BY JASON COHEN
Growing up near Niagara
Falls, Kate Belin never pictured
herself impacting lives in the
Bronx, but as a teacher her calling
brought her to the borough
nearly two decades and she
hasn’t’t looked back.
Belin has taught mathematics
at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom
High School, 1021 Jennings
St., for the past 17 years. In October,
her excellence in the classroom
was recognized as she
was a recipient of the Math for
America (MƒA) Muller Award
for Professional Infl uence in
Education, which comes with a
$20,000 prize and $5,000 for her
school. MƒA is a NYC nonprofi t
organization that builds communities
of mathematics and
science teachers through innovative
teacher fellowships.
She was selected for bringing
her deep understanding
of mathematics to all students
and taking a leadership role to
improve education and educational
equity. Belin was honored
during a virtual award
ceremony on Oct. 18.
“I am beyond grateful to
MƒA for this recognition and
for providing a space for teachers
to come together as learners
and leaders,” Belin said. “This
award also recognizes the work
of the entire Fannie Lou community,
which has always understood
that teaching is political.
We aren’t simply teaching
subjects. We are teaching to
fi ght injustices. Our job is to be
activists and organizers in collaboration
with our students —
to mobilize youth for any issues
that exist in their community,
country, or world, and work together
to make it better.”
Belin, 39, grew up near Niagara
Falls and always loved numbers.
She told the Bronx Times
that her friends always came to
her when they needed help with
math. Her aunt Mary, who was a
teacher, often took her to school
with her when she was young
and it was there that she fi rst
got her taste for the classroom.
“I was kind of in awe seeing
her connect with her students,”
she said.
Her father, Rick, who Belin
described as “analytical,”
passed down his love of math
to her. Belin studied math at
Bard College and had hoped to
land a job in that fi eld. During
her time at Bard, Belin realized
that many people hated math
class, but she decided if she
were to become a teacher, her
goal would be to make it fun and
relatable.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, N 26 OV. 19-25, 2021 BTR
Belin earned her bachelor’s
of arts in mathematics in 2004
and a master’s of art in teaching
in 2005 at Bard College and
has been an adjunct professor at
City College of New York, Bard
College and the Bard Prison Initiative.
After college she had an
interview at Fannie Lou Hamer
in Soundview and the rest is
history. Since then, the Boogie
Down has become her second
home.
“I knew as soon as I got
there that I wasn’t leaving,” she
said. “I really just wanted to be
a great teacher.”
During her fi rst few years,
Belin knew she had to make a
good impression, so she used
real life problems to show her
students how math applies. For
example, she takes pictures
of things in the neighborhood
Bronx teacher Kate Belin, who teaches high school mathematics at Fannie
Lou Hamer Freedom High School, recently won the MƒA Muller Award
for Professional Infl uence in Education. Photo courtesy Kate Belin
near the school in order to discuss
angles and shapes and students
learn how math relates to
them.
Now in her 17th year, she is
quite close with the students
and couldn’t ask for a better
job.
“The school is really just
incredible,” she said. “I don’t
think there’s another place like
it. They (her students) keep me
connected and inspired.”
The MƒA award is not the
fi rst time Belin has been recognized
for her dedication to the
classroom. She was a recipient
of the 2011 Sloan Award for Excellence
in Teaching Science
in Mathematics and was a Fulbright
Distinguished Awards
Teaching Fellow to Botswana
in 2016. Belin is also a national
teacher trainer for the Algebra
Project and is working to organize
teacher voices.
Bronx teacher wins $20K for
educational infl uence