Name: Andrea Van Dunk

Dept: Mathematics Department

Classroom: K4

Email: [email protected]

Biography

Andrea Van Dunk teaches mathematics at HArts Academy. Mrs. Van Dunk moved to California in 2004 to attend Vanguard University of Southern California where she earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics and minors in sociology and religion. In 2009 Mrs. Van Dunk received her Teaching Credential and Masters of Arts in Teaching from USC. After teaching for six years Mrs. Van Dunk returned to California State Dominguez Hills to receive a Masters in School Leadership

In 2014, Andrea Van Dunk became a National Board Certified Teacher, one of the highest accomplishments in the teaching profession. At prior teaching assignments Mrs. Van Dunk has served on the Shared Decision Making Committee, Advisory Curriculum Council, School Site Committee (chairperson), Parent Committee, ELAC, and received teacher of the year in 2014 at Alain Leroy Locke High School.

Philosophy

“Teaching is my dream job; ever since I was a child I have wanted to be a teacher. I come from a family of educators, so I saw the impact of having caring, knowledgeable teachers first hand. Witnessing the power of education inspired me to pursue teaching, and I can’t think of any job I would rather do. More specifically, I love teaching mathematics. I believe that every child can learn mathematics at high levels, and the teacher plays a key role in facilitating the learning experience.

I am a huge proponent of ‘growth mindset,’ a belief that your brain can learn anything. Part of the process in learning is making mistakes and learning from them. Fostering a classroom culture where it is okay to fail is one of my main objectives as a teacher because I don’t want students to give up just because something is challenging for them. My experience has shown me that mastery takes time, so I give students multiple opportunities to show mastery and honor their hard work.”