Candice McGuire

As a kid, Candice McGuire hated going to school. Now, her passion is getting students to love mathematics.  “Anyone can be good at math, you just do math, any kind of math, and you can be a math person.”

Mrs. McGuire grew up Cordell, Oklahoma, “a one stoplight town in outside of Oklahoma City.” The motto of the town is ‘Go Big or Go Home.’ Homecoming, she said, is a big deal, with floats and a parade involving the whole town.

In second grade, McGuire began to establish what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. McGuire believed, if she became teacher, she would be able to change school for other students. She said, “If I could become a teacher, I could change that, to not make school an awful experience.” Something that is very important to Mrs. McGuire is making sure her students feel welcome in her classroom. She takes time to learn her students’ names. She said, “… it’s important for relationships.” When a student is in a welcoming environment, they are more apt to learn.”

Mrs. McGuire also focuses on people skills in her class. In her class, students are people first, then math students.

“The learning and all the growth happens in that productive struggle. And a lot of times at this age, students think ‘Well, I couldn’t do it, I got it wrong.’ Then it’s over. But getting it wrong is not the bad part. Quitting, when you make a mistake, is where you don’t learn anything, and that’s where it becomes the bad part.”

Mrs. McGuire also goes to the gym to stay in shape, and she enjoys being with her children. She recently dropped her oldest off at Oklahoma State, her alma mater. Throughout the rest of the year, she plans to enjoy high school from the other side of the lens.

“I am really excited for getting to experience high school from a different perspective. I get to experience it on the teacher side and watch the students’ experience.”