Floating from room to room, math teacher Kelly Lake carries her iPad and Apple Pencil to all her classes. She does this so she can project her notes to the SMART Board as she teaches and records lessons for her students in each class. 

After working at William T. Dwyer High School for 14 years teaching IB Precalculus, IB Calculus and a fraction of IB Statistics, Mrs. Lake is now Dreyfoos’ new AP and Honors Statistics (Stats) teacher. 

“I actually was not super stoked about teaching Stats, but that’s the position that was open,” Mrs. Lake said. “Dreyfoos is such a good school, (so) I knew that I had to at least take the opportunity. But I will say, in the short couple of weeks that I’ve been teaching it, I really like it, and I’m glad (because) I never would have volunteered to teach Stats.” 

She wanted to pursue a career in the medical field at first but later found her passion for teaching after realizing that her original career plan was not for her. Mrs. Lake said she enjoyed school growing up, which led her to want to help students do well in their classes and “figure out what (they) need to do to be successful.” 

“I give the kids space and flexibility, and I record all my lessons, so if they’re not available to learn that day, if their mind is elsewhere, if they have a big audition, if something’s going on, if they’re going through something personal, and they just can’t absorb the material in that minute, it’s recorded, so they can go back and catch up over the weekend,” Mrs. Lake said. “It’s so convenient. It literally takes two seconds for me to push a button, and then it’s so helpful for the kids.”

Outside of teaching, Mrs. Lake has two sons. She enjoys watching Bravo, including shows like “The Real Housewives” or “Vanderpump Rules,” and listening to podcasts and reading books about self-improvement.

“I really try to create an environment where kids feel like they don’t want to escape,” Mrs. Lake said. “I know that school can be very boring, and it can feel very constricting, but in general, (I) try to cultivate an environment where the kids know, ‘Yes, we have to do this boring work, but it doesn’t have to be boring and stressful all the time.’”