Spotlight: Parkdale High Math Teacher Receives Award in Riverdale Park

mathematics teacher Karen Venable-Croft says her classroom is a safe environment for students. So safe that they can feel comfortable enough to make mistakes.

“They aren’t allowed to use words like ‘can’t’ or ‘I don’t know,’ and instead they say things like ‘I’m having difficulty,’” she said.

That’s one of the reasons why this 14-year veteran of Parkdale High School was honored at a Riverdale Park council meeting with the town’s first teacher of the month award.

Venable-Croft earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from West Virginia University but decided not to pursue that career path. Instead, she obtained an advanced professional certificate in mathematics and opted to have an impact on children’s lives.

She said she tries to create an environment where her students feel open to exploring their intelligence and collaborating with one another. 

Venable-Croft said she incorporates positive interaction in her class by putting students into “pride” groups, each with its own positive label, such as prepared or honorable.  

“The students have to refer to themselves as each of these positive words, so eventually they start to believe their group really is going to represent that word,” she said.

This change in vocabulary, she says, often results in a changed mindset regarding math. Where previously she said her students would say they hated math because they were unaccustomed to doing well, this attitude improves with their success. 

“One of the challenges I face is that these kids often don’t have confidence in their abilities,” Venable-Croft said. “They are more than capable, but they need to gain confidence and know that it’s OK to make a mistake.”

From the first time students enter her classroom, she said she tells them it’s a “risk-free zone,” not in the sense that they can say or do whatever they want, but in that she won’t criticize them for a mistake. 

Instead, she encourages them to work together to talk about what they did wrong and learn from it. 

Parkdale High School Principal Cheryl Logan commended Venable-Croft on her ability to create student interaction. 

“In her class, the students are responsible for the lesson, there’s a lot of interaction,” said Logan. “I think her kids like learning this way and really enjoy her classroom.” 

Logan called Venable-Croft committed, dedicated and conscientious and added she “represents the finest in public education.”

It is Venable-Croft’s first time receiving an award for teaching.

School Administrator Joseph Martin recommended her for the award without her knowledge, so she said she was genuinely surprised and honored when she received an email from the mayor’s office informing her she had been selected. 

“I was very excited that the town was thinking about teachers and recognizing that what we do makes a difference in students’ lives,” Venable-Croft said. 

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