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ELGIN, Ill. (WLS) — Some students in the suburbs received an unexpected treat when their teacher incorporated statistics from the Chicago Bears to make math more engaging.
This innovative teaching method caught the attention of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
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Often regarded as a challenging subject, math found a new champion at Harvest Christian Academy in Elgin. Here, a fourth-grade teacher has teamed up with the Bears’ quarterback to inject some excitement into the classroom.
Emily Romano, the teacher in question, is passionate about math and aims to pass on this enthusiasm to her students. She devised a creative strategy to boost their interest by tracking Williams’ record-breaking passing yards from last season.
“We used addition to calculate his total yards, division to find his average, and subtraction to determine how close he was to his goal,” Romano explained.
It’s been a big success with her students. Many have not only learned math, but also started following football. On Fridays, the students would predict how many yards Williams would throw for that weekend. The winner would get extra recess for the classroom.
Their teacher posted pictures of the class as they progressed through the season on social media, and eventually it got the attention of Williams himself, who liked and commented on the post. He also sent a signed jersey to the class. It was a big hit.
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“I’m just a fourth grade teacher doing something fun with my class,” Romano said. “But it’s cool. He saw it, and people see what we’re doing and maybe be inspired to try it in their classroom.”
The school has even seen an improvement in their overall math scores.
“They are coming in on Monday morning excited to share what they’re learning and how they’re applying it,” admissions manager Lauryn Miller said. “It really doesn’t get better than that as a teacher.”
Romano has yet to figure out which Bears player or statistics she plans to have the class follow next year, but regardless, she says she is committed to Bear Down with the Monsters of the Midway.
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