Teacher-turned-rapper Mr. Orosco adds beats to mathematics instruction
ANTIOCH, Calif. -- They call him "That Math Magician," because Deer Valley High School's Mr. Orosco can make students' math struggles disappear. Recently, he's pulled a new skill out of his hat: math raps.
Leadership and math teacher Jordan Orosco writes catchy rhymes and adds fun beats to help his students remember concepts from algebra 1 up to calculus, so they can score higher on exams.
"I definitely watch the math rap before tests because it helps me remember the names and formulas," said Deer Valley High School student Corey.
"Rap is a really great tool for teaching math because it's a bunch of rhyming and rhymes stick," explained Deer Valley High School student Lecia. "A rap about math has helped me so much because math is something that I've struggled with my whole life."
It all stems from Orosco's Deer Valley High School experience and a missed opportunity to show off his inner wordsmith.
"There used to be a math rap contest, if you could make a rap song all about math, then you could win a gift card," said Orosco. "And I never did it back then...I've always remembered that."
Now, Orosco fulfills his rap dreams by channeling his creativity into educational songs that students love to sing.
His recent hit song, "Math Rap," incorporates geometric formulas set to a synth-driven instrumental, and his students make a guest appearance in the music video.
Orosco also encourages learning on social media by posting his raps, along with other instructional math videos, on YouTube, Instagram, and Tik Tok for students everywhere to access.
"My hope was as they're scrolling through, looking at all of their pictures of their friends that hey, they might come across Mr. Orosco's That Math Magician page, and he's talking about circles and area and circumference," said Orosco. "Maybe it will just spark something in their brain to remember it."
Follow thatmathmagician on Spotify to hear Mr. Orosco's latest hits!
Subscribe to Mr. Orosco's YouTube channel.
