STUART, Fla. (CBS12) — We’re now a few weeks into the new school year and we’re highlighting the amazing things teachers are doing in the lives of your students.

CBS12 News’ next “Teacher Feature” within the Martin County School District is said to be a great model for the relatively new co-teaching initiative being rolled out at certain schools.

Kevin Kobold is a geometry co-teacher at South Fork High School in Stuart.

“Okay, so like usually there’s like 28 to 29 kids in the classroom. So if there’s one teacher trying to instruct to 29 minds in there, you might lose half of them. So if we split it in half, and now it’s a ratio of like 15 to one, you’re really able to engage with the students more and really like focus on some kids that are struggling,” said Kabold. “I’m helping take a lot off her weight that she doesn’t have to be up there instructing from bell to bell every class. I can be doing the same thing too. So, getting to know your co-teacher and knowing your role in the classroom, I think, is key there. And also being able to like finish each other’s sentences, like what we do in there.”

Kabold knows geometry can be difficult to a lot of students and really focuses on making his lessons interesting and fun, rather than just note-taking.

“So, if we’re working on notes, they’re usually like guided notes where they’re not having to write two pages of their own handwriting. That’s when you’ll lose a lot of the kids. So we use the whiteboards. We have stations set up,” said Kabold. “We’re reviewing for a test on Friday, so we’re really having them engage with the material to try to get it to stick a little more than just sitting there and doing a review on the computer.”

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District officials said that students really respect Kabold, which he says is really important to gain early on.

“I mean, like when you gain that rapport with students, and they kind of find out that you’re there for them and you truly do care about them, they will open up a little more, and they will try harder than just you know sitting back there and not asking them about, ‘Hey how’d your football game go?’ Or, ‘hey how’d your band practice go?’ said Kabold. “Like once you get to know them and know what they do out of the classroom, then you see like their eyes light up, and now they want to come in class.”

Kabold says while he knows geometry isn’t the most fun class, there is one big message he wants his students to leave with.

“If you learn some geometry, that’s amazing. I want you to do well on your EOC. But this is really about solving problems that come up in your life when you’re given certain information. How am I going to solve this problem?” said Kabold. “I really try to make it real life for them because let’s be real, a lot of them may not have a career that requires them to remember the Pythagorean theorem or something from geometry, but they’re going to be faced with issues in their life, and I don’t want them to just hide from them. So just try in our classroom, be present, and you’ll learn something. I promise.”

Co-teaching has been used in Martin County middle and high school over the past few years. This is only the second year at South Fork High.

District officials say co-teaching is about to be introduced in elementary schools, but didn’t specify when.

Teacher Feature is sponsored by Baker & Disalvo Personal Injury Law.