PHL-born math teacher inspires NY students with rap, dance

A math teacher born in the Philippines is using unconventional lessons—rap, movies and dance—to fire up his seventh- and eighth-grade students in New York, a New York news site reported.

Ramil Buenaventura, who teaches at the Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights, combined mathematics with rapping, dancing and movies, the New York Daily News reported.

“My style is to connect with the students: I am your friend and I am your teacher... In my class you see me rapping, singing, dancing on the tables — I even made a music video about math to grab their attention,” said Buenaventura.

“By teaching, I can contribute to this country... I want to give back to the students, because I’m living the American dream,” he added.

Nearly half his students are immigrants themselves, and connect with math because of his methods, the report said.

Because of this feat, Buenaventura, who moved to the US from the Philippines a decade ago, has been nominated for a Hometown Heroes in Education award.

The 44-year-old teacher earned a master’s degree in education before teaching for 13 years in Manila. He was one of 169 Filipino teachers recruited to New York in 2003 and 2004 under then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s efforts to get international teaching talent.

He started as a rookie city teacher but earned a salary six times what he made in the Philippines. He described it as "like I won the lottery.”

Buenaventura taught math at Intermediate School 192 in Queens, and found the relatively informal culture of US classrooms suited to his engaging, relationship-based approach.

After four years, he taught at Renaissance Charter School. — Joel Locsin/KBK, GMA News