Geometry
The Yay Math online Geometry course that students are excited to learn from.
The Yay Math connection Enroll in Course
Learning can be one of our lives' most fulfilling experiences. Or it can be downright dreadful. No matter where or who they are, students deserve a high quality learning program. They deserve
to be engaged and inspired, to laugh along with goofy
class jokes, and to feel validated because they have the same question as
someone else in the room.
This must be our mission, and nothing less:
1.) to offer students a
gratifying math experience
2.) one that teaches them everything they need to know, at a high level
3.) one that leaves them feeling good about the subject, and themselves, afterwards
Indeed,
students need to learn math now, for their current coursework. But the
stakes of this moment extend far after their mathematics courses are behind them.
Students carry with them both positive and negative memories of
learning...
for the rest of their lives.
Decades from now, they shouldn't be saying, "UGH, I'm just no good at
math." They could be saying, "You know I really enjoy math; it's all
kinda like a puzzle."
It's no secret that their relationship with math now impacts the rest of their lives. Their career choices, self-confidence, and even just feeling comfortable while talking numbers, or while handling their finances.
Some people... well, lots of people in fact, immediately associate math learning with negative emotions. And no matter how much a student, parent, or teacher valiantly grits their teeth and tries to get through it, we all know the truth. The truth is that no one can learn at their best if their mind and emotions are locked in a negative state.
That's the burning reason behind what I do. If such values resonate with you as well, then so too will these programs. Thank you for considering it.
"I just wanted to say that I LOVE Yay Math! I have hated math since I was in 7th grade, and may have called it 'the death of all things good' (Not being dramatic at all, haha). But now that I'm using Yay Math, I LOVE math! I don't get stressed out any more, and for once I'm actually understanding the concepts!
So, thank you for helping me see that I can conquer, and enjoy, math lessons!
And here is a joke that I drew on my Geometry test:
STOP in the name of the Law... of Syllogism! If you don't stop, you will be arrested. If you are arrested, I will lock you up. If you don't stop, I will lock you up.
Thanks, again, for making math an enjoyable experience instead of drudgery."
– Faith D. Malvern, IA
Your Instructor
Robert Ahdoot began his teaching journey almost 20 years ago as a classroom math teacher. Throughout that time, his personal mission was to explore every specific way to reach his students. He saw firsthand how learning ignited when he connected to them as people. When in such an elevated space, any prior feelings of shutdown they had experienced vanished. One mental note led to several, which led to a living and growing teacher playbook. Through years of dedication and focus on student connection, his classes became fun, lively, and positive beacons of learning for both him and his students.
Yet within so elevated a space, he and his students felt a restlessness. It was the dawn of the video era, and they knew that what they were stumbling upon something could truly benefit others, if they could only experience it themselves. So out came an impromptu camcorder perched atop a precarious stack of books, and the Yay Math movement was born.
YayMath.org is a free online collection of math video lessons, filmed LIVE in Robert's classroom, featuring authentic student interaction, that's both fun and emotionally connective. It has given life to now iconic, full costume math characters, like the "MathemaGyptian" and "MathemaChicken." Since its inception, Yay Math videos are viewed at a staggering 2 million minutes per month.
Yay Math's online proliferation has provided Robert the opportunity to give multiple TEDx talks on conquering math anxiety, keynote at schools and conferences about how to permanently achieve inspired learning, create comprehensive online courses for teachers and homeschool families to use, and pen his debut book, One-on-One 101: The Art of Inspired and Effective Individual Instruction. It's the complete guide to connecting to students through learning, and it has been adopted by multiple school administrations as a blueprint for cultivating transcendent student-teacher learning relationships.
Robert and his family recently relocated from California to Oregon.
Yay Math's promises.
- You don't need a textbook. The Geometry curriculum is fully self-contained.
- The program is complete, covering a full year's worth of Geometry course materials.
- It's easy and instant to implement. Access can begin minutes from now.
