Real World Math
Teacher Melissa Fortson brings real-world case studies to Montrose math students.
“In my previous career as a business consultant, I actually saw the president of a company ignore data in favor of anecdotal evidence, because he wasn’t a ‘numbers guy,’” said math teacher Melissa Fortson. “My goal is to give my students all the tools they need to make informed decisions about anything. That way they can exercise intellectual fair-mindedness and make data-driven decisions.”
A Harvard University graduate, Mrs. Fortson studied Applied Math and Economics. Her career as a business consultant took her across the globe and into many different manufacturing environments. At Montrose, she puts this wealth of experience to good use as she develops case study models for the girls to use - both in class and in the upper school Math Club, which she advises.
Along with eleven years of “real-world” experience, Mrs. Fortson brings to Montrose a teaching philosophy of making math class relevant and interesting to her students. Her case studies aim to show her students how much they already know as well as how to effectively communicate in the language of math.
Math Club members recently studied the economic impact of Mardi Gras on the city of New Orleans. They considered what the costs and benefits were to the municipality itself, and calculated whether the financial gains from the event benefited the city itself or just the individual businesses. “I want the girls to develop critical thinking skills which will allow them to integrate their knowledge to solve a problem,” Mrs. Fortson explained. “If they understand the real world applications of the math they study, they will not only remember it better, but they will be able to apply it to a wide variety of situations.”
“Math Club is an exciting way to apply math to the real world,” said member Sophia Conte ‘19.
In a recent Pre-Calculus Honors class, Mrs. Fortson and her students discussed a concentration curve graph used in business analysis. She explained to them that the graph serves as a communication tool. “You have to think of what it is you are trying to communicate, but also how others might interpret your graph,“ she explained. “What is the point of communication? To convince someone of something and also to call them to action.”
The class of juniors peppered her with enthusiastic questions. “What should I major in in college to study more of what we are studying now?” asked one student. Anna Maria Barbiellini ‘17, a Math Club member, encouraged her classmates to join Math Club and have more opportunities to tackle similar cases.
"Mrs. Fortson has helped me appreciate math so much more," said Natalie Montalbano '17. "Her ability to add relevant and exciting aspects to math class has helped me foster a better appreciation for math as it is used in the real world."
"Mrs. Fortson has helped me appreciate math so much more," said Natalie Montalbano '17. "Her ability to add relevant and exciting aspects to math class has helped me foster a better appreciation for math as it is used in the real world."
An independent school for girls in grades 6-12
Inspired by the teachings of the Catholic Church
Inspired by the teachings of the Catholic Church
