It started with a cubicle and a nickname: “the little blonde girl upstairs.” Then came firefighting, originally to prevent a lawsuit. Firefighting led to volunteering as an emergency medical technician. This was Renee Gibson’s life before teaching math at West High.
After finishing high school, Gibson’s first career choice was far from teaching. She graduated with a degree in engineering from Iowa State University and began working as an architect, designing and inspecting buildings.
“I had no idea what I was doing when I went into college. I took the math placement exam, and my counselor said, ‘You need to be in the engineering program.’ I don’t even think I knew what it was — I just liked to do math,” Gibson said.
After realizing she didn’t enjoy the monotony of engineering, Gibson shifted into teaching, earning a second degree in mathematics education. Although she had previously opposed the career choice, Gibson realized that her priorities had shifted — she needed human connection.
“[Engineering] was a lot of working in a cubicle on a project. I do better when I interact with people,” Gibson said.
Her resume didn’t stop there. While teaching in Oskaloosa, Iowa, Gibson also coached volleyball for 15 years. Through connections on the team, Gibson was introduced to something new: firefighting. While training to volunteer for the fire department, she realized it was more mathematical than she had expected.
“In 1993, it was male-dominated fire departments. They had declined [a woman’s] application because of personality conflicts. To make sure that she couldn’t file a lawsuit of discrimination, some dads of the girls that I coached asked me if I would try it,” Gibson said. “Firefighting interests me because it is a lot of math. The water flow, the different types of fires and knowing what retardant to put down — it was all the different parts of [the job].”
After responding to a car accident that left her feeling unprepared, Gibson earned an EMT certificate and medical credentials, volunteering outside of teaching hours.
“An older couple had [been] hit. We were extricating [the man], and I felt like I didn’t know enough to help him. I went back to Kirkwood and went through their EMT program,” Gibson said. “It was so different from teaching and engineering, which are so math, math, math. It was the other side — hands-on, helping people.”
Reflecting on her experience as an emergency responder, Gibson believes it strengthened her bond with her students, both while she volunteered and continuing to the present.
“When [someone is] in an accident, they’re in their worst day. You’ve got to be that person who has a voice or gives the look of, ‘Everything’s going to be okay; I’m going to do whatever I can to help you,’” Gibson said. “Coming to school, especially when you look at people’s faces, you can tell if they’re having a bad day. Besides teaching math, it’s making sure the kids are okay — reading faces and picking up on clues.”
After stopping volunteering as an EMT, Gibson briefly moved to Las Vegas while still teaching. Her experience helps her prioritize empathy with students, as she believes patience is the most important quality in a teacher.
“[Teachers have to] try different techniques when people don’t understand,” Gibson said. “My biggest lesson is [to] learn to listen to your intuition. In the hallway, in public, read people and take the time to pick up on when somebody’s not having a good day. Stop and make contact with them.”
One of the students whom Gibson has helped most has recognized those effects. Mia Westergaard ’26 was a freshman when her brother introduced her to Gibson. That meeting evolved into morning math chats and a connection through learning. Westergaard believes Gibson’s patience sets her apart from other teachers.
“She’s really flexible; you can never ask too many questions. Even if the whole class is asking the same question over and over again, she’ll take the time and try to make sure everyone has it down,” Westergaard said.
According to Gibson, helping students through their mistakes is one of the most special parts of teaching.
“It makes my heart happy if I can sit with a kid struggling with math and get it to click. Maybe [through] saying something in a different way, or taking the time to help somebody get that mathematical concept,” Gibson said.
Westergaard has personally experienced this from Gibson’s precalculus class.
“She has set the standard that a teacher should be happy to be teaching, that they have the responsibility to have care and compassion toward every student and to try to get them toward their academic goal,” Westergaard said.
Ever since she came to West, Gibson has communicated closely with other teachers, especially Jean Morsch, who teaches precalculus alongside her. After five years of working together, Morsch emphasizes how Gibson’s care for students makes her stand out.
“Her door is always open,” Morsch said. “She talks to students daily. It doesn’t have to be about school, just what’s happening in their lives. Whether it’s work or clubs, she cares about them. That also helps in the classroom because they feel comfortable.”
As a senior, Westergaard reflects on her time with Gibson and the growth she has experienced.
“Having that support and guidance makes me think I can do anything,” Westergaard said. “Ms. Gibson has been my support system and number one teacher throughout my four years of high school.”
Apart from her time with students, Morsch has also seen Gibson connect with her coworkers at West, building relationships through shared stories and experiences.
“We talk about, ‘Oh, how did you present this type of material? This is how I did it,’ and we bounce things back and forth to each other,” Morsch said. “She’ll tell her colleagues different stories. She’s very devoted and caring — not just [for] the students, but also the faculty.”
Morsch believes that her and Gibson’s differing personalities bring them closer together as both teachers and friends.
“I have a quieter personality; hers is more outgoing. She’ll just say what she wants to,” Morsch said.
Gibson also chooses more unconventional ways to connect with her students. One method is dressing up in costumes at school, such as the Grinch or Mrs. Claus. She began the tradition while teaching in Las Vegas, where she often became Mrs. Claus for dress-up days and pep assemblies. Seeing how those costumes would brighten her students’ faces, Gibson continued the practice at West.
“As we get into more diverse times and we argue about race, religion and ideology, [the holidays are] a time to let that go and just be,” Gibson said. “It’s about being in a good place, having a good time and helping others.”
Additionally, Gibson is also known for her catchphrases — mottos that contain both mathematical significance and life advice.
“Anyone who’s ever had Ms. Gibson knows about ‘fraction gone.’ She says it all the time,” Westergaard said. “It’s the way that you would get rid of a fraction over a fraction. Anytime she does it, she makes sure to do it in a voice. Even on a test, you can hear her in your head saying, ‘fraction gone!’”
The most well-known of Gibson’s expressions is, “No drinking, no drugs, don’t add or subtract from the population.” From “Friday Talks” to the poster on her door, it’s one of the most beloved parts of her teaching, stemming from the movie “10 Things I Hate About You.”
“When the girls go to the party, the dad says, ‘No drinking, no drugs, no piercings, no tattoos,’ so I’ve said that since 2000,” Gibson said. “In Vegas, they said, ‘You have to make it more math-y,’ so then it was, ‘We don’t add to the population, we don’t subtract from the population.’ But on the day-to-day, it’s, ‘No drinking, no drugs, no making babies.’”
When asked to speak at the Class of 2025 graduation ceremony, Gibson folded these phrases into her speech.
“My theme was ‘the last Friday Talk.’ Instead of saying, ‘Don’t add to the population,’ I said, ‘Don’t be afraid to fail,’” Gibson said. “If you’ve had me, there are things I say in class that I put in the speech that would bring a smile to their face.”
Gibson’s most important advice is to be kind, to expose oneself to new experiences, and to follow one’s passions for a good life, all of which she shared in her graduation speech.
“‘You’ve been handed a key. It’s a weird key. It doesn’t fit every door. It may lock some doors, it may open some doors, but be brave and dare to do new things,’” Gibson said, quoting her graduation speech. “And then I did say, ‘We don’t add to the population, we don’t subtract from the population.’”
