‘I like where I am’: Thomas Jefferson Middle School teacher molding mathematical minds

No student is an island in Emily Soenksen’s classroom.

The Thomas Jefferson Middle School math teacher encourages her students to collaborate.

Soenksen’s role is pivotal, as she prepares her young charges to move into high school level math and beyond.

Her work has earned her high marks from the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

The council awarded her its 2024 Excellence in Middle School Mathematics Teaching Award.

The award is a reflection of Soenksen’s commitment to molding mathematical minds in her 13 years of teaching in Palatine Township Elementary District 15.

Her teaching career started in 2003 as a first-grade teacher in Lemont. Her odyssey in District 15 began at Plum Grove Middle School, where she taught for seven years. She then moved on to Carl Sandburg Middle School for six years.

Now she teaches at the Hoffman Estates school, which is in its first year as a middle school.

Sandburg Principal Erika Johansen nominated Soenksen for the award, citing her passion for math and her innovative approach, which ensures that all students, regardless of ability, have the opportunity to engage deeply with math concepts.

She is also a leader in the district, encouraging her colleagues’ professional development. She helped establish a book club for educators focused on rethinking math instruction.

“We are so lucky to have Mrs. Soenksen as a mathematics leader in District 15,” Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Lori Lopez said. “Not only does she create an engaging classroom community, but she also collaborates with other teachers to create the best math experience for students.”

In the classroom, her interactive teaching style holds students’ attention.

“Are you ready for subtraction?” Soenksen asks during a class at the Hoffman Estates school.

She presents them with a series of equations and has them work in teams to solve equations. She turns the exercise into a game. When a question is answered, the students receive Post-it notes with points written on them. Each team vies for the most points.

“She’s a really good teacher,” said Anthony Jepson, 13, of Hoffman Estates. Jepson said she assigns plenty of homework.

The work lays the foundation for the challenges they will face in high school. In this class they are working on aspects of algebra — the distributive property, variables and combining like terms.

She said teaching is more than a job. It’s fun.

She grew up in Homer Glen to a family of engineers.

“My aunt and uncle were math teachers, and I always knew I wanted to be a teacher from the time I was little,” she said.

She also felt the influence of a first-grade teacher, who visited her in the hospital when she was a child.

“I started my career as a first-grade teacher, and I've worked my way up,” she said.

She said one of the joys of teaching is seeing the moments when children start to understand concepts after initially struggling with them. Many times, they struggle with basic math skills, especially dealing with negative numbers.

“I try to give them the tools of calculators and multiplication charts. Then they can do some of the more complicated math, like solving equations.”

She asks her students a lot of questions, trying to gauge what they are thinking. She also likes to boost their confidence in little ways.

“When they give me an answer that's wrong, I try to reframe it,” she said. “’If this was the question, then yes, that would be the right answer. But we’re asking this way.’”

Soenksen, who lives in Rolling Meadows with her husband Mike and 4-year-old daughter Emma, said math is a part of her family life as well.

“I married a math person. He has a financial background,” she said.

Her daughter, who will eventually attend classes in District 15, likes math too. The family does a lot of cooking, which involves measuring and adding and subtracting.

She said she enjoys traveling with her husband, knitting and reading. She is currently reading a Kristin Hannah book.

Although Soenksen is certified to teach on the community college level, but she is content within the elementary school environment.

“I like where I am,” she said. “Maybe someday, in retirement, I would teach at a community college. But this is where I want to be.”

Curriculum vitae: Emily Soenksen

Age: 43

Hometown: Rolling Meadows

Occupation: Math teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School

Education: DePaul University (fall 2014 — fall 2016), master of science in mathematical teaching

St. Xavier University (fall 2004 — summer 2006), master of arts in educational administration

Illinois State University, Normal (fall 1999-spring 2003) bachelor of science in education

Five tips from top teacher Emily Soenksen

1. Find a good work/life balance.

2. Keep learning yourself.

3. Laugh every day.

4. Learn from and lean on your colleagues.

5. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.