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Writer's pictureAliyah Hallman

Scruggs emphasizes building blocks of math



What is your least favorite subject? A simple question asked almost every year of your education; can you guess what the answer is for many students? If you guessed math you’re right!


On average 88% of high school students dislike math, which means only 6% of students find the subject enjoyable.


New WF math teacher Mary Scruggs wants to change this fact; one of her goals she hopes to accomplish this year is to help students understand math and make them dislike the subject less.


To Scruggs the most important aspect in the classroom is the environment. A positive and respectful environment, where learning is accepted. A place where everyone can use their voice, and they are comfortable using it. Without this, Scruggs feels the class won’t be able to communicate.


If you are struggling with math, Scruggs advises you to go back to the basics.

“When you get to high school math, students don’t remember, math builds on itself and going back [to the basics] can help,” She said


Scruggs tries to focus on getting rid of the student’s “math anxiety”; she said it can be fun and you should try it.


You might catch a glimpse of Scruggs around the school with her bright pink hair. She started dying her hair pink in high school, and continued until college when she had to dye it blonde. About a month before we started school Scruggs and her friends had a hair dying party, where she had her hair dyed blue, as seen on her school ID. After trying to get the blue out, Scruggs decided to put pink on top.


If you’re interested in a math-oriented career, Scruggs encourages you to take high school math seriously, and focus more on conceptual math, or conceptual stuff in general as it is more abstract.


Scruggs comes from a big family. Both of her parents are divorced and remarried. She has 1 real brother, along with 1 step brother, and 3 step sisters. Scruggs is not married; “yet” she adds.


Covid has been a common obstacle, and teaching during a pandemic isn’t easy,especially being a new teacher in the building. Coming from Charleston, Scruggs says everyone is very helpful.


Scruggs’ solution to her problems lies in not only her getting used to Florence, but having the help of the math department.

“[Mrs. Katrina] Hilton is my mentor,” said Scruggs.


Scruggs actually went to school for computer science, but after realizing she didn’t want to stare at a screen all day, she switched over to the phenomenal job of a math teacher.


Before quarantine Scruggs would hang out with her friend in her free time. She also likes camping, going to concerts, reading, listening to music, and watching movies.


Scruggs has 2 cats, but she says one doesn’t really “talk” to her so it’s more like one.


After the first Quarter, she comments on how much she loves WFHS minus Covid, On the particular day of the interview the math department members were all wearing Thanksgiving shirts. She was wearing a one with the word "turkey" on it with a food label.


Math was always Scruggs strength in school, as English and History were not, but science was ok. She didn’t like The Great Gatsby or any books about war.


Something else Scruggs enjoys is doing puzzles. Her largest one was 1,000 pieces but her favorite was a 500 piece 3D ship that took a month.


The trip to school is about an hour for Scruggs, which might be one of the reasons that her first alarm goes off at 4:30 am. After waking up to one of her many alarms she gets ready, gets some coffee, and might listen to a podcast or two on her way to work.


She said she can’t listen to audiobooks as they put her in a weird mood for the rest of the day. She grades during planning, has 3 classes, goes home, has dinner maybe with a movie, and finally hangs out with her cats.



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