Mathew Zoglman-Garcia
High School Teacher
Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, Minor in Secondary Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Mathew Zoglman-Garcia began teaching in 2017 and joined Utah Connections Academy during the 2021 school year. He teaches secondary math 2.
Why I Became a Teacher
I became a teacher because I developed a passion for mathematics during high school, after really disliking it in middle school. I decided I want to help others experience some of the joy I find in mathematics. There’s a system of rules, and as long as we follow them, we have tons of freedom in the way we solve problems — mathematical concepts can and do make logical sense.
I love what secondary math 2 has to offer. Although quadratic functions are not the most exciting thing, they’re the foundation of the mathematics that helped us get people on the moon, which is cool. Trigonometry and geometry have applications in so many fields, from medicine to engineering.
The Online School Experience at Utah Connections Academy
Students at this school can work at their own pace (to an extent) in our online environment. If certain units of study make more sense to them, they can fly through those units and spend more time on concepts they may be struggling with.
I love teaching at Utah Connections Academy because I’m able to meet with students one-on-one to help meet their needs. That’s something I never had time to do in a brick-and-mortar classroom.
"Because I don’t teach a lot of classes every day, I’m very available to meet individually with students to help them"
— Mr. Zoglman-Garcia