Math Songs Make the Learning More Fun!

Alicia Majercin is the Gifted Specialist and Accele-rated Math teacher at Pueblo Elementary. She has been at the Pueblo in this role for nine years. This is Majercin’s 32nd year teaching in the Scottsdale District, where she has worked as a reading specialist, ESL and classroom teacher.

Majercin was born in Spain. Her family moved to Phoenix when she was 6. She says that the challenge of learning a new language may have led to math being her favorite subject in school since “it’s something that is concrete.”

“There’s always more than one way to solve a problem,” Majercin shares, which is a point she likes to make with her math students.

Majercin feels that students at her school are very lucky to have a Dual Language Immersion Spanish program, with the structure and support to become fluent in two languages. When her family moved to the states, Majercin did not have that opportunity, she explains, so she dove into learning English. If she had had the chance to learn in a dual language program, “I would be bilingual,” Majercin says. “For my students at Pueblo, I tell them to keep learning their Spanish and become fluent. It’s really such a wonderful opportunity.”

Student Macy nominated her teacher. Macy noted the fun activities that Majercin facilitates. Majercin says she likes to incorporate songs in her math lessons. Her gifted class is working on making solar cars and the students also get free time to explore. “It’s not your typical class,” Majercin notes.

Majercin says that in her free time, she likes to keep learning, including taking an upholstery class at Phoenix College or trying out calligraphy. “It’s important to keep learning at any age,” she says. It’s a philosophy she shares with her students, and notes that as you get older you get to pick your passions and follow your own interests.

Years ago, Majercin had a memorable incident in her classroom. “I had left a window open and a bird flew into the classroom,” she recalls. Coincidentally, that year, the writing prompt for testing was about a bird flying into a class. Her students scored very high on the test since they were able to draw on real firsthand experience. Majercin remembers the students screaming and that she was in the corner on the phone with the school custodian. It was chaotic, “but it helped with test scores, so that was good,” she says.