By decorating her classroom as a "Construction Zone," Jill Rumbaugh illustrates her theory about learning as something that is always under construction. From the "Mathematicians Entering" traffic sign at the classroom entrance to the hardhat she dons for particularly tough lessons, it's evident that this teacher enjoys making student learning enjoyable. She also makes it relevant, linking new concepts and skills with prior learning and daily life activities. For example, in her "Careers and Budgets" unit, students use percentages to calculate the net pay or interest on a car loan. Ms. Rumbaugh's concern for each individual student is as obvious as it is genuine. She often makes positive phone calls to parents to acknowledge and reward their children's efforts. For struggling students, she offers weekly help and guidance and was instrumental in the development of a summer remediation class. With the school's sixth-grade math scores ranked first in the district and surpassing the national average by as much as 13 percent, it's clear that in Ms. Rumbaugh's construction zone, it's a green light all the way to academic success.
