Student, Published in Math Magazine, Celebrates SCH’s Game-Changing Approach to Math Education

SCH’s Clare Murphey ’27 has been published in the latest issue of PA Council of Teachers of Mathematics semi-annual magazine. Selected by co-editors Derrick Keister, SCH math chair, and Xiangquan (James) Yao, Penn State University, Murphey’s article marks the first time this math education magazine has published the work of a high school student. She is published alongside state-wide mathematicians and educators.

In her piece, "Making Math Meaningful Through Projects," Murphey argues that traditional, exam-based math education favors temporary memorization over genuine comprehension. She highlights how aspects of SCH’s Math Department successfully transitioned to project- and task-based learning models. 

For instance, Murphey highlights the innovative classroom of SCH teacher John Ford, who uses a method he likes to call "FIO-ing" (figuring it out): “When teaching his 11th and 12th-grade students various topics and skills, he doesn’t repeatedly show the work behind solving a problem. Instead, he solves it once while introducing patterns and highlighting formula pieces, and students have to figure out the steps from there.”

By tossing out predictable worksheets and tasking students with solving real-world, creative video scenarios independently, these methods cultivate long-term material retention, sharp critical thinking, and genuine confidence.

She writes about SCH math teacher Aaron Bergmann’s engaging approach, which “models the real-life 'video scenarios' created by educator Dan Meyer. Like Meyer, Bergmann gives his students a scenario, such as a box actively filling with sand. By taking measurements of the volume of sand in the box at certain times, students can create data points that they can transfer into Desmos and model a graph out of it.”

Just how effective is this approach? Murphey points to her own experience conquering a challenging final project involving a video of pouring maple syrup, proving that math assessments can actually be rewarding. Reflecting on the end of her own final, she writes:

"Walking out of that exam room, I felt confident, satisfied, because I had worked my way through a very difficult problem even if my answer ended up being incorrect, and energized because for the first time my math final was actually enjoyable."
 

An excerpt from Murphey’s piece in the Spring 2026 issue of  PA Council of Teachers of Mathematics: 

From my experience in Bergmann’s class, I recall sitting in front of my computer, graphing formulas, and patterns racing in my mind, with a confidence that it was impossible to receive anything less than a 99% final exam grade. I opened up my task prompt to “graph the scenario and analyze key points,” and clicked the link to the final video. Then, I spent the next minute and a half watching maple syrup pour onto a table with a checkered tablecloth on top, while the central question floated above the video, reading, “At what time is the syrup expected to drip off the table?” …And at that moment, I was left staring at the screen, unsure of where to begin. 

Looking back on this scenario, I initially reacted in the way most students do when faced with a complex, creativity-needed problem that can’t be solved in one clear step-by-step method: give up. It might be difficult to acknowledge, but the math students learn, before they learn higher levels of math taught in high school, build a structured rather than an innovative mind. Being challenged to think 23 creatively isn’t as purposefully and meaningfully taught to students, which is why the saying “When would I ever use math in the real world?” clings to students. We resonate with the idea because few aspects of our math education can be visualized in our daily lives.  

Yet, when faced with a test entirely focused on that one question, a student can’t just back down. Rather, they need to actively recall everything they learned that year. In this case, utilize every potential graphing formula and spend a large amount of time simply working their way through the problem before they find a solution that can fit. I was quick to jump away from that haze of uncertainty, and began to use my math habits and understanding of functions to try to solve the problem. Walking out of that exam room, I felt confident, satisfied, because I had worked my way through a very difficult problem even if my answer ended up being incorrect, and energized because for the first time my math final was actually enjoyable.

Main Photo: Middle School students participate in the Math Probability Carnival, showcasing the exact type of project-based learning highlighted in Murphey’s writing.