Jago Times "English Edition" Best Online Newspaper
Related Articles
Step into Deborah Harper’s senior-level math class and you’ll notice an abundance of chairs, yet none of the students actually use them.
At the beginning of each class, students draw cards to determine which dry-erase board station they’ll be working at for the day. Paired up with a partner, they stand up and tackle a series of math problems they’ve never encountered before, promoting an active learning environment.
Harper’s teaching approach deviates from traditional methods. Instead of demonstrating problems for students to mimic, she presents the problems on the board, allowing students to leverage their existing knowledge to solve them independently.
Rather than a teacher-led environment, Harper’s classroom fosters collaboration among students, who brainstorm and discuss various problem-solving strategies.
Harper’s innovative methods, inspired by a book she read, have yielded remarkable results over the past three years, empowering struggling students to excel in math.
Mesquite ISD has recognized the effectiveness of Harper’s approach and plans to implement similar strategies in more classrooms across the district, emphasizing group work, incremental progress, and active engagement as keys to improving math proficiency.
Harper emphasizes the importance of developing problem-solving skills, equipping students with valuable abilities beyond academic success.
In addition to academic achievements, Harper’s classroom also saves money on chairs, reflecting the practicality and efficiency of her teaching methods.