by Sarah Rosenberg, CSMCE student intern, Spring 2022
Primarily Math graduate Becky Unterseher will be transitioning into the role of principal at Pyrtle Elementary this fall after serving as the coordinator of Beattie Elementary since 2017.
“I have learned so much as a coordinator from the staff, students, and other administrators,” Unterseher said. “I want to continue to serve the district and its stakeholders in the best way I can, and I am honored to have the opportunity to do so through the role of principal.”
Before entering the administrative world, Unterseher was a teacher at Beattie Elementary for 12 years, teaching kindergarten, first and second grade. She enjoyed working with other teachers to help students grasp materials.
“My fondest memories of teaching math were when I taught kindergarten and was able to co-teach with the resource teacher for the team,” Unterseher said. “We would collaborate and utilize strategies in order to reach those students who had missing skills and worked as a team to help fill in those gaps. It was amazing to see the student growth throughout the year!”
By participating in Primarily Math, a graduate program for primary grade teachers, she was able to build on those skills and grow as a teacher and as a communicator.
“It helped me better understand ways to teach young children how to conceptually learn math and how to talk about what they are learning. The focus is on the productive struggle to get to the answer and to know the steps and progression in that learning process,” Unterseher said.
Because several Primarily Math teachers also taught at Beattie, Unterseher saw the positive impact the program had on herself and on the teachers around her.
“Those teachers have stepped up and become leaders in the building. They have shared their learning, presented to the staff, and shared ideas with their teams on how to deliver quality math instruction,” Unterseher said.
Primarily Math allowed Unterseher to build a network of teachers from her own school as well as schools across Nebraska. She explained that her connections from the program allow her to get feedback on new ideas, collaborate with other professionals and get advice on how to effectively help students and staff.
Unterseher hopes to carry over those connections and communication skills into her role as principal of Pyrtle Elementary.
“I am most looking forward to collaborating with the staff and families at Pyrtle,” Unterseher said. “I am excited to get to know everyone and help serve the community to continue to develop strong students who are career and college ready.”