The Power of Interdisciplinary Learning: Engaging Students Across Subjects

Hi there! I’m Natalie Teboul, also known as Traveling Miss T. I’m a former math teacher turned "teacherpreneur", on a mission to make learning an adventure! Over the years, I’ve developed interdisciplinary learning resources, including my signature Math Maps ©, that help students explore the world by Coordinate Plane.

When I graduated from Binghamton University in 2014 with a degree in Human Development, I never imagined I’d become a math teacher. Math was far from my original path. But when I joined the New York City Teaching Fellows, there happened to be a shortage of math teachers in the NYC Department of Education that year. I did well on the placement exam, and before I knew it, despite having no formal math background, I was earning my Master’s in Math Education and standing in front of a classroom as a 6th grade Math and Science teacher. Soon, I grew to love the subject, and I became “a math person.”

Years later, while pursuing my dream of becoming an author, I continued teaching math part-time while working on my MFA in Creative Writing at San Diego State University. It was my time as a 5th grade teacher, when I had to teach U.S. Geography and State Capitals, that I fell in love with maps and cartography. Soon, I also became “a geography person.”

Keep in mind, I was also always considered “an artsy person” by my friends, or “a creative writing person” by my family, and even “a science person” by some of my high school teachers. Looking back, my biggest takeaway is a genuine love of learning, which is something that feels increasingly rare in today’s world. I’ve been a student my whole life, and that constant curiosity, and true desire to learn, grow, and explore across disciplines, is exactly what needs to be nurtured in classrooms.

I believe students today shouldn’t see themselves as just a “math person” or an “art person.” They can be all of the above! Explorers. Problem-solvers. Creative thinkers. Interdisciplinary learning helps students build confidence across subjects, see how the world connects, and most importantly, find joy in learning itself. Through hands-on activities, problem-solving, and play, teachers should spark genuine curiosity and excitement.

With Math Maps ©, students aren’t just aimlessly completing coordinate plane worksheets. It’s so much more than finding and plotting points in a Cartesian System… They’re traveling across subjects, and the world! They’re making discoveries, and seeing patterns that connect everything they learn. Math becomes more than numbers. Writing becomes more than words. Art becomes more than coloring in the lines. Each subject becomes part of a bigger picture. (Or maybe a bigger map!)

My mission is simple. Help teachers make every lesson an adventure, no matter the subject. By blending disciplines, we can inspire students to see learning as limitless, connected, and full of possibilities. So what are you waiting for? The Coordinate Plane is now boarding! 

About Traveling Miss T.

Traveling Miss T. creates coordinate plane worksheets that make learning creative, meaningful, and interdisciplinary. Math Maps © help educators bring curiosity, adventure, and exploration into every classroom.