by CAROLINE GAVURA Staff Writer
Since Personal Finance and Economics became a mandatory class to graduate high school in New Jersey, Mrs. Theresa Weiss became one of Monroe Township High School’s first full-time Personal Finance and Economics teachers.
Mrs. Weiss explained she originally wanted to be an accountant, but then changed her mind: “When I went to college, I went as an accounting major, and I realized I really liked my accounting teacher in high school and I wanted to do what she did, and not be an accountant.”
Through her fun group activities, educational movies, and informative Keynote presentations, Mrs. Weiss makes the concept of being wise with your money easy for her students to understand.
“I think that personal finance is a class where the concepts that [the students] learn there will be used for the rest of their life on a daily basis, and it really sets them up for personal success,” said Mrs. Weiss.
She is always there to help her students, staying after school to have study sessions before a big test.
“It’s really nice of Mrs. Weiss to stay after school to help us out, not a lot of teachers do that. It helps when you are struggling with a certain topic, and you aren’t sure how well you are going to do on a test,” said sophomore Bree Mckenna.
Mrs. Weiss often uses the iPads when teaching her class. She is always updating her online Wiki page with new information about the subject her students are learning about in class.
She also strongly supports MTHS’s iPad initiative saying, “I love it. I use the iPads everyday in class. And I think knowing how to use technology as a tool will set you up for success, post graduation.”
Her love of technology helps her students become familiar with using the iPad. She encourages her students to do their assignments online and email it to her, always replying with constructive criticism or compliments on a job well done.
“I love Mrs. Weiss’s Wiki page! She always keeps it up to date, and it has all the notes I need to study for any upcoming tests or quizzes. I can also easily download my homework on my iPad in a PDF file and do it there,” said sophomore Jessica Boulogne.
Mrs. Weiss often tells funny, interesting personal stories that relate to the topic she is teaching about. She continuously tries to make normally boring lectures fun and engaging for her students.
“Mrs. Weiss’s funny stories about her sons are the best! She always makes class enjoyable and fun to be in,” said sophomore Corrine Franchette.
Mrs. Weiss prepares her students for the real world and real-life situations, such as buying your first car, renting an apartment, and investing your money in stocks.
“Mrs. Weiss thoroughly goes through each topic in detail to make sure we all understand the information. I now feel confident to do things like apply for a credit card, and put money away in a savings account. If you’re taking Personal Finance and Economics next year, cross your fingers you get Mrs. Weiss!” said sophomore Anne Ballman.