Reps. Hunter and Springer visit Stella Schola in Redmond

Published 1:45 pm Friday, December 20, 2013

Recently, Reps. Ross Hunter (D) and Larry Springer (D) of the 48th and 45th legislative districts, respectively, visited Stella Schola Middle School in Redmond.

Hunter spent the morning as a co-teacher with eighth grade teacher and Stella Schola headmistress Brigitte Tennis.

During the lesson, students used gummy bears as a manipulative as they worked through the problem to find a solution that fit the given rules. Hunter worked with various students in small groups, encouraging their work.

“Students have such varied skill levels, but it was impressive how they assisted each other without actually coming out and telling the answer,” he said.

Tennis said she tries to craft logical thinking lessons, which stretch students on many levels, along with teaching respect of others and their learning abilities.

Later in the morning, Tennis and Hunter led a group discussion of Act 3, scene I of “Hamlet.” Hunter said he was impressed with “how much students get out of this small passage,” as they discussed the symbolic meaning of Shakespeare’s words.

Hunter said he would love to return to get another hands-on experience in the classroom.

During his visit, Springer co-taught a physics lesson with Tennis.

Students explored potential and kinetic energy using a pop-up alien toy. The eighth graders planned and carried out an investigation to test their alien to see how high it popped, as well as how long it took to pop up.

Springer was impressed that students could verbalize how Newton’s third law – which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction – played into their experiments.

Springer, who was once a teacher, also spent some time in another Lake Washington School District classroom at John Muir Elementary School.