Living in Springfield, Ohio, Mrs. Christina Ganthany has been teaching math for about twenty years and about five years ago started teaching Pre-Algebra and Algebra Honors at the Potter’s School. In her free time, she loves reading, walking, cooking, and watching her kids play soccer.
Abby: Why did you want to teach math?
Mrs. Ganthany: I actually started college thinking I would be an elementary school teacher but decided to take a more challenging math class to see what it was like. And I loved it even though it was really hard! I realized that for many students, math can be kind of like trying to learn totally new concepts in a foreign language that you don’t understand. Sometimes, especially in the really high-level math classes, I definitely felt that frustration of feeling like my professor was speaking in another language! But I had one especially kind and patient professor in college who explained things so well that I began to love the challenge of solving problems and realized I was having a lot of fun once I “understood the language”! It’s my hope to be that kind of teacher for my students here at TPS. I like to tell my students I believe that most of the time when people say that they “hate math” it’s not the math they dislike, it’s the “not understanding” and the frustration that comes along with that. I love it when I can help students have those “lightbulb” moments of finally understanding a concept that was super challenging until that moment.
Abby: Yes, that totally makes sense. What is your favorite area of math to teach?
Mrs. Ganthany: I absolutely love pre-algebra and algebra. I love being able to be a part of laying the foundation of math concepts that will help students to solve problems and reach their future academic goals. Math builds on each previous concept learned, so I feel the weight of responsibility to help students to have that solid foundation so they can continue to build strong high school math skills.
Abby: That’s a great perspective to have. What is something about teaching math or just teaching in general that a lot of people don’t know or realize?
Mrs. Ganthany: The process is as important as the answer! Show your work!
Abby: Can you tell us about your family? Do you have any pets?
Mrs. Ganthany: I’ve been married to my husband Mark who is a professor of Environmental Science at Cedarville University. We’ve been married for twenty years, and we have four children: Noah (17), Micah (14), Ezra (9), and Addi (6). No pets, but my kids are begging for a dog!
Abby: That’s cool! What kind of dog would they want? Do they have any ideas for names?
Mrs. Ganthany: I think the front runner currently being lobbied for is a French bulldog, either named Oliver or Winston! Personally, if we ever get a dog it’s going to have to be cute and little and NON-SHEDDING because I just have this thing about dog hair!
Abby: Those are some cute ideas! What is one of your favorite bible verses?
Mrs. Ganthany: I love Isaiah 43:19: “See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” There are times in our lives when we can’t always see the good in a hard situation. I love this verse because it reminds me that God is always working, and even when I don’t understand His plan, I can trust His goodness!
Abby: That is super encouraging. Are there any movies you would watch a lot as a kid? At any point in time have you been able to quote them on the spot?
Mrs. Ganthany: My sisters and I loved Anne of Green Gables! My older sister and I pretended we were Anne and Diana and used to say lots of the lines to each other! We also may have had a tiny crush on Gilbert Blythe.
Abby: Does your family have a motto or saying?
Mrs. Ganthany: I don’t know if it’s a saying or motto exactly, but we tell our kids as often as possible that there is nothing they can do (or not do) that will make us not love them.
Abby: That still counts! What is your favorite cuisine of food to eat?
Mrs. Ganthany: I think it’s a tie between Italian or Mexican food!
Abby: Yummm! Both those are so good. What is one of your favorite Mexican dishes?
Mrs. Ganthany: My favorite go-to Mexican dish is definitely steak fajitas! But I also kind of can’t resist filling up on those free chips and the salsa either, ha!
Abby: That sounds delicious! What is a topic that you wish you knew more about?
Mrs. Ganthany: I wish I knew more about what life was like for my daughter in her first year. We adopted her at age one and I feel like I missed out on so much!
Abby: That totally makes sense. What was your favorite thing to do on a snow day home from school as a kid?
Mrs. Ganthany: Definitely either sledding or a walk in the snow, and then drinking hot chocolate when we came inside with our cheeks all cold and snow down our collars!
Abby: It does feel really nice to have a hot drink after playing in the snow! What has been your most-played Christmas song this year?
Mrs. Ganthany: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”…but only because my nine-year-old Ezra is in a Rudolph musical in a few days, and the song is on repeat at our house so he can practice!
Abby: That’s really cool! What is something that your family does each year at Christmas?
Mrs. Ganthany: On Christmas Eve, each child gets to open new pajamas and an ornament that represents something big that happened in their lives that year. Then we watch The Nativity Story afterward.
Abby: That’s a really unique tradition! I love the ornament idea. What is a memorable gift that you received in your life?
Mrs. Ganthany: I thought about his question for a long time. The gift/memory that stands out most to me was the day that my son Ezra was born to another amazing woman, and she placed him in my arms to be his forever mom. That beautiful heart-wrenching moment will always stick with me as an incredible example of selfless love.
Abby: That is really touching. What is your favorite holiday food?
Mrs. Ganthany: Definitely Christmas-morning homemade cinnamon rolls!
Abby: Yumm. That sounds delicious! What is one of your favorite quotes that you can share with us today?
Mrs. Ganthany: I have two children with special needs, and some days can be very hard and challenging. I love this quote by John Piper: “Occasionally weep deeply over the life you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Then wash your face. Trust God. And embrace the life you have.” I am always learning that joy can be found in the smallest of things if we are willing to look for it!
I hope this has been encouraging today and that you have learned something new! Since there is no class during break, try researching different kinds of Christmas traditions from all over the world and sharing some with your family! What are some of your Christmas traditions? What is one of your favorite Christmas songs? Remember to not put off all your assignments until the last minute, and Merry Christmas!
“Away in a manger a baby is born – the Sovereign of heaven whom angels adore is wrapped in the weakness of our mortal frame. The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.” – “Away in a Manger” by Sovereign Grace Music
Photo Credit: Christina Ganthany