Home Page Search Resources

Name: Greg Kaylor

School: River Valley High School, Blairsville, PA

Grade levels: 9-12

Subject: Statistics, Algebra 1, Financial Literacy

Years as an educator: 29

 

Jump$tart Staff: “How do you make money matter to your students?”

Greg: As a mathematics teacher, I frequently hear students ask, “When are we ever going to use this stuff in our lives?” By emphasizing the obvious relevance of financial decision making, students are more engaged. Providing students opportunities to share personal financial highlights or lowlights either verbally or through written submissions usually elicits genuine, impactful responses and jumpstarts discussions. Carefully selected videos depicting financial outliers, such as those who made a myriad of credit card mistakes generates interesting discussions.”

Jump$tart Staff: What are specific questions you ask you get your students talking about money?

Greg: “Posing questions such as, “What hourly wage do you think is necessary to live independently? How can we quickly estimate annual wages of a full-time 40 hour/week worker based upon the hourly wage? Are banks your friends? How long would it take an investment to double if earning .18% interest or 18% interest?” frequently leads to engaging discussions. Students are often shocked to learn that banks frequently charge 100 times more in interest when you use their money (credit cards) compared to what they pay in interest when you give them your money(savings account).”

 

Jump$tart Staff: “What is the financial education requirement in your state?”

Greg: “No requirements in Pennsylvania, although recently passed legislation allows local school boards the option to utilize up to one credit obtained from financial literacy classes as a mathematics, social studies, FACS, or BCIT credit.”

Jump$tart Staff: “Can you describe your calling to teach?”

Greg: “As a senior in high school, I was blessed with the opportunity to shadow a mathematics teacher. After graduating college as a Finance major with an Accounting minor, memories of the tremendous shadowing experience lured me back to college to pursue Secondary Mathematics certification. Subsequent exposure to high-quality professional development and serving as a teacher mentor at several Pennsylvania Governor’s Institutes for Financial Literacy cultivated a desire to become dually certified in Family and Consumer Science.”

Jump$tart Staff: “What are your go-to resources for teaching personal finance?”

Greg: “Foolproof and Next Gen Personal Finance. Combining the programs certainly provides students with relevant and rigorous resources that keep them actively engaged.”

Jump$tart Staff: How does the NEC effect your teaching?

Greg: “NETWORKING! The primary impact of NEC was being bombarded by stories concerning decisions made by seasoned financial literacy teachers to switch to the Next Gen Personal Finance program. Hearing those persuasive accounts solidified my decision to blend those resources into my existing program that leaned heavily on Foolproof. My students reaped the benefits of the NEC!”