Mr. Mitchell is a teacher loved by his students, and for good reason, too. Not only does he teach math extremely well, but he also implements a different method of teaching on Fridays. It’s called “Something Different Friday.”

“Something Different Fridays” aren’t normal math class days. At the end of the week, Mr. Mitchell plans a fun or interesting activity to allows the students to use methods of learning to understand how and why certain things work.

“I find that students improve their brain when they think, rather than memorize,” Mr. Mitchell said. “I want them to know how to critically think about the problem and adjust to the situation. Over half the jobs in five years haven’t even been invented yet. One must be able to adapt to any situation.  Adjusting to new situations would be difficult for people who do nothing but memorize.”

With students thinking and analyzing, they can develop and grow, preparing for the real world with knowledge that benefits them. Understanding how something works is a concept that Mr. Mitchell emphasizes in his classroom.

“I am an educator first and a math teacher second,” he said. “There are a lot of subjects that I can teach the students that will help them in the future.”

A lot of his students appreciate the work he puts in for preparing them and making the learning environment more enjoyable.

“My favorite thing about Honors Algebra 2 is the ‘Something Different Fridays,’” Isabella Treglia (‘22) said. “I really enjoy learning about all the different topics and I’m able to apply them to my life.”

Not only do students like “Something Different Fridays,” they admire Mr. Mitchell as a teacher as well.

“He’s always willing to help if I’m not understanding something,” Treglia said. “He always keeps class lighthearted and fun.”