HINTON, WV (WVNS)– A Summers County high school teacher is rewriting the way students do mathematics through a statewide math initiative.

Ellen Holt is a math educator at Summers County Comprehensive High School and became a fellow for the Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teachers (M3T) improvement network in 2022.

The M3T project supports teacher leadership and instructional improvement across West Virginia. Holt is one of 44 fellows who share ideas and solutions for student learning.

“We work together to find small changes that we can make in our everyday practice that have the greatest benefit to kids and to get kids doing more math,” said Holt.

Holt believes the M3T project will help students develop a deeper understanding of mathematics. One of the current focuses is on student discourse, which will help students be more verbally involved in a more effective way.

“I have seen a big, big improvement in my students,” said Holt. “They actually will have those conversations with one another and it’s really, really helped them.”

Along with the M3T project, Holt is working toward expanding other clubs at the school to improve overall student achievement.