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A California math teacher learns that rap is a quick way into his students’ memory banks.

When middle school students buy your music on iTunes, you know you’re cool. Alex Kajitani, of Mission Middle School in Escondido, might not be topping the radio charts, but he’s doing something potentially harder: making algebra cool for preteens. Kajitani says his rapping mathematician “was born out of survival,” at a time when he struggled to motivate students. “At the same time, I noticed a rap song would come out on the radio on Monday, and on Tuesday they’d have it all memorized.” He says his pupils probably considered him an unlikely candidate for local rap star status. But after he performed the first song one morning in class, he found them singing it later that day in the cafeteria.

His songs spread throughout the school district and he made a professional studio recording of his tracks. The CD has sold more than 1,000 copies across the United States, Canada, and Australia, and he’s performed at a dozen venues. Not all of the songs are about math; some focus on character development. Kajitani hopes his music spreads and that students will convert “gettin’ low” into getting math.

Find more information about his CD at www.mathraps.com.    

—NADINE SIMPSON