math department at Santa Fe College. She credits her Chair, Katey Arnold, for having a deep understanding of the faculty and students, regular departmental meetings focused on helping students, and always sharing best practices and technology tips.

This natural-born teacher enjoys opportunities to learn and grow herself. She added in closing, “I like being able to map out my own growth …. This allows for making reflections on good practices, and practices that didn't produce good results.”