Relational Math: An Interview with Erin Acat

I'm excited about this week's teacher interview -- I got to sit down with Erin Acat this week and talk all things middle school math (a topic near and dear to my heart)! I love her passion for student discipleship and excellence in teaching. Erin is in her second year at NCA; she and her family moved to Naples from Peru (where they were full-time missionaries) in the summer of 2024.

Relational Math & Discipleship Through Academics

Anna: I love your energy and enthusiasm, Erin! I'm always so impressed by your ideas and quick decision-making skills!

Erin: I don’t like inefficiency – I’m not going to keep doing something that isn’t working. I love solving problems!

Anna: What is your vision for middle school math -- for your students -- this year? How are you pursuing excellence as an educator?

Erin: My overarching goal is to get people to realize the fallacy of the thought - idea -label: “I’m not a math person.” I want all my students to understand their unique gifts and talents, and how those gifts play out in math class. Some are innovators, problem solvers, team members, creative thinkers -- all those ways of thinking and performing are all important. I want to build on those skills with lots of different problems and activities every week.

I want to bring my students' passions to life and to the forefront in the context of my algebra classes.

As an educator, it is my imperative to constantly ask: what makes my individual students light up within math? Is it logic puzzles, trying something new, getting faster, solving a hard equation? It's my job to bring out the math in everyone. I think math is fun, and I want kids to find that joy within themselves.

Anna: How do you see spiritual growth and the discipleship process happening in your math classes? 

Erin: We do a liturgy everyday – one that I wrote and designed to bring God to my students in math terminology. It includes concepts and ideas like: "As variables have a purpose, remind us that we also have a purpose." I think spiritual growth happens best when identify and call out kids’ different strengths and allow time and space for them to use their gifts with each other. I don't think I always have to verbalize it, but I see them grow spiritually when I put them in situations where they can work together and serve each other well – based on their gifts and talents.

As a teacher, I must prioritize relationships with students and elevate relational ministry. Middle schoolers wrestle with identity, and it's often wrapped up in "I'm good at something -- or I'm not good at something." As a Christ follower, I know that their identity is not based on their strengths or what they're good at, even though I’m here to give them hard problems to solve and nurture their skills.

I’m also here to show them that their worth is not in being able to dot hose hard things. Their attitude/effort expresses their identity and worth more than their eventual answer -- or their ability to arrive at that answer.

This question of identity is something I bring up all the time in my class; I want to push students towards the truth and correct their thinking on it. Who is a math person? What does that even mean? I’m a person, and I do math. How do we behave? How do we walk around? What is our posture on a daily basis in math class? All of those thing sare informed by our identity, which is "Christ in us, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

Anna: How are you growing as an educator this year? 

Erin: My goal is to find ways to connect personally with each student. I want a high level of intimacy so that I can earn the right to speak truth. I want to develop enough of a relationship with each student so I can give praise of value. I recognize this involves using class time well and connecting with students outside of school.

You can’t just march into kids’ lives and ask them to listen to you. As a teacher, I'm called to live in such a way in front of kids that is worthy of their curiosity and attention.

I'm constantly working on structuring my class to create opportunities for relationship. I’m still trying to figure out what that looks like in bigger classes. There’s a lot of connection in smaller classes. I have to intentionally create opportunities to talk to them one on one in my bigger classes, but in smaller classes, it happens naturally.

I'm also constantly finding new, creative ways to tie my instruction back to the basis of math; all forms of math work consistently because God is consistent and He created it. We don’t have to be afraid of it, grossed out by it, intimidated by it. We can stand it awe it.

Anna: I'm personally very inspired and challenged by your bell work. Talk to me about your goals and creativity as expressed during those first minutes of class.

Erin: I try to incorporate a bunch of forms of math -- logic, visual and spacial reasoning, challenging equations -- all sorts of things that could be attractive to different minds. Different minds arrive at the same answers in different ways – instead of squashing that, I want to celebrate it and lift it up. I want our students to lean on each other’s strengths and recognize how God made us differently. We process and see the world differently. Bell work is a way I can help students see and learn from one another.

Anna: I love that -- you're such a relational math teacher! It's such a beautiful marriage of academics and discipleship!

Erin: Yes, I'm growing right alongside my students. I'm challenging myself and my students to live out faith and commitment to Jesus in everyday interactions...words, actions, attitude. I want to model this AND guide students towards that goal as they interact with each other.

I hope you enjoyed