THOMASVILLE — Alyssa Dimon has dreamt of being a teacher since the second grade. Her first full-time position is teaching math at Thomas County Central High School. She currently teaches pre-calculus and Algebra 1.

Dimon’s love for math comes from natural talent in the subject and her parents, who are accountants. As a child, she would play school with her siblings and her aunt, a middle school Spanish teacher. One of her favorite activities was pretending to grade papers. 

Originally, Dimon wanted to teach elementary school; however, this changed in high school.

“…My parents started to struggle with helping me and my three siblings with our work; they couldn’t remember how to do a lot of it,” Dimon said. “Luckily, I understood most of the time, so I had to help my younger siblings when they couldn’t understand. This made me realize that I have a passion for math specifically, and I like working with older students and explaining more complex topics.”

One reason the subject is a continuous source of enjoyment to Dimon is its daily challenges. She loves a challenge and teaching students to understand math concepts keeps her passionate about the subject. 

Born in Overland Park, Kansas, she graduated in three and a half years from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education and a minor in math. She previously worked as a substitute teacher for middle and high school classes in Kansas before coming to Georgia. Dimon moved to Thomasville to be with her longtime boyfriend, Trevor Thomas, who is earning his master’s degree in German history from Florida State University. 

What initially caught Dimon’s interest about TCCHS were the programs and numerous student-focused opportunities.

“There are so many different sports and clubs offered here that I hadn’t seen at other schools, and the career pathway options blew me away,” Dimon said. “It was obvious … how much they (staff) cared about their students, and that is something very important to me.”

When she arrived, Dimon immediately felt cordiality from teachers and students. 

“When I was new here, everyone was willing to help me and make me feel comfortable and welcome,” she said. 

Dimon refrains from regularly using math worksheets to ensure her students engage with the class. She does this through implementing programs like IXL in place of some worksheets. 

“I think some students really like using technology in the classroom,” she said. “I also try to allow students to work together and listen to music as much as possible — as long as it isn’t distracting — because I don’t want math to be something they hate.” 

Between letting students work together and incorporating their input in notetaking, Dimon believes it’s just as important for students to engage in class as she does each day.

“I don’t think it’s very helpful to just tell students how to do something,” she said. “I try my best to ask them questions and help them figure out how to do something in the notes and learn to problem solve when they see something new.”

Student Leila Hurst enjoys Dimon’s teaching style.

“I think the best way to learn math is to just work out problems until you have a good understanding of the topic, and Ms. Dimon does a great job of allowing us to do that,” Hurst said.

Some of Dimon’s favorite things to teach include equation solving, trigonometry and matrices. 

“Most people probably have no idea what matrices are, but they are basically a ‘storage system’ for numbers,” she said. “I like them for the same reason that I like trigonometry; people see them and get funny looks on their faces because they’re ‘weird,’ and then when they learn about them, they realize it’s pretty easy to work with them and feel cool for knowing how to do it.”

Megan Schminky, 16, shares Dimon’s appreciation for trigonometry. Her favorite lesson from Dimon’s class, thus far, is trigonometric functions and laws of cosines because trig is her ideal math area. 

“I like Ms. Dimon’s class very much,” Schminky said. “The lessons are easy to follow, and we always have plenty of time to complete our work. I look forward to learning more trigonometry and more math in general because it’s always exciting to learn something new.”

A personal goal of Dimon’s is further connecting with her students and giving them a positive learning environment. From greeting students at the door to talking with them about their interests, Dimon makes an effort to be cordial and personally engage with her students.

“I never want a student to feel unhappy to come to my class,” she said. 

Dimon currently resides in Tallahassee. She says the commute is worth it, but it is hard to be involved in school activities as often as she’d like. She contributes whenever she can. 

“I was involved in the homecoming committee and chaperoned the dance this year,” Dimon said. “I also chaperone the Grad Bash trip some seniors take at the end of the year. Other than that, I just try to support my students by going to their events and participating in school spirit activities.”

Outside of school, Dimon hangs with her boyfriend and works out. She enjoys watching Netflix and going to the movies. Spending time with her family is an integral part of her free time, and she loves playing board games with them when they come to visit. She also enjoys going to the lake, traveling and attending Kansas City Royals’ baseball games.

Dimon plans to begin work on her master’s degree within the next couple of years. In the meantime, she’s enjoying her job at TCCHS. 

“The thing I love most about being a Yellow Jacket is how nice everyone is,” Dimon said. “My students are respectful, and I enjoy coming to school every day and seeing them. All the other teachers and administrators are great, too! When I was new here, everyone was willing to help me and make me feel comfortable and welcome. It is so nice having a place that I love coming to every day.”