It’s not every day that nearly 1 million people around the world get a glimpse into a Biola University classroom. But after professor Matthew Weathers posted a video from his Oct. 28 math class to YouTube, that’s exactly what happened.
As a Halloween-themed treat for his “Nature of Math” class, Weathers — an assistant professor in the math and computer science department — started off class with a performance that is now a widely circulated Internet sensation.
In the clip, the “real” Weathers transforms into a videotaped version of himself and interacts with his class from a projected screen that blends in with the chalkboard.
Within two weeks of going online, of the had collectively racked up close to 1 million views on YouTube. During the first week of November, it was the site’s 7th most-viewed “comedy” video and the 32nd most-viewed overall.
Common sentiments among the 1,000-plus comments on the YouTube video were things like “I never had a teacher that cool!” or “I wish every teacher had this much passion for teaching!”
But why was the video such a huge hit? Weathers thinks that randomness has a lot to do with it.
“Next week, someone will happen to have a camcorder running when their cat falls into the bathtub, and that will be the hot new thing for a couple days,” he said.
But anyone who has had a class with Weathers knows that this video was more than just a lucky fluke.
“Every lecture, professor Weathers does something creative and different,” said Chase Wagner, who was in class that day. “His humor and creative approach is making learning math bearable.”
Biola University


