The reason why these Hanover students love math

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. - It’s summertime, but a South Anna Elementary School teacher in Hanover County is hoping her students are spending a little time learning.

Whitney Wells-Corfield is the district’s Innovator of the Year, receiving a $1,000 award from the Hanover Education Foundation.

"I find mathematics intriguing and exciting. I really wanted kids to start feeling that excitement," Wells-Corfield said.

She got them excited by working with them to develop a math podcast called Mic Drop Maths. Students record each instructional segment with math jokes, book reviews, mathematically-sound lessons, and common misconceptions.

"They hear their voices," Wells-Corfield said. “They want to talk with other kids about mathematics. And they're out there talking to other kids. Saying, 'You should listen to this. We love math'. So that was the first goal, to get kids to love math."

“It’s fun," rising sixth grader Mena said. “You get to work with each other and get to figure out stuff. I like to record the podcast because I like listening back to myself and see if it's good or not. and if it's not re-do it."

Ms. Wells-Corfield’s students are entering middle school this year and will hopefully use the summer to develop an even deeper understanding of math.

"I hope they take a curiosity. I hope they know that they learn by asking questions and going deeper. I hope they know that all kids have math brains and that all kids can learn math no matter what level they go," she said.

Building a fun podcast…. is Building Better Minds.