Mr. Widen has taught Math for 15 years and was active in 4 teacher leadership teams. He has been selected as Teacher of the Year, and has twice been nominated by the senior class to give the keynote speech at graduation - this should tell you something about his rapport with students. He strives to make every student feel comfortable in the classroom, explains why learning targets are important, and outlines a clear road map of how to achieve each goal. He knows not all students learn in the same way or at the same pace - especially in math - and is adept at differentiating instruction. 

Background:

• Masters Degree in Secondary Education, October 2009 at the University of Vermont
• Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, May 2007 at Vassar College
• Started at Rice in 2024.  This is his 16th year teaching high school mathematics.  All 15 of my previous years of experience were at one school, and it is one of my goals to surpass this total at Rice Memorial.

Currently teaches: 

Various levels of Algebra 2 and Geometry

Get to Know Him:

I enjoy teaching mathematics because: it is fun to help students learn how to problem solve and think logically.  

I choose to teach at Rice because: student learning is the number one goal.  I am very excited to be joining a community with immense school spirit.

What is your favorite thing about your job? My favorite thing about teaching is changing the narrative of "I can't do math..."
I love helping students figure out how to believe in themselves and be successful.

If you had an unexpected afternoon off, what would you do with your time? I would either play golf or go skiing (ideally both).

Best vacation/trip you’ve ever been on: Ballybunion, County Kerry, Ireland.  You cannot beat the town, the people, the golf, the beach, the cliffs, the food, the music, the castle... I have been eleven times and cannot wait for trip number twelve.

Favorite tradition/fieldtrip/project you do in your classroom each school year: At this point in time, I have a limited sample size.  Therefore, I will say the schoolwide summer reading activity.  I actually enjoyed the book, and I think it will be a cool way to start with the entire school community having read the same book.

Favorite Sports Teams (and athlete)
NHL: New Jersey Devils (Martin Brodeur)
NFL: New York Football Giants (Eli Manning)
MLB: New York Yankees (Mariano Rivera)
European Football (Soccer): Bounty Hunter (Robert Lewandowski & Vinicius Junior)