Teaching is much more than standing in front of a classroom for Ms. Kailey Rinehart. She has been teaching for nine years, eight of which have been at West Po. She received her undergraduate degree in integrated math at Kent State University, and her masters in learning design and technology at Central Michigan University. She currently teaches Geometry and probability and statistics, and has taught grades nine through twelve. 

In her free time, Ms. Rinehart enjoys fitness, and spending time with her friends and family. She is getting her certification in personal training and nutrition, working at this goal five to six days a week. “It’s really good for mental clarity and stress,” Rinehart explained. 

When asked about her decision to teach a modern classroom, Ms. Rinehart said, “I’ve been doing modern classroom for three years, and I love it because I think it’s the best way for students to learn as long as they’re willing to work.” She connected this to her life by stating, “When I was a student, sometimes you’d be sitting there, and would get distracted and miss the lesson. Now you have the ability to rewind.” 

Ms. Rinehart enjoys teaching at West Potomac for a number of reasons, one of which being the respectful community. She likes to form relationships with her students by not only teaching them, but also getting to know them on a personal level. But for Rinehart her “…favorite part is watching the lightbulb go off.”

Ms. Rinehart has learned many things in her nine years of teaching. One of the most important things being the importance of “differentiation in a classroom.” Balancing the level of challenge in a classroom is something she finds important to help students learn to their best ability. 

After her many years of teaching experience, one piece of advice she would give her students is to work hard during your freshman year because colleges do look at those grades. “From what I’ve seen, a lot of seniors regret not trying as hard when they were freshman,” she says. Ms. Rinehart offers one last thought to her students who are worried about the future. 

“Don’t worry about the future as much, and pay more attention to the moment you’re in.”