Gwen McWhorter, mathematics resource teacher at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts, has been named the Agnes Meyer Teacher of the Year for Montgomery County. The award, sponsored by The Washington Post, is presented annually to one teacher from each Washington metropolitan area school district.

McWhorter, who greets all 350 sixth graders at the school by name as they arrive in the morning, is recognized for instilling a desire to excel through her love of math.

As well as chairing the math department, facilitating professional development, and serving as a technology “guru,” she works each day with struggling Math 6 students in 90-minute classes—twice the math instruction provided to the majority of Loiederman students. As a “storyteller,” she tries to amuse, entertain and keep students engaged in math, modeling mental math strategies to help her students learn.

“Ms. McWhorter is beloved by all students because she instills in them a desire to learn and excel,” says Loiederman Principal Alison Serino. “She can ‘sell’ math because she believes in the opportunities it holds for kids.”

McWhorter was a math, alternative and computer applications teacher at North Bethesda Middle School and a math resource teacher at Parkland Middle School before coming to Loiederman in 2005 to help staff the math department for the opening of the new school.