Marisa Mulligan has been inspiring students at Rice for the past twelve years through her passion for teaching and admirable personality which helps her connect with any student in her classroom. Although math is often thought of as a very fixed subject, Mulligan brings excitement to the subject through h
er radiant energy and encouragement of her students.
Throughout her class, students often find themselves participating in group work and class discussions as a way to bring variety to the subject matter. Marisa Mulligan does a great job in her classroom making sure that all students feel open to ask questions and make mistakes.
Marisa Mulligan was raised with a Catholic education and sees great value in the morals at Rice. She was inspired to pursue teaching because of role-model teachers she had as a student, particularly in her math classes. Marisa Mulligan has grown as a teacher throughout her years at Rice, and previously at a Catholic middle school, adapting through the changes in the classroom, especially with Covid.
When did you first discover your passion for teaching?
“I found that this is a career where I really was just kind of pouring my whole heart and soul into it. It was very personal for me, just the success of my students and their engagement, and just what they were getting out of the subject, and I think that right then and there, that first year, it being a very challenging year, kind of solidified the passion that I have and the respect and appreciation that I have for this career and profession and all that involves… You don’t know anything until you actually set foot in a classroom, and you actually get to kind of experience it firsthand.”
What got you into teaching?
“I think really what drew me to teaching was the fact that I’ve been blessed with having just phenomenal teachers my entire life, people that I consider to be… to this day, my role models, mentors, heroes… and having such admiration for them and the impact they had on my life, I was just like, Oh, I’d like to do that.”
What led you to pick math as your preferred subject?
“I just have an appreciation for the subject. I really loved math. It didn’t always click for me. It was always something I had to work at. But then later on in life, I got a lot better at it again. I started to really appreciate the challenging nature of it, how everything can basically be proved or justified. There’s always again, like a clear explanation. There’s a big rewarding feeling knowing… I appreciated the challenge that it gifted me every day.”
How do you help prepare your students for college throughout your classes?
“Just basically helping them realize that they’re in control of their learning. They have to be really responsible students. They have to advocate for themselves. They can’t give up. I think perseverance is a big thing. We really need our students to have grit and a hard work ethic. Because with that, they’ll be able to do wondrous things when they leave here, just be resourceful.”
What personal aspects do you bring to your classroom that help your teaching?
“I try to be a little bit more excited and show my passion and appreciation for this subject. And I tried to tie in its relevance and application because that was something that always resonated with me, learning math, seeing where it’s kind of basically featured in the real world… You know, I feel like I’m always kind of communicating to the students, We’re in this together. Okay? We’re doing this together. Like, it’s you and me together. You know? I try to present that I’m there for them.”
How do you keep your students engaged in the classroom?
“I think I definitely try to let my passion and enthusiasm for the subject come across to set the mood and the tone, and then in terms for engagement, I think, that just trying to find ways to connect the material, the concepts, to their life. With math, it’s all relevant to the real world, and it basically explains how the real world operates. So helping my students find relevance in the material, I think, helps them to keep them engaged.”
