SCOTTSDALE, AZ — One Valley classroom has even more reason to cheer for the Cardinals -- their math teacher made a class rule that when the Cards win, there is no homework!
Deirdre Cronin, a seventh-grade math teacher at Desert Shadows Middle School, has had the policy in place for more than a decade, but it's never been quite as popular as it is this year (which may have something to do with the Cardinals' undefeated record)!
"I love their spirit," explains Ms. Cronin. "I love the way the team comes together. I love when they win. I'm a big fan of the defense and of course, Larry Fitzgerald is kind of what brought me into the team!"
Even in the down years, Ms. Cronin said she never lost hope.
"I'm loyal -- I'm just a loyal fan!"
But one thing Ms. Cronin realized was that many of her students were rooting for teams in other parts of the country, perhaps because their parents had moved from those regions. So Ms. Cronin set out to convert her students and figured the no-homework policy was the best way to do it -- and boy, has it worked!
"It's just fun, to be honest...I told the parents it's fun. It's hard to make a 12-year-old smile, but this really does."
Desert Shadows is no stranger to the Bird Gang. Christian Kirk was a student there and Chase Edmonds and Michael Dogbe have Zoomed with Ms. Cronin's class in the past.
And you may be wondering -- what happens to the homework policy since this is a Thursday game? We're told the no homework rule will still apply for the following Monday.
