Deborah Poetsch

When children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, most do not have an answer. Professor Deborah Poetsch was different: as early as seventh grade, she knew she wanted to become a math teacher.“I found myself helping my friends with their homework,” Poetsch says. “When I helped my one neighbor with her homework, she said, ‘I don’t know why the teacher doesn’t do it this way. It makes so much more sense now.’ I felt as if I was able to break it down differently.”

After completing her undergraduate work in math at the State University of New York– Geneseo, Poetsch became certified to teach grades seven through 12. For nine years, she primarily taught middle school students. Then in 2009, she began to teach as an adjunct at County College of Morris (CCM).

“I really enjoy working with college students,” Poetsch says. “I like to try and help students see past their perceptions of ‘I hate math’ or ‘I don’t understand it,’ and help them have success where they maybe haven’t had it before.”

For many years, women were not widely encouraged to enter STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) fields. As a result, the majority of STEM jobs have been filled by men. While there has been an increase of women entering the STEM workforce in recent years, the number of female workers compared to male workers is still low.

“Women can bring different perspectives to STEM fields,” Poetsch says. “Women and men think about things very differently and can attack problems in different ways. I think it’s very important to have women in these fields to act as role models for young girls

“It’s important for everyone, children especially, to have positive role models in these disciplines,” Poetsch continues, “so they realize they can achieve these goals, strive to achieve their dreams, and not let anyone hold them back.”