If there’s one thing people should know about the Twillman Elementary Mathletes, it’s that they have unstoppable teamwork, said the group’s members.
“We problem-solve; we cooperate,” said Angelo Robinson, a fifth grader at Twillman Elementary in the Hazelwood School District. “Because if we cooperate, we can do more.”
The Twillman Mathletes are a group of boys in the fourth and fifth grades who meet after school on Tuesdays to explore mathematics. The group’s facilitator, fifth-grade teacher Steve Baybo, said his main goal in starting the Mathletes this year was to “instill camaraderie” so the boys can help each other learn.
“With that positive reinforcement, we can help create a safer learning environment,” Baybo said, “making sure we are staying positive and helping each other up, rather bringing each other down.”
The group has a heavy focus on enhancing their skills in multiplication, fractions and problem-solving. These are three areas that Baybo noticed his students scored particularly low in, he said.
“So I thought, let’s hit those hard, because once you know multiplication, division will come easy,” Baybo said. “In my class, their math scores have gone up.”
Math drills with the Mathletes are fun, said the boys. Some of their favorite activities are their math tournaments, using dice to learn time tables, and basketball games with math problems tied in. The group’s absolute favorite, however, is the marble maze, which the Mathletes showcased at a recent exhibition.
“I like the marble maze because we have team work,” said Jaivyn Cheathem, a fifth grader. “And we have to work together to figure out what’s the problem, and then we solve it.”
The Mathletes attended the EducationPlus Innovation Legislative Breakfast on April 1 at Parkway Central High School. They were among 22 programs invited to set up a table and showcase their work. More than 100 superintendents, board members and legislators, including Hazelwood School District’s Board of Education members and superintendent, were in attendance.
The Mathletes presented the marble maze, which consists of a plank board and recycled and repurposed materials that the boys used to make the maze for the marbles.
“They’ve really grown,” said Twillman’s Principal Germaine Stewart. “A couple of the kids are really shy in the group, and at the showcase they were pushed out there to talk to people they didn’t know. It’s a chance for those shyer kids to be out in front talking about math. How wonderful is that? For our boys, especially.”
Stewart said the Mathletes have varying levels of skill.
“It’s a diverse group with all abilities, and I think that’s powerful that they can come together once a week and work on math projects,” Stewart said. “It’s helping everyone become better at math and change their attitudes, in some cases.”
All of the group’s members had to fill out applications, and Baybo also required two letters of recommendation – one from their homeroom teacher and one from another adult in the building. Baybo said they will most likely expand the program, because many more children are interested in participating, including second and third graders. He hopes to include the younger kids next year by having the older kids act as their tutors.
When asked if they would like to become tutors next year, all of the Mathletes gave an enthusiastic, “Yes!”
