“The most dangerous person is the one who listens, thinks, and observes!” -- Bruce Lee
Angela Nicholas is motivated to achieve excellence and inspires her students to succeed by applying the lessons from Bruce Lee’s insight.
“I want my students to succeed inside and outside the classroom,” she explained. “I teach them to listen, think, and observe as well as model that behavior in my teaching.”
She listens to experts to ensure she can put her students on the path to success. She thinks about how she can use her expertise to help her students learn to enjoy math. She observes veteran educators to keep learning how to be a better teacher. 
Nicholas, a middle school math teacher at DeRidder Junior High School, believes that education should involve active participation in the learning process. She implements activities like “Pair, Think, and Share” where her students pair up with a peer, discuss and think through a mathematical problem or situation, and then share their ideas with the class.
“I want my learners to expand their minds and increase their understanding by hearing and expressing multiple sides of an answer,” she said.
In addition to interactive activities, Nicholas implements real-world activities in her classroom, helping her students understand and use math in everyday life.
“By linking classroom activities to real life, my students learn why we use math in everyday life and interact with their peers in ways that solidify their understanding of the connections they are making,” she said.
Nicholas is the 2021-2022 DeRidder Junior High School Teacher of the Year. She has taught 7th grade and 8th grade Pre-Algebra and Algebra at DJHS for six years. Prior to that, she taught Algebra, Geometry, Math Essentials, and Advanced Math at DeRidder High School.
She has also taught at Northwest High School in Opelousas and Church Point Middle School in Church Point. She has been an educator for thirteen years.
In addition to her teaching duties, she also tutors students before and after school hours and during lunch breaks.
She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from Southern University A&M College and her Associate Degree in Early Childhood Development from Louisiana Technical College. She earned her Master of Art in Teaching from Louisiana College and her Master of Education Endorsement Math Specialist from Liberty University.
She holds Louisiana teaching certifications in Middle School Math grades 4-8 and in Algebra.
Nicholas’ love for teaching derives from her desire to help students learn what they need to know to get through school and life.
“When I encounter students who do not like math,” she explains, “I want to make a difference in their lives by showing them that succeeding in math class now helps set them up for success in life.”
Her favorite thing about teaching is interacting with her students. She enjoys the diverse set of learners in her classroom, believing that each student has something unique to contribute.
Her advice to new educators is to be patient with students and passionate about teaching their subject.
Nicholas will continue to create advanced learners who listen, think, and observe so that they can engage in their world and make a difference.
“In my classroom, students learn how to solve complex problems, work collaboratively, communicate effectively, learn how to learn, and learn how to have fun with math,” she concluded.
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