Huntsman Awards 2009: Diana L. Taggart

Math teacher

West High School

Salt Lake School District

West High School student Amy Christensen says Diana Taggart is the only reason she understands math.

"I owe any success I have had in math to her," wrote Christensen who passed the AP calculus test. "She believed in me when I did not believe in myself."

There isn't much higher praise for a teacher than that.

A veteran educator of 24 years, Taggart has taught at West High since 2002. Her courses in calculus and personal finance are rigorous. She holds students to high standards of performance and responsibility. But she also develops a rapport with them through respect, humor and precisely worded explanations of difficult concepts. She was one of the first teachers in the state to use an interactive whiteboard known as Smartboard in her classroom. A parent who teaches electrical and computer engineering at the University of Utah compiled Taggart's teaching techniques into a list he titled "Methods of Diana Taggart, Doyen of Teaching."

How can you best prepare students to succeed in today's challenging economy? "Young people need to be taught to be smart consumers. They must be taught to do comparison shopping, and they should learn how mortgage loans and credit card loans are calculated. The other side of survival is being able to support yourself and family if necessary. The more you know, the better off you are, so students need to understand how important it is that they take full advantage of all the educational opportunities that are available to them."