Dr. Raj Shah

Ph.D., Math Plus Academy

Dr. Raj Shah is on mission to help teachers and parents make math irresistible for kids.

Powered by his love of math, he earned a Ph.D. in Physics in 1999 which led him to a career in R&D at Intel. In 2008, he quit his job and founded Math Plus Academy, an after-school STEM enrichment program for kids from 5 – 14 years old. Dr. Shah believes that everyone can enjoy math, develop strong number sense, and become a persistent problem solver.

He is a founding member of The Global Math Project which has helped bring joyful math to over 5 million students around the globe. He also contributes his time to Math Teacher Circles and the Julia Robinson Math Festival.

Dr. Shah speaks is a nationally recognized speaker. He has presented at TEDx, NCTM, NCSM, and the National Math Festival. He also offers professional development and coaching to school districts to improve math teaching practices. He has worked with several school districts including Southwestern City Schools, Columbus City Schools, Hilliard Schools, and many more.

Step 1: Spark Curiosity

Too often, we start math class without giving students any reason to care about the topic, concept, or skill. Then we wonder why kids are disengaged, unmotivated, and always asking “when will I ever use this?” I will share several simple strategies you can use to take “boring” problems and turn them into rich tasks that kids will lean into. Transform your classroom into a place of wonder and joy.