At University Lake School (ULS), song recordings, artwork, planning an escape room, and designing a home are nothing out of the ordinary in math class. From the preprimary program to the upper school program, students and faculty follow a student-centered approach to learning, which allow students to explore their own interests across all subjects – including math.
Often times, the challenge for students is realizing that math isn’t just rules and symbols. At ULS students are encouraged to express themselves algebraically, numerically, graphically, and verbally in ways that go beyond pencil and paper.
“A variety of assessments give students the opportunity to see and understand math concepts from different perspectives,” said Upper School teacher, Mark Bronner who has taught at ULS for over 28 years. “Students who are not the best with pencil and paper tests often shine on the projects and journals.”
ULS seeks to serve students by providing opportunities to meet them right where they are. Honors projects allow students to pursue an additional 20-30 hours of math outside of class to further excel in their skills. With smaller class sizes and different approaches to math, those who may be struggling are also able to receive additional help.
“ULS is all about producing students who can think for themselves and understand deeply” said Middle School math teacher, Cathy Debbink. “I try to approach my lessons in that way. I have some students who have a hard time understanding a concept when it’s first explained to them. I always say that there is more than one way to think about a concept.”