Classroom D203 is in full swing with tests distributed, questions asked and problems written within the brackets on the board, as Coppell High School’s newest geometry teacher Margaret Otto prepares for a busy school year ahead.
Otto was born in Houston and moved to the suburb of Friendswood prior to elementary school. After graduating high school, she attended the University of North Texas.
“I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was in pre-school and my parents said ‘Hey! That doesn’t make any money,” Otto said. “I told them I would be a high school teacher because I thought they made more money, and I just stuck with it since.”
Choosing to teach math was a clear decision for Otto, as it is something that comes easily to her.
“I didn’t love English in high school and math came more naturally to me,” Otto said. “I want to instill a sense of confidence in my students who struggle with math.”
Prior to working as a full-time teacher, Otto student-taught AP Precalculus at CHS with math teacher William Harrington-Pham during the 2023-24 school year.
“When she came to student teach, we only had seven or eight weeks together, so I just threw her to the sharks to see what she could do,” Harrington-Pham said. “She didn’t just teach really well, she built connections with students.”
Harrington-Pham appreciates this skill about Otto as it is often difficult for teachers to grasp.
“Anyone can get up and regurgitate content material from a book or PowerPoint, but what’s really going to matter is the relationships you form and your attitude,” Harrington-Pham said.
Though she split her time between two classes, Otto worked to be a reliable teacher for her students.
“She student taught AP Precalculus and AP Physics I,” senior Meghan Chiang said. “Those are two very difficult subjects to teach properly, but something about the way she taught it made me understand everything. It was so impressive the way she was able to pace herself through lessons and be patient with us. She was also just so invested in being there for us. Her bright, fun personality was so welcoming and you could tell she really cared.”
Having already formed meaningful relationships with CHS teachers, Otto opted to return as a full-time teacher for the current school year.
“After my student teaching year, I decided I was either going to teach at CHS or go back to my hometown,” Otto said. “I have such a big support system here where I’m able to talk to other people, and that was a big deciding factor to stay here.”
Otto values building relationships with her students as well. As a first-year teacher, she hopes to put some of her students at ease, especially for those who have concerns regarding her teaching abilities.
”I try to build those relationships with my students first. If I didn’t have that relationship with them, of course, they’re going to be unaware of the effort that I put in every day,” Otto said. “I try, and sometimes I struggle, but I continue to ask for help from my colleagues to keep being the teacher my students can rely on.”
Apart from cultivating relationships with students and teachers, Otto creates a lively environment for students to learn.
“I’m such a basketball nerd and I’m very much into March Madness, so I love keeping track of that,” Otto said. “Throughout college, I worked in this program called Access Mentoring and we were just missing the energy there. So, I started creating brackets on this whiteboard at the front of the office, like the March Madness ones, but with different topics. My coworkers loved it, and it brought passion and good vibes to the office.”
To build connections, Otto brought her idea of brackets into her classroom.
“My goal was to see my students connect over something,” Otto said. “Seeing them engage in spirited debates over the best cereal or singers on these brackets makes my teacher heart so full.”
Otto takes an interest in her students’ lives and connects over brackets because she believes social-emotional learning is just as important as academics.
“I think being a teenager in high school is such an important time in your life,” Otto said. “Being a teenager was rough for me and my high school was where I spent most of my time, whether it was sports or other activities. That’s where I felt at home. I want my classroom to be a place where students feel comfortable with their emotions.”
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