- The interface is mobile friendly, across all devices, and all browsers.
- All answer keys are provided, by Robert's hand, written out step-by-step, using intuitive coloring, with a human and sometimes light-hearted touch.
- Yay Math is the first-of-its kind throughout in the world, because its math lessons are filmed in front of a live
classroom, with real student interaction. So when you watch, you feel like
you're right in that room, sharing in the class's fun vibe. For example, meet the "Mathema-CHICKEN"...
- You'll get your time back. You no longer need to painstakingly find/create content, sift through the internet ocean, or constantly vet sources. This fully packaged and finished product is already done for you, at an exemplary level.
- Any
negative relationship towards math will be healed. Ever heard a
student laughing while learning math? It ignites your heart.
- Best of all, students, parents, and teachers simply LOVE it. It's the way learning ought to be.
Let's just say it: it's time to stop subjecting our students to some of the dreadful learning practices of the past.
No more arduous learning straight from a book, or from notes literally written in Greek, or from emotionless lectures. They only alienate students and stop learning cold. Every student, no matter where/who they are, deserves to have a high-quality math experience. To smile while learning.
"Robert, thank you so much for putting this Geometry Curriculum together. As a homeschooling mom of six, I have made use of your Yay Math videos for years. It was a little hard to admit that my children liked you better than me - but they had so much fun learning from you. Your enthusiasm for learning is definitely contagious. The curriculum has been such a welcomed addition to our home school. It is so easy to use, for both student and teacher! My two sons that are currently using it are learning so much and having a good time doing it. We are hoping for similar programs in other courses. Thanks again for a terrific product!"
- Danielle, Roxbury, NY
Frequently Asked Questions
How have you been using the program?
"Yay Math Geometry has been implemented as a supplement to our current curriculum. Last year I used videos only, and this year I have used the videos plus the practice and chapter tests (those are done perfectly as a adaptation from the ones from the book.)"
What's it like for your students?
"It's like having a team teacher come in to present the concepts in a similar, and usually in a more fun way."
What's the learning experience like in the class?
"The learning experience is mainly from sensing the positive vibes from Robert and his students.... it helps my students think that maybe Geometry can be a fun class sometimes!"
What are your students saying?
"He is like you, but younger and funnier."
(and)
"Do those kids [the students in the videos] actually like Geometry?"
What is it like "to be you" (the teacher) these days?
"It's nice to use technology on a daily basis... we've come long way from my 'chalkboard days' back in the 1990's!"
- Dan D., math teacher, Benton City, WA
"My son Ben* is generally fine with geometry but sometimes he needs a nudge in the right direction. He has mild hearing impairment so the verbal explanations sometimes get lost too.
He (and I) were struggling with triangle congruence theorems and proofs, and the virtual notes of the online Geometry course he was previously enrolled in were lacking.
My go-to has been Khan Academy. The video was OK, but a little dry—a voice with a black screen. I still don’t know what the different pen colors mean! Ben was still grumpy, and wasn’t absorbing the explanation.
When I happened to click on your link, he stopped complaining and started to listen... something about the natural format, the feel of sitting in an actual classroom, with people who seem to enjoy each other’s company. The easy-going vibe is noticeable. I found the lesson well-paced and much easier to understand.
Ben has had too many teachers (esp. math teachers) who take the condescending, tough-love approach from the top—“If you kids paid as much attention to math as you do your phones…” even if true, it’s insulting and off-putting for everyone. It’s easy to forget that we are not machines downloading information; it’s important to remember our humanity, and enjoy the time spent exploring what can be a tough subject for many.
Thanks for sharing your work with the larger world. And, thanks to your students and administration for being open to the idea too. I know many districts who would take the safe road; decide it’s too much red tape and not allow it. I look forward to exploring more of what you have to offer. Who knows, maybe I’ll even be inspired to learn calculus :-)"
- shared by a parent requesting anonymity
* name changed