As coordinator of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Bend Senior High School in Bend, Oregon, math teacher Andria Lindsey serves as the ambassador for IB education in the local community. To celebrate the program’s fifth year at Bend High, Lindsey put together a luncheon that included students, staff, elected officials, college presidents and business leaders. She talked about the IB philosophy, showed the audience coursework, and shared student success stories from high school, college admissions and beyond. Lindsey also started an IB parent advisory committee to keep families informed and create opportunities for their support. The IB program is flourishing under Lindsey’s care: More than 450 students at Bend High take at least one IB class, and last year 26 students graduated with full IB diplomas.
In addition to her IB responsibilities, Lindsey teaches pre-calculus and calculus, both IB classes. She is known for her unparalleled ability to nurture students’ love of math. Those who start in low-level math classes succeed in advanced classes like calculus because of Lindsey’s holistic teaching style. She constantly checks in with students to make sure they understand the material and pushes them to explain why the math works—and if they’re not getting it, she changes her approach immediately. Always available, Lindsey established Bend High’s math lab to tutor struggling students, as well as a program that pairs high schoolers with middle school students who need math help. She has even been known to help students with math problems via text while watching her own children’s sporting events. Her students, 90% of whom take the IB math test, consistently score above the national average. Lindsey is credited with motivating young women to pursue STEM careers after graduating from Bend High.
For Lindsey, teaching is about building relationships. Students pile into her classroom at lunchtime, whether they’re in her class or not. She goes to soccer games, attends choir concerts and graduation parties, and coaches the equestrian team. Former students come back in droves on college breaks to share their “wins” with her. Contributing to her professional community is just as important. She has mentored teachers in her school and district, as well as some across the state, and has led classroom observation “learning walks” at Bend High. Lindsey heads the math department, sits on the school’s curriculum and leadership teams, has helped the district develop new math standards, and is a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. An Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) trainer, Lindsey gives presentations about AVID to Bend High staff and the community.
Lindsey earned a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology in 2000 from the University of California Santa Barbara and a master’s of education in 2002 from Azusa Pacific University.
Press release: Nurturing a love of math multiplies student success, earns Andria Lindsey a tidy sum: A $25,000 Milken Educator Award
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