As sleep-deprived students slowly file into the brightly lit classroom, the latest album of the week — handpicked by math teacher Alexander Dade from his giant vinyl collection — blasts from the speaker, waking students from their daze and filling the classroom with the pop-synthy, happy-go-lucky vibes of Carly Rae Jepson’s 2015 album “Emotion.”

Every week, Dade brings a new vinyl to class and sets it on the whiteboard beneath a detailed review, background information, a rating out of 10 and a list of favorite songs.

The tradition started last year while Dade was still student-teaching, a program where aspiring teachers refine their skills by working with a mentor teacher in a real classroom. At the end of the year, he sent out a student survey: “Next year I’m gonna have my own classroom. What’s one thing I should continue to do?” About half the students responded, “Continue doing the Album of the Week (with the caveats that there should be less pop and EDM).”

Dade said The Album of the Week has helped him connect with his students and that some of his students listened to albums for the first time because of him, while others discovered a new favorite song, album or band.

“It opens up a lot of opportunities for students who may feel shy or unsure,” Dade said. “It opens up the door for them to say, ‘Oh my gosh. I loved that Arcade Fire album growing up,’ and it also gives me an excuse to play music in class. I think music is a powerful tool for creating those kinds of bonds.”

Dade said he tries to find creative ways to bring his personality and passion to every class to create an atmosphere that allows students to open up.

“The way that I show affection for people is by sharing things,” Dade said. “Giving people the ability to experience (something) for the first time is one of the ways that I have kept all my friends throughout the years, so when I got into teaching, (I thought), ‘Why does everything have to be about math?’”

Dade, who graduated from Stanford University three months ago, said his teaching style also draws from his experiences as a student himself.

“As with anything that we love, there’s that aspect of understanding all the downsides,” Dade said. “I have this passion for the subject, but I also have this sympathy for the frustrations that can come with math, and helping students through those frustrations while also giving them a reason to care enough to do so is a big part of my style.”

Dade also said he didn’t feel appreciated by many of his teachers when he was in high school.

“That was something that kind of stuck with me as I decided that I wanted to be a teacher: I don’t want to (be that distant),” Dade said.

Dade said a few of his English teachers were a significant influence on his teaching style because they went out of their way to make connections with him.

“(They) just created an atmosphere where … I wanted to learn, not only because it was stuff I was interested in, but because I cared about the person who was teaching it. I didn’t want to let them down,” Dade said.

Although math may not be quite as personal as English, where students and teachers often engage in class discussions on personal topics, Dade said he is still determined to get students involved, whether it be through his Album of the Week, a silly class banner or future interactive projects.

“I think music is a powerful tool for creating those kinds of bonds,” Dade said. “It just makes them more happy to be here. It makes them more willing and wanting to do well, and it also makes it easier for me to help them again. It’s just a win, win, win.”

After experiencing the thrill of the Bay Area at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, Dade said he couldn’t resist the pull of Paly’s unique programs and opportunities, such as glassblowing and journalism. Dade said the environment inspires him to pursue his own dreams and goals, like perhaps starting the school’s first archery team.

“A school like Paly would be ripe for something like that, which — whether it’s because of funding or just because of school culture and vision — might not be possible elsewhere,” Dade said.

So far, Dade said he’s impressed by how Paly’s community fosters student success, both inside and outside the classroom.

“I was hoping for a school that was very academically rigorous, while also pursuing social lives and promoting student wellness,” Dade said. “So far, I’ve found that that is pretty much the case. And the one thing that’s caught me off guard is just how nice all the students are. It’s kind of wild.”

Riding off the momentum of his smooth transition into full-time teaching, Dade said he hopes to continue teaching at Paly long-term.

“I’m excited to be here as a first-year teacher,” Dade said. “Honestly, I don’t think I could have asked for a better school to be the first school where I start my career.”