Lydia Deckert

At New Hope since: Fall 2021
B.A. Education, Grove City College (Specializing in middle-level English and Math)
Teaching: MS Math, Physical Science
lydia.deckert@newhopecourses.org

Lydia Deckert grew up on the North Shore and was homeschooled all the way through high school along with her three siblings. In eighth grade she began taking courses at New Hope in science, Spanish, and English. During her time as part of the New Hope student body she developed academic skills and gained life-long friendships.  

After graduating from homeschooling and New Hope in 2011, Lydia attended Grove City college in western Pennsylvania where she majored in Education, specializing in Middle-Level English & Math. Although she has a love for English, her true passion for teaching centers around Math. The basic operations one learns as a child that provide the foundation for all the math concepts to come, the number patterns found in nature (hello Fibonacci sequence!), and the critical thinking involved in problem-solving all contribute to the beauty of math in all its varying simplicity and complexity.  

Hand in hand with math comes science. The two are so intertwined, both in academics and in nature, that it only makes sense to study them in tandem. God’s handiwork is revealed in both, and it is a beauty to see students realize they can be a “math and science person” when they may not have initially believed they were capable in those areas of study.  While traditional instruction has its place in terms of rote memorization of basic facts and repetition, Lydia likes to integrate project-based learning as a means to engage students in the material and to develop a deeper understanding of the concepts. If the subject is more interesting, students are more likely to pay better attention, try harder, and retain more.  

Lydia taught math for four years at North Shore Christian School and is excited to continue teaching from a Christian worldview. Working with students until they “get it” is her best reward, and she is eager to continue her teaching as part of the vibrant New Hope community.