WAKE UP SLEEPY ONE, KUNG FU IN CLASS TODAY

Sam Fawks, a math teacher at Harlan Elementary School in Wilmington, Del., has combined your parents' flashcards with the allure of Bruce Lee's flying fists and flashy kicks, reports the Associated Press. Fawks created the Belting Out the Facts program, which gives students "belts" for their wrists and lockers once they conquer increasingly difficult math problems. The program began with his sixth-grade class last year, but school administrators saw it succeed and expanded it throughout the school. Sensei Fawks, as he is known around the halls, has created different sets of small flashcards organized by difficulty level and the color of belt each student is seeking. Once students think they have mastered the concepts necessary to get the next belt, they must achieve a 93 percent score on a five-minute test to pass. By the time students get to the blue belt level, which is the mid-point, they must complete random algebra questions. "Last year, it was really boring doing just flash cards. Now you get pumped," said nine-year-old Joshua Sanchez.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1296609~Math_teacher_inspired_by_martial_arts_revises_teaching_style.html