Chaudhry and McKeldin Take On Department Head Positions
With a new school year comes change within the halls of Sherwood. Christine McKeldin, an AP Psychology teacher, and Sapna Chaudhry, an AP Statistics teacher, will take on novel responsibilities as new department heads of the social studies and math departments, respectively.
“After Mr. Sangillo announced that he would be moving on, I thought long and hard about applying for the position,” said McKeldin. Chaudhry had the same thought of applying and turned in her resume after Debbie Hiltner left last year. Sangillo and Hiltner now both work as instructional specialists in the MCPS Central Office.
A panel of administrators, including Principal Bill Gregory, interviewed both Chaudhry and McKeldin before the start of this year. Since their acceptance of the positions, both teachers have faced an equally rewarding and demanding start of the new semester.
“My biggest responsibility is to provide support, both academically and emotionally to math teachers, as well as improve student achievement in the subject,” said Chaudhry.
McKeldin explained she had similar responsibilities such as “observing the teachers, collecting data on students and mediating issues.”
The two teachers both agree that they are fortunate to have fantastic cooperation within their department left behind by their predecessors.
“I’m very lucky to have a good system left behind to work in,” said Chaudhry. McKeldin wants to build off of what she already knows in her department. “I plan to take what I have learned
from those before and incorporate my strength to continue the tradition of amazing social studies instruction at Sherwood.”
As far as plans to change directions of their departments, McKeldin hopes to draw from her experiences working with people of differing teaching and management styles. Chaudhry hopes to “bring the vision of the PLCs (Professional Learning Communities) into reality and improve standardized test scores among math students in Sherwood.”
Despite all the stress and rigor of their new positions, both teachers agree that there are far more positive aspects to the job than negative.
“I enjoy being able to advocate for my department on both the school wide and county levels. I also enjoy watching the teachers in my department teach, which is an opportunity that should be more available and/or used by teachers. Watching others truly allows me to be more reflective in my own practices,” said McKeldin.
Chaudhry reflected on the positive aspects of her new position as well. “I’m enjoying my new office and the tremendous support from my colleagues in my new job. Most importantly I feel grateful to have the opportunity to make a difference in the quality of math instruction. It’s a very thrilling experience for me.”