While students are busy practicing for a test, math teacher Abbey Wolford walks down the aisle to answer all individual questions from students in order to help and guide them. A lovely and warm smile makes Wolford a remarkable face in Huron High School. Every time students walk into the classroom, there’s a feeling that sunshine is flooding out of Wolford’s soul.

Wolford teaches algebra 1, 2 , DP applications and Interpretations SL year one and AB Calculus. She has been teaching since 2006 after graduating from Alma College. Wolford earned her Master’s degree in mathematics from Eastern Michigan University. She has been teaching at various community colleges, in addition to high schools.

The Inspiration 

As a young child, Wolford played “school” at home. She was really into paperwork and having imaginary students, so she knew she wanted to be a teacher. Wolford’s mother was also a certified public accountant who got her masters in business administration, so she was always around numbers. Her mother always made sure that mathematics was one of Wolford’s strong suits. Eventually, Wolford decided that she wanted to be a mathematics teacher. Something interesting about Wolford is that she struggled before with math, which eventually gave her an advantage when she was teaching students. 

 The Best Thing

“I think that the best thing about being a teacher is building relationships with students,” Wolford said.  

It has been an exciting dynamic for her as well. 

“When I first started, I was 21 years old,” Wolford said. “I didn’t have children yet so my students were my kids.”

Wolford is passionate about all her students as their best interests are her best. Wolford is now a mother, but she still feels the motherly pull towards all of her students.

Future Advice

“It’s important to realize that you’re going to have stressors that come up and there are different types of stresses, how to determine what stress is productive and what stress is toxic, and how to move forward from that,” Wolford said. “You can always make mistakes, don’t be hard on yourself, you don’t need it. It’s natural. Life is messy but let it be okay and just work through it.”