Dr. Ice is an upper-level math teacher, a bus driver, and an ardent Braves fan. She teaches Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Differential Equations, and Multivariable Calculus—the latter two for which she developed the curriculum. Her students love her for her hands-off teaching style, her humorous streak, and her sincere passion for the subject matter.
According to Phoenix (12), Dr. Ice is a “do-by-example” teacher. Throughout the two classes that Phoenix has had with her (Calculus AB and Multivariable Calculus), Dr. Ice has followed the same routine: she will guide the class through multiple example problems and then assign optional practice. In her own words, she “tries to do as little as possible” when teaching, as she believes that getting her students to do most of the work on their own causes them to understand the material better. This hands-off approach is popular with her students, but according to Elizabeth (12), its fast-paced nature does make it challenging to keep up during some lessons. Despite this, Dr. Ice will always pause a lecture to answer questions. Throughout the two classes that Elizabeth has had with her (Calculus BC and Differential Equations), she has always created a “safe environment where students aren’t afraid of getting stuff wrong.”
Because her classes have complex curricula and cover many topics in a very short time, Dr. Ice is deliberate about creating a lighthearted atmosphere to counteract the stress of high-level math courses. She often jokes with her students, which Phoenix and Elizabeth consider their favorite aspects of her classes. The humor she injects into her lessons makes her classes fun, creating a low-stress, productive environment. She turns every lecture into a conversation, establishing a back-and-forth with her students that makes them feel welcome and respected.
Dr. Ice’s love for math comes from viewing it as a competition with herself, treating each problem as a challenge and each correct answer as a victory. Her passion for the subject led her to work with two other teachers to create the Differential Equations and Multivariable Calculus classes, developing the curricula from the textbooks that Georgia Tech uses to teach both courses. Because of Dr. Ice’s genuine enjoyment of high-level math, Wheeler is one of three high schools in Georgia offering those classes, providing students with a unique opportunity.
Elizabeth advises future students to take notes in class and do the homework, even though it is optional. Phoenix’s advice is the same, with one important addition: never forget +C!
