McDonogh School
Courtney Rainey, Upper School Mathematics Teacher and Head Varsity Field Hockey Coach
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Courtney Rainey
Upper School Mathematics Teacher and Head Varsity Field Hockey Coach
What inspired you to become a teacher?
I wanted to be a teacher my whole life! My Aunt Maureen is a middle school math teacher, and every summer, I went into her classroom the week before school started and helped her clean, put up all her bulletin boards, and make her room pretty for the beginning of the year. In high school and college, I realized teaching was a lot more than just a pretty room. I came to understand what an impact my aunt had on so many students just by showing up every day, working hard, and being kind. I aspire to be like her every day!
Photographer: Ryan Rubenstein '27
Why did you choose the subject area that you teach?
I actually grew up disliking math. I loved to read and write, and by the time I was in high school, I was confident I was going to be an English major and then an English teacher. In college, I took a math class and fell in love with the subject. I think I finally had enough confidence in my ability to learn that I let my guard down and was willing to struggle and fail a little to learn something challenging.
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What do you find most rewarding about teaching and working with students?
I really love the relationships I get to build with students. I am lucky enough to be a coach, so I get to have so many different types of relationships with students.
Beyond the classroom, what are some of your interests or hobbies that you're passionate about?
I am the head varsity field hockey coach, and I am super passionate about that. In the past two years, my focus has really been on building a team and program and focusing on having positive memories, no matter what is going on in games—although I do love to win!
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I love to read. It's my favorite thing to do when I have time. And, I am a huge Taylor Swift fan—another thing I love to connect with students about!
What do you hope students will take away from your classes or your mentorship?
I hope that students learn to productively struggle! It has been one of the most valuable lessons in my life—to have a hard time with a problem and be able to continue to work through the stress of not knowing what the result will be. This applies to life in so many different ways. I think math translates beautifully to that.
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