My Classroom is a short NGPF podcast series devoted to supporting the efforts of teachers. Every couple of weeks we speak with different teachers who share timely tips, resources, and teaching strategies that can be implemented immediately into the classroom.

This week, we welcome Adam Cole and Tara Kelley. They will share the approach they take, and the approach of other math educators, when teaching personal finance.

• Adam Cole is an NGPF Fellow and dedicated educator who is passionate about preparing his students for life after high school.  After 8 years of teaching mostly algebra II, geometry, and precalculus, he gained the opportunity to teach personal finance and statistics and both have become his passion. 
• Tara Kelley is an NGPF Fellow and a math teacher at Harwood Union High School in Duxbury, VT who has also been teaching personal finance as an elective for 5 years.  Throughout her 12 years as a classroom teacher, Tara has always strived to make math relevant and accessible for all students. 

Their favorite NGPF activities are: 

• $8 Million Janitor
• Data Crunches
• Budgeting with Roommates 
• Payback
• Move: Let’s Make a Mutual Fund [Play Outside!]
• CALCULATE: What Affects How Much We Pay in Taxes? [Focus on Marginal vs. Effective Tax Rate]
• Math Monday: Exponential Growth in Investing

And for those who love the math...here is the mathematical explanation of how the compound interest formula connects to the Rule of 72: The Rule of 72 - Why it works

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Did you find this podcast motivational? If you want to advocate to increase access to financial education at your school, we can help. NGPF’s advocacy resources can help you achieve Gold Standard or Mission 2025 Challenge Grants of $1,000 to $30,000 (see steps #2 and #4 for details about these grant programs).

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About the Authors

Brian Page

Making a difference in the lives of students through financial capability is Brian’s greatest passion. He comes to NGPF after fifteen years of public school teaching where he was the ‘11 Ohio Department of Education recipient of a Milken National Educator Award, the CEE Forbes Award winner, and a Money Magazine/CNN "Money Hero". He served on the working group for President Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability. He has private school experience as a Trustee for the Cincinnati Country Day School and was a past Ohio Jump$tart President. Brian holds a BBA and M.Ed. When Brian isn’t working alongside his NGPF teammates he is likely spending time with his wife, three children, and dog; hiking, or watching Ohio State football.

Amanda Volz

Amanda joins the NGPF Team with over 20 years of experience teaching personal finance. During that time, she led her students to hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships, won multiple awards, and most importantly, impacted the financial lives of thousands of high school students. Amanda prides herself on being an educational leader and is constantly looking for innovative ways to make the classroom relevant, rigorous, and fun. She is a passionate advocate for financial education and has been a long-time member of the NGPF community. Fun fact - Amanda was NGPF’s first teacher account! When Amanda isn’t working, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and traveling with her husband and two children.