Credit Unions are About as Exciting as Algebra. Learn How to Change That

By Bo McDonald

Try to stand in front of a class for 5 minutes and explain the difference between a bank and a credit union. Don’t be surprised if one-half of the class starts drooling and their eyes glaze over like a Krispy Kreme. The other half will be fast asleep, snoring. Face it—a lesson on credit unions is about as exciting as algebra. However, one group of students in Silver Spring, Maryland is having fun learning algebra!

Jake Scott, a varsity wrestling coach and high school math teacher, has found a unique way to translate a mundane subject from text book to rap. Scott, also known as the rapper “2Pi”, turns his lessons into music videos. Scott told his story to David Greene, on NPR’s Morning Edition: “Students are bored so quickly, you know, the videos that they watch — they see one person on the screen for more than five seconds, and they’re like, ‘I’m tired of this guy already,’ you know? So I think that I gotta jump around [and] include commercials in there where I’m addressing their personal behavior, I’m addressing relationships, [and] I’m addressing respect for their parents. And I think that all those things have to happen in order for me to maintain the students’ attention.”

Scott brought rap into his lessons about three years ago. He claimed the name “2Pi” from the math formula. The videos allow Scott to make learning cool, and to develop a connection with his students. Not only is Scott a great math teacher, but he may not realize that he’s also a marketing genius. In fact, Scott understands marketing far better that marketing people do. Scott ended his interview with NPR with this: “I think that we can preach to kids until they turn blue and we turn blue, but if there’s no connection, then there’s no response. I constantly search for ways to connect with students — with the language, with conversations, music.”

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