Hanna Treece is an algebra II teacher at Coppell High School; this will be her second year teaching at CHS. Treece is known for dressing up extravagantly on Fridays and homecoming week. Her approach to teaching is incorporating music, dance and school spirit into math. She previously taught geometry in Louisiana for eight years.

What is your favorite part about teaching?

Getting to build relationships with the kids. I always tell my kids that I am 100 percent real, raw and honest, so I really enjoy getting to know them as individuals and their daily teenage lives. I am a kid at heart. I like to have fun while I am teaching. If I need to dance, sing or film a TikTok to help you remember something, I’ll do it. I don’t get embarrassed in front of my kids while I’m teaching, so I do silly things to help them remember [concepts]. I love school spirit and dressing up. I love to have fun, like [Coppell High School principal Laura] Springer says “Choose your attitude and make someone’s day,” that’s my version of choosing my attitude and making someone’s day, having spirit about being here.

When did you know you wanted to teach math?

I am very blessed to have known from the beginning, when I was a little girl, that I wanted to be a teacher. When I got to high school, I knew that math was my favorite subject and it felt natural for me to go into mathematics. Growing up, math came easy to me. College took a turn for the worst, you’re always good at something and then you go to college (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) [and it’s a wake up call]. I failed a few math classes in college that would take some kids by surprise. I was always good at math until it came to those higher level math courses, and that’s what sometimes makes me a better teacher because I struggle with certain topics. I know what’s hard and how to overcome that. I’m not perfect at math, but I enjoy learning and figuring out the process.

How do you use creativity to teach your students

If I need to sing a song, if I need to dance, if I need to make a TikTok (@hannatreece), [I will]. You can turn anything into something creative by applying it to your everyday life. If I need to make a word problem that deals with the kids I have in class or what’s going on with the world, to make them more interested, [I will]. The best thing for me, creativity-wise, is putting my personality into teaching and not being scared of that.

Who is your teaching inspiration?

In high school, I had the same teacher for math for two or three years (Mrs. Koerber at Comeaux High School in Lafayette, La.). She was a great role model and led me onto that track. But really, [it is] all of my educators. I was blessed to be raised in an area that never had horrible teachers. You always hear the horror stories of the math teacher who never taught and students have to learn on their own, but I never really had that growing up, so that’s really been good. All my educators definitely had an impact on my choice and my lifestyle now.

Why do you like algebra II?

It’s more about teaching and not the actual subject. I love teaching and being a part of these kids’ lives. I am also a lifelong learner. This is my second year teaching algebra II. When I was in Louisiana I taught geometry for eighth grade at Lafayette High School, so it was something new for me. I love teaching – I don’t care what it is – you get me in a classroom and I’ll be happy. Unless it’s calculus, then we might have an issue.

If you could teach another subject besides math, what would it be?

I would have to go somewhere in the arts department like theater, choir or dance. When I was a senior in high school we went to South Padre for our senior trip, one of the nights we were at a club and they had a dance competition. We entered and they picked off people and it was down to me and another guy, and I won. I was the best dancer on the floor. I thrive at pep rallies. Growing up, I did jazz, tap and ballet from elementary school. In middle school I did cheer for two years. In high school I did the show choir, more Broadway-style and jazz. I did that sophomore, junior and senior year. I was a dance captain my senior year in high school. 

Why do you like decorating your classroom?

This is my second home. I’m in here all the time. I want the kids to feel comfortable in it and feel like they’re at home. It’s kind of funny that we’re mentioning this right now with people doing at home learning, but it’s another way of putting my personal flair on it. I would hate to sit in a room that’s bare and cold for an hour and a half. I want to feel good when I’m in my classroom and I want my kids to feel good, so if that takes me breaking my finger and bruising my hip and wrist, there you go. Last Wednesday, I was hanging up my decor, my step-ladder wasn’t tall enough and when I was getting down, my body fell on the desk. So all of my left side is bruised and I have a hairline fracture on my pinky. So, everyone’s like, was it worth it? And I’m like yeah, look at my classroom it’s frickin cute.

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