From telling jokes to deriving complex equations, Mr. Christopher Tappis always finds new ways to make math class more exciting and engaging every day. By fostering a relaxed yet focused classroom environment, he ensures that students are grasping concepts with confidence, making class something to look forward to rather than dread.
Over the past 13 years at WCHS, Tappis has taught a wide variety of math courses and currently teaches both Precalculus and AP BC Calculus. Although the curricula of these two classes are very different, his goal for all of his students is the same.
“My top priority in my classroom is for students to learn math,” Tappis said. “But I also want my
class to be an enjoyable experience for students. I remember what it was like to be in high school—it could be boring, annoying or generally unpleasant at times. So if I can make a student laugh or smile or brighten their day a little bit, then that is a win.”
Connecting with students can be a challenging task for teachers, but Tappis makes fostering relationships with his students and reducing their stress a priority so that they feel comfortable and ready to succeed in his classroom.
“Mr. Tappis is energetic and connects what we are learning to the students’ lives, which keeps us engaged,” WCHS junior Jordan Cohen said. “He also tells math jokes and does voices throughout the lesson to make class entertaining.”
Although his ultimate goal is to help students, teaching high level courses at WCHS has allowed. Tappis to fine-tune his own math skills.
“I would not mind teaching just about any math class, but calculus is probably my favorite one to teach,” Tappis said. “I prefer higher level classes for two reasons: the challenging content keeps me on my toes, and I like being able to highlight when we use methods or skills that students learned in a previous math class. It is neat when students can see how everything fits together.”
After many years at WCHS, Tappis, like teachers worldwide, was thrown a curveball: the pandemic. When students came back to in-person learning, a positive COVID-19 test required students to be out of school for ten days. To combat this loss of learning, Tappis implemented a unique solution for students: he began recording one of his classes each day and posting it on Canvas for absent students to watch. He found that the recordings serve a variety of purposes and decided to continue them even after the return to “normal” learning.
“Mr. Tappis’s videos allow me to review the lessons at home if I missed anything in class or if I was absent which helps me get a deeper understanding of the content,” Cohen said.Ever since he tutored in highschool, Tappis’s passion for math combined with his natural love for helping others has meshed together seamlessly, leading him to realize that becoming a math teacher was the perfect path for him.
“I really liked the before and after of taking a kid from not knowing something to knowing something,” Tappis said. “The way their eyes lit up when it clicked for them was powerful for me.”
