High School Teacher Builds Home With Students To Teach Geometry

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) - A local teacher is showing his students how geometry is applied in real life. These classroom lessons are coming through some special on-the-job training.

To all rooms of a 600-square-foot manufactured house, students are hammering out the details of college prep geometry.

"We're going to have to get an x and a y by itself," said teacher Jeff Bailey to the students in his Roseville High geometry class.

It's all part of Bailey's curriculum of taking geometry at Roseville High out of the classroom by creating real rooms in a home built by students. He's applying lessons learned to real life.

"The math really drives the construction. The construction drives the math," said Bailey.

"I love this class. I think it's one of the best ideas this school has had," said student Valentina Kumar.

Students say the idea finally provided an answer to a nagging question.

"I was one of those students who constantly asked: 'When am I ever going to use this?' I've never been a really strong math student. I feel like I'm really thriving in this class," said Kumar.

Bailey says this is no fluff class, and no break from regular academics.

"This is not watered-down math. This is the real college prep deal," said Bailey.

"It helps you in math and it also looks good on the resume later on," said student Logan Ash.

Bailey says he's simply taking down the wall of mystery surrounding math by showing students how to build them.