Alex Kajitani

2009 National Teacher of the Year Finalist
2009 California Teacher of the Year
Mission Middle School
Escondido, California
Math: Grade 8

Alex Kajitani had the hardest time getting his students to grasp math concepts; that is, until he transformed himself into “The Rappin’ Mathematician.” Since then his students have consistently tested above district averages and now consider math to be fun and exciting. This was no easy task considering Kajitani teaches in one of the lowest-performing schools in his district, in one of the most poverty-stricken areas in California, and is constantly fighting poverty, gang recruitment, and overall school disinterest. His big change came by connecting with his students on their level, using language that they could understand in order to teach them math. The strategy has worked like a charm and the technique is spreading. “The Rappin Mathematician” has recently expanded his reach through a series of CDs and workbooks that have now spread to math classes all over the country. Kajitani earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and his master’s from San Diego State University. He lives in Carlsbad, California, with his wife, Megan, and their two children, Senna and Kallan

View Alex Kajitani's website at www.mathraps.com

Next Teacher ⇒

"I think the key to classroom discipline is preventing problems from happening long before they could develop. Granted, sometimes issues begin at the lunch tables, or at home, and follow our students into the classroom. I see misbehavior as a psychological and sociological issue, and therefore, apply principles of both to my discipline plan. I use James Wilson and George Kelling's "Broken Windows Theory": Crime is the inevitable result of disorder (which has received much attention in Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point). Thus, someone who sees chaos, and sees a system that deals with criminals ineffectively, is more likely to commit a crime himself. The appearance of order prevents crime. Like Rudy Giuliani cleaned up Times Square by cracking down on graffiti and subway turnstile-jumping, I crack down hard in my classroom on the two most visible offenses: chewing gum and being tardy. When students see that they can't even get away with mere gum-chewing, they don't try anything more daring.