Tuesday, November 11, 2025
When it comes to numbers, middle school teacher Katia Booker knows the score.
Booker, a Freeport resident who teaches at KIPP Amp Middle School in Brooklyn, has built a reputation for using whatever her students like and can relate to in order to spark their interest in mathematics. That creativity recently earned her a Harriett Ball Excellence in Teaching Award and a proclamation of honor from the Village of Freeport.
The Harriett Ball Award is given annually to only 10 teachers nationwide within the KIPP Public Schools system. Recipients are recognized for embodying instructional excellence and leadership rooted in community values.
“I want the kids to be able to relate to math and retain it,” says Booker, who acknowledges being a math nerd growing up. “I knew the kids were really into wrestling and WWE and other (wrestling federations), so I created math problems that incorporated wrestling-related problems.”
In one exercise, students were asked to calculate the fastest and most cost-effective way to pursue a career as a WWE wrestler. In another, she connected algebra lessons to dancing and theater.
“If you can engage them through something they like, they’ll retain the information better,” says Booker, who teaches four algebra classes this year while also serving as a dean. “I am still learning about my students this semester, so we’ll see what their interests will be.”
Her inventive approach caught the attention of Mayor Robert Kennedy, who presented her with an official proclamation on behalf of the Village of Freeport.
“I think any time you can engage students, no matter the subject,” says Mayor Kennedy, “it is to be lauded. And, the fact that it is math, a subject that some people fear, is even more important. I was very happy to shine a light on the great things one of our residents is doing.”
