High school math department chair Lindsey Bibler goes the extra mile to ensure that her students excel. As an alumna of South Florence High School, Bibler graduated as valedictorian and came back to the school as a student teacher, then as a permanent staff member. She is now known as a leader and trusted mentor to students and teachers alike.
Bibler teaches Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus, Pre-Calculus and Differential Calculus, adjusting her teaching methods to meet the needs of students at all levels, from gifted to low-performers. Bibler leads discussions as a cognitive coach, encouraging students to dig deeper and aim higher. Students ask questions, collaborate with their peers and continually reflect on their learning. She is available outside class hours to provide additional help, tutoring before school, after school, during planning periods and on weekends. Her class website also features videos, notes and other resources.
The passion Bibler ignites in her students is reflected in their learning gains. They attained a 100% passage rate on the AP Calculus AB exam in 2014. After a decade of the school not offering Calculus BC, Bibler not only generated enough interest to bring the class back in 2014, but also achieved a 79% passage rate from her students that first year.
Bibler has seen other increases in student achievement throughout her career at South Florence High. When she taught algebra in 2009, for example, students received a passage rate of 86%, which was significantly above school, district and state averages. The passage rate grew into the nineties in subsequent years. The same trend held true for her Calculus AB class; 67% of students passed the AP exam during Bibler’s first year of teaching, then achieved 100% passage rates in the second and third years.
Bibler has also helped students with learning disabilities pass end-of-course exams as well as the High School Assessment Program (HSAP), when the requirement was in effect.
Beyond the classroom, Bibler mentors other teachers and helps drive curriculum and instruction for the school. A strong proponent of technology in the classroom, she has trained colleagues and collaborated on a successful $20,000 grant for TI-Nspire calculators. She has presented at the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics, participated in a parent session on state standards and brings knowledge back from professional workshops.
First in her family to graduate college, Bibler earned a Bachelor of Science in math and a teaching certification from Francis Marion University in 2008 and a Master of Education in educational technology from Lesley University in 2010.
