Some suburban students got a quarterback surprise after their teacher used Chicago Bears stats to help tackle math.
Her creative approach scored big with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
Math is not necessarily the favorite subject of a lot of young students, but at Harvest Christian Academy in Elgin, a fourth grade teacher is helping make math a little more fun, with the help of the Bears quarterback.
Teacher Emily Romano says she loves math, and she tries to share that appreciation with her fourth grade students. She has discovered a fun way to get her students more interested, by following Williams’ passing yards last season, which set a team record.
“We had addition, which got his total yards, division, which got us his average, and subtraction to see how far he was from his goal,” Romano said.
It’s been a big success with her students. Many have not only learned math, but also started following football. On Fridays, the students would predict how many yards Williams would throw for that weekend. The winner would get extra recess for the classroom.
Their teacher posted pictures of the class as they progressed through the season on social media, and eventually it got the attention of Williams himself, who liked and commented on the post. He also sent a signed jersey to the class. It was a big hit.
SEE ALSO |2026 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears wrap up final day with 3 defensive selections
“I’m just a fourth grade teacher doing something fun with my class,” Romano said. “But it’s cool. He saw it, and people see what we’re doing and maybe be inspired to try it in their classroom.”
The school has even seen an improvement in their overall math scores.
“They are coming in on Monday morning excited to share what they’re learning and how they’re applying it,” admissions manager Lauryn Miller said. “It really doesn’t get better than that as a teacher.”
Romano has yet to figure out which Bears player or statistics she plans to have the class follow next year, but regardless, she says she is committed to Bear Down with the Monsters of the Midway.
SEE ALSO |Gov. Pritzker says he wants Bears stadium deal done ‘as fast as possible’ as team meets with NFL