US/Global 
CAN
Alex Kajitani
Alex Kajitani holds the title of California Teacher of the Year and has been a top-four finalist for National Teacher of the Year. He is a highly sought-after speaker and a top authority on engagement, building relationships, and teacher leadership.
Alex Kajitani illustrates his unique Inspiration, Implementation, and No Constipation approach to professional development.
Alex Kajitani
Twenty years ago, Alex Kajitani was a struggling new teacher in one of California’s poorest neighborhoods. His middle school students seemed unmotivated, unengaged, and uninterested in the math he was teaching. Demoralized and desperate, he set out on a journey to turn his class—and his life—around.
Today, Alex holds the title of California Teacher of the Year and has been a top-four finalist for National Teacher of the Year. He is lauded for his innovation and “real talk” as a teacher and leader and is also known around the world as “The Rappin’ Mathematician.”
Alex’s journey—from frustrated new teacher to White House honoree—is one he now shares with educators and business leaders across the country. He tells refreshingly honest stories of what it truly means to connect with students and colleagues and interweaves these stories with proven strategies that can be implemented the very next day to make an immediate impact.
A highly sought-after speaker and a top authority on engagement, building relationships, and teacher leadership, Alex is the author of several books, including Owning It, which was named “Recommended Reading” by the US Department of Education. He is also an expert on teaching online, and his virtual programs and videos are being used around the world. Alex has a popular TED Talk and was featured on CBS Evening News, where Katie Couric exclaimed, “I love that guy!” (and you will too!).
Presentations by Alex Kajitani
- Owning It: Proven Strategies to Ace & Embrace Teaching
- Creating a Culture of Compassion
- Building Powerful Relationships with Students, Colleagues, & Families
- Teach. Lead. Repeat.
- The TurnAround Teacher: Real Classroom Management for Real Students
- Strength in Numbers: Connecting Social-Emotional Learning & Math
- How to Connect Math & Literacy: Get Students Reading, Writing, & Speaking in Math Class
- Empowering English Learners to Achieve in Math
- The Highly Effective Online Teacher
- How to Engage Students in a Virtual Setting
- Top 10 Tips for Teaching Math Online
“I saw and loved your presentation at Moriarty-Edgewood School District. Yours was the most authentic keynote I’ve ever experienced. I can tell that you’ve been ‘in there’ with the kids. You are reflective and honest about what has worked and what hasn’t. I really admire that.”
