Ms. Geisbush's students at Encino Park Elementary have class in a room full of animals. I think the kids need to learn to work through distraction. Yet, at week three of the school year, the students have already learned to let the animals fade into the background. By the time these children are in the workforce, their jobs are going to require far more understanding of math and science and problem solving than ever before.
Fifth grade is a crucial time, when many students turn-off to math and science.
As elementary school teachers, we haven't helped the kids make connections. We've taught them a lot of content, but we haven't really connected it to something meaningful enough to make them feel confident taking physics and advanced algebra. It's a mistake. It's going to take a paradigm shift to make it happen for them. Geisbush brings the same determination to her pursuits outside of the classroom.