Pedal Desks = Maths Success

Bethany Lambeth, an 8th Grade Maths teacher from North Carolina, is used to solving problems. But the one she had most trouble finding a solution to had little to do with algebra. Twiddling fingers, tapping toes, late and incomplete work: it’s a conundrum that’s had teachers scratching their heads for years.


Bethany’s answer was to install desk cycles in her classroom. She says, “I think the world is changing a lot and kids need to be able to do something different. What we’ve been doing is not necessarily working.”

Children can pedal away rather than get up and walk about the room. It’s also a neat way of getting the kids to exercise. One student, Quinn Spear, said he had pedaled 5.5 miles, burning off 133 calories, and all before 10 AM.

The students’ results have seen an upturn. As Bethany says, “The kids are not picking on each other, they are not needing to walk around, they are not needing to explore, they are able to get their activity out and get their work done.”

Chapeau to Bethany. Now pay attention class. If a cyclist travels 5 miles in 15 minutes, what was their average speed?