Pressley Watkins

Emilie Kalvig is BSM’s newest math teacher.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s eagerly introduces its new math instructor, Emilie Kalvig. Kalvig previously taught at various schools in Minnesota, the most recent one being Minnetonka.

One way to describe Kalvig is versatile. Kalvig may be a math teacher, but she is very in touch with her artistic side. In her free time, Kalvig enjoys knitting, throwing pottery, and any crafty activity. Kalvig heard positive things about BSM and became interested; she was already familiar with BSM from coaching Delano softball.

The environment in a classroom is crucial to students’ learning. Therefore, Kalvig prioritizes having a connection with students and a positive classroom learning environment. “I hope that they describe me as approachable, that they feel comfortable asking for help when they need it, and know that that’s why I’m here, to make sure that they are understanding what they’re learning, and if they’re not, that it’s okay to ask questions. So hopefully they feel comfortable,” Kalvig said.

Transitioning from public to private school can be a difficult transition. This is Kalvig’s first year teaching at a private school. BSM’s schedule differs from most public schools’ traditional schedules in the way that students have four longer classes a day, whereas traditional public schools have eight shorter periods. “Well, for me right now, it’s mainly the schedule. I’ve done a block day before, but I’ve never done even days, odd days, so that’s the biggest adjustment for me, not seeing all my students every day,” Kalvig said.

Kalvig is easing into her first year smoothly. Teaching math tends to be a difficult subject to teach, with every student learning and comprehending lessons differently and at different speeds, but in this, Kalvig excels. Lucy Johnson, a junior at BSM, has Kalvig for her math class.

“I have Mrs. Kalvig as my Algebra 2 math teacher. So far this year, I have enjoyed having her as a teacher and the environment she creates. Her lessons are at a good pace and understandable. She gives us lots of time to work on homework and provides us with the materials we need to be successful. I enjoy her teaching style and the way she provides our homework and quizzes,” Johnson said.

Kalvig enjoys watching students learn and overcome obstacles that they did not believe they could. “I think that it is fun to see how kids break things down and how they think about things, and to help them figure out new ways to think about things…Seeing the light bulb moments are always fun when you see a student who has struggled a lot, but they’ve worked their way through it, and they all of a sudden go, ‘Oh, that’s why that works,’” Kalvig said.