Brittany Cohen's second grade students are learning Mathematics, Mavs Mathematics. From using a ruler to telling the time, every lesson is about the Dallas Mavericks.
“A few years ago, I had a student who was a huge Golden State fan, and there was a bit of a rivalry between Luke and Steph,” Cohen said. “It’s just something that has evolved.”
Every inch of her classroom is filled with Mavs items. From posters to game schedules to hoops.
Most of the Glenhope Elementary School campus is familiar with the love of the Mavs that Mrs. Cohen passed on to her students.
Mavs player Derek Lively even stumbled upon the class on social media. He was so moved by what he saw that he paid the entire class's money to get tickets to the game.
Everyone in the class was very grateful and wanted to say “thank you.” So they decided to open a lemonade stand at Kimsey Park in Colleyville to raise money for Lively's favorite charity.
The basketball player followed his teacher on social media, and when she posted about the lemonade stand, he hopped in his car and showed up with his mother.
“It was so cool. I… I couldn't… I was speechless,” said Pierce Austin, a student in the class.
In high spirits, they wrote checks, signed jerseys, and donated shoes. It was immediately used in math the next school day.
“So how many inches long were his shoes?” asked Cohen in the class.
Stella, Paisley, and Scarlett all said they started playing basketball this year because of Mr. Cohen's class.
One by one, the students praised the teacher for making math cool.
“Instead of measuring tables and chairs, you can do whatever you want, like the Mavs,” Stella Chandler said.
“Whenever something is fun for me, it feels easy because I can do it the way I can,” Braden Brown added.
If you're in Mrs. Cohen's class, you're a Mavs fan or a Cameron who likes the Miami Heat.
“I'd like to take Mrs. Cohen's class, but I'm a Heat fan,” he told us. Even though she's wearing a Mavs jersey that her mother made her wear.
However, Cameron is rooting for the Mavs because when the Mavs win, Mr. Cohen gives the class a few extra minutes of recess, which is like an extra few minutes of math time. It's almost the same.