About Me
Hi there! My name is Sarah Carter. I’m a high school math (and occasionally science) teacher from Oklahoma who decided to start a blog called Math = Love. As a result, I met the love of my life, a cute Australian math(s) teacher, who decided to give up everything to move to the other side of the world to marry me. We love playing board games and talking about our latest ideas for teaching math when we’re not chasing our two kids.
Most importantly, I am a sinner who is saved by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Savior, and my King. I am nothing without Christ, and I hope and pray that I bring glory to God daily through my teaching and through this blog.
I’m currently in my 13th year teaching high school math. The first six years of my teaching career were spent teaching in Drumright, a tiny former oil boomtown in rural Oklahoma. At Drumright, I taught Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Math Concepts, Math Analysis, Trigonometry, Statistics, Physical Science, and Chemistry. My husband and I had the pleasure of being the entire high school math department.
In 2015, I was featured as one of NPR’s 50 Great Teachers. As a result of this media coverage, the Drumright’s mayor and city manager presented me with a key to the city. I always thought that was something that only happened in movies…
In 2017, I was named Teacher of the Year for Drumright Public Schools. I also went on to be named one of twelve finalists for Oklahoma Teacher of the Year. Though I didn’t win, it was an amazing experience, and it really made me think a lot about who I am as a teacher and the message I want to share to other teachers across the state. I strive to use this blog as a vehicle to encourage other teachers to open their classrooms to the world that we might learn from them.
In 2018, I returned to my hometown of Coweta, OK to teach advanced math at Coweta High School. I actually ended up replacing my own Algebra 2 teacher who was retiring. Though it’s embarrassing to regularly walk past my very awkward senior picture, it has been an absolute joy to teach math in the same district I grew up in. While at Coweta, I have had the privilege to teach Algebra 2, Honors Algebra 2, Precalculus, AP Precalculus, Statistics, and AP Calculus AB.
Courses Taught
- Math Concepts – a course for 9th graders not yet ready for Algebra 1
- Algebra 1
- Algebra 2
- Honors Algebra 2
- College Algebra/Math Analysis
- Trigonometry
- Precalculus
- AP Precalculus
- AP Calculus AB
- Statistics
- Physical Science
- Chemistry
Awards and Recognition
- 2021 Featured Math Educator in August 2021 OKSDE Math Newsletter
- 2021 Channel 6 Teacher of the Day
- 2020 K20 SKIE Award for Innovative Use of Technology – Tulsa Area Winner
- 2018 100Kin10 Teacher Forum Participant
- 2018 Curriculum Frameworks Writer (Algebra 1) for Oklahoma State Department of Education
- 2017 OKC Thunder Teacher of the Game
- 2017 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Finalist
- 2017 Masonic Fraternity of Oklahoma Teacher of Today Award
- 2017 Drumright Public Schools Teacher of the Year
- 2017 Drumright High School Teacher of the Year
- 2016 Feature Article About Teaching Career Published in University of Tulsa Alumni Magazine
- 2015 Received Key to City of Drumright (May 6, 2015 was declared “Sarah Hagan Day”)
- 2015 Named one of NPR’s “50 Great Teachers”
- 2012 Ralph W. Veatch Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics
Speaking/Presentations
August 2025
Creative Ways to Incorporate Logic Puzzles in the Classroom
OK Summit 2025 – STEM Division
August 2025
Crafting a Great First Day of School – Going Beyond the Syllabus and Ice Breakers
OK Summit 2025 – STEM Division
June 2025
Let’s Make Math Practice Activities Together
Oklahoma Council of Teachers of Mathematics Summer Conference, Sallisaw Middle School
June 2023
Engaging Activities for Practicing Any Math Topic
Oklahoma Council of Teachers of Mathematics Summer Conference, Collinsville High School
June 2023
Puzzles for Building Math Skills
Co-Presented with Shaun Carter
Oklahoma Council of Teachers of Mathematics Summer Conference, Collinsville High School
April 2023
Panda Squares
Co-Presented with Shaun Carter
Tulsa Math Teachers’ Circle, University of Tulsa
April 2023
Engaging Students Through Hands-On Data Collection Activities
Southeast Oklahoma Math Teachers’ Circle, East Central University
June 2022
Embracing JOY in Math Class (Keynote Presentation)
Oklahoma Council of Teachers of Mathematics Summer Conference, Norman High School
June 2022
Engaging Students Through Hands-On Data Collection Activities
Oklahoma Council of Teachers of Mathematics Summer Conference, Norman High School
August 2021
Engaging Algebra Activities
NEOK Math Teacher Gathering, Collinsville High School
August 2021
Notable Numbers: An Exploration of Friedman Numbers and Happy Numbers
NEOK Math Teacher Gathering, Collinsville High School
May 2021
Notable Numbers: An Exploration of Friedman Numbers and Happy Numbers
Southeast Oklahoma Math Teachers’ Circle
March 2021
Notable Numbers: An Exploration of Friedman Numbers and Happy Numbers
Central Oklahoma Math Teachers’ Circle
August 2020
Virtual Activities Sampler: A Technology Taste Test
Professional Day, Coweta High School
2019
A Puzzling Classroom
NEOK Math Teacher Gathering, Jenks High School
2018
Interactive Notebooks 101
OK-MAP Workshop
2016
Making Note-Taking Fun & Interactive
OEQA Action Academy
2015
Insights from Great Teachers Panel (Alongside NPR)
SXSWedu
2014
Making Note-Taking Fun & Interactive
Oklahoma Council of Teachers of Mathematics Summer Workshop
2014
Inspiring Mathematical Curiosity Through Hands-On Activities
Twitter Math Camp, Jenks High School
2014
Teaching Math Through Motion
Global Math Department Webinar
2012
Hands-On Learning
Professional Day, Drumright High School
Contact Me
Want to get in touch? Drop me an email at sarah@mathequalslove.net!
