I love innovation in teaching. Students appreciate a teacher who dares to comes up with a different approach and I’m not surprised their grades reflect that here:
At one middle school in North Carolina, bike pedals are making kids better at maths.
Seriously: Ever since eighth grade maths teacher Bethany Lambeth installed under-the-desk bike pedals in her classroom at Martin Middle School, she’s noticed a decrease in student fidgeting and an increase in student performance, WRAL reports.
“Before, they were drumming on their desks, they were touching other people. They don’t do that anymore,” Lambeth told WRAL. “[The kids] are not picking on each other, they are not needing to walk around, they are not needing to go explore. They are able to get their activity out and get their work done.”
Lambeth installed the pedals at the end of last school year, using funds from a private donation. The manufacturer, DeskCycle, sells each set for about $160. The investment has paid off: The students seem to miss fewer assignments and focus better in class when they’re using the pedals to siphon off their excess energy.
“I’m a really energetic person, so this takes all my energy out,” one student told WRAL. There’s also a side benefit of improved physical fitness: That student told reporters that he’d already pedaled 5.5 miles and burned 133 calories during class.
In fact, the pedals have been such a boon that the school is looking to expand the concept to more classrooms, the BBC reports.
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