Rocky Lambourne is Skyline High School’s returning Honors Calculus BC and Honors Secondary Math 3 teacher, with extensive experience in mathematical education.
Lambourne has taught at Skyline before, so he doesn’t consider himself a new teacher, but he is happy to be back. He understands that students have a lot to deal with, including changes in the school and in their lives. “It’s commendable how well the students are doing in the midst of chaos that’s going at the school. You’ve made a good thing out of a tough situation. That’s really what I like about Skyline, is that we get along and make things work,” Lambourne stated.
As for experience, Lambourne has plenty. He taught at Wasatch Jr. High for a year before transferring to his first position at Skyline. “You can just say I taught here many, many years,” he told the Horizon. He worked in administration until he became an assistant principal at Valley Jr. High, then Eisenhower Jr. High, and then at Olympus Jr. High. Eventually, he was promoted to principal at Bonneville Jr. High where he helped establish the student’s learning environment and resources until his retirement. He came out of his retirement during the 2022-2023 school year and has been teaching here since.
He enjoyed many aspects of his high school experience, from his time as an athlete to the teachers he learned from. When it came time for university, he did not enroll with the intention of becoming a teacher, rather that passion developed after unofficially tutoring fellow students. Helping people improve their skills after hours of dedication was something he enjoyed doing, and combined with his enjoyable high school experience, teaching ended up the natural next step. When he completed his general education classes, he decided to continue down the path of mathematical education.
Despite enjoying his high school history classes, math has always been a favorite of Lambourne’s due to its problem-solving. In regards to the classes he teaches, he notes that “The calculus classes are amazing stuff, but not for the faint of heart.” Despite their difficulty, he hopes to bring a level of fun and entertainment to the subject. That does not mean that it would come at the expense of any academic integrity or experience, rather he aims to mix the two together to create an enjoyable year.
When he is not in the classroom, Lambourne enjoys any activity that gets him outdoors, whether it’s camping, watersports, or golfing. However, what takes up most of his time is his family and grandkids. “They are probably the highlight of my life at the moment,” he told Horizon.
The most important thing he wants students to know is that he has been where they are; his experience has made it so he understands what students are going through. Just because he isn’t the same age as them doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand the younger generation. He believes that teachers have to be tough sometimes, but that is only because they see the bigger picture.
