When math teacher Tre’nee Uzoka arrived at Midtown this year, she expected to teach Geometry. But after being asked to teach AP Computer Science for the first time, she took the challenge in stride, sharing and cultivating her interest in computers with students.

In her first year of working at Midtown and teaching AP Computer Science Principles (CSP), Uzoka said she believes her college degrees and former certifications prepared her to instruct students well.

“This is officially my first year [teaching AP CSP],” Uzoka said. “[But], I have a Bachelor’s in Mathematics from Georgia State [where] I took a lot of classes with computer science. I actually have a Specialist in Instructional Technology, so computers are my thing.”

Before transferring to Midtown, Uzoka taught an introductory-level computing class at Carver High School where she discovered a passion for computer science.

“When I came to Midtown, I was actually supposed to be a geometry teacher, but Dr. Bockman called me and said that they needed an AP CSP teacher, and with my technology background, asked me to take on the role,” Uzoka said. “I thought it was meant to be. So, I went ahead and took the offer and got certified in computer science.”

Uzoka said that she has enjoyed learning the new subject alongside her students.

“I was a little apprehensive when I started because I thought, because I didn’t know the content as well, the students were going to give me some pushback,” Uzoka said. “But, they told me they enjoy us learning together because it gives us an opportunity to debug [the code] and figure it out together.”

Uzoka utilizes a student-teacher collaborative teaching style. Sophomore Katherine Culbreth has found her learning methods keep her engaged.

“There have been times where we’re all learning together [which] I think makes it a more engaging class,” Culbreth said. “We usually either do things all as a class or she can come over and we can do things in groups, which I think is very helpful for some people who like to work ahead, but also for others who need extra help.”

Culbreth also found Uzoka’s passion for computer science intriguing and was inspired to work as vice president of the Tello-Drone Club, as well as become secretary of the Computer Science Honor Society.

“She’s a very interactive teacher and she loves to talk about [the clubs] in her daily announcements, which is how I discovered them and my love for computer science,” Culbreth said. “I was one of the founding members of the Tello-Drone club, where we’ve had to code a drone and make it travel down the hallway and back.”

Uzoka plans to incorporate interactive aspects of her clubs into her lessons to introduce new ways to code.

“Instead of having them sit at the computer and do all the tasks in Code HS [the program used in class], I have received grants to use the tello-drones [that are] programmed using Python,” Uzoka said. “I thought it would be a good hands-on experience for students to take the coding they’re learning from Code HS and now implement it into the tello-drones to see their coding in action.”

Additionally, she hopes to introduce other new technology, like microbits – programmable devices that can detect movement – alongside the drones to engage students.

“We’re trying to do a step counter where [students] put the microbits on their shoes and it can actually count their steps,” Uzoka said. “I’m trying to get the word out that [computer science] is not just sitting at a computer and anybody can do it if you put your mind to it.”

Junior Anders Hart found Uzoka’s incorporation of creative, interactive projects in class helpful.

“She makes the lesson plans more personalized to each individual person, which makes it a lot better,” Hart said. “She allows for a lot of creativity, especially with the projects that are included with our curriculum.”

Uzoka hopes that her involvement in computer science outside of her classes will inspire more to pursue the subject outside and inside class.

“I’m trying to get a general-education level Computer Science Principles class for those who are afraid of taking AP, so they can take a regular computer science class and see it’s not a big deal, and then move on to AP Computer Science A,” Uzoka said. “I’m also planning a trip to Japan for the Computer Science students. I really want to build this subject at Midtown and get more people involved like more students of color as well as more female students.”