In this article, Christina Eubanks-Turner and Najat Hajj describe a planning process that they used to create a fun-filled eighth-grade math activity that focused on parade planning. The activity was designed to enhance and supplement the eighth-grade algebra curriculum on linear equations and functions, help students use mathematical habits of…

In this article, the authors describe activities that can keep math and science skills sharp over summer breaks. A fourth-grade class was encouraged to talk about their coming summer break. The class brainstormed about what one might see on the road--"Observing landscapes, vehicles, and highway signage were quick replies." The children…

Teaching based on problem solving brings challenges for the teacher, primarily that of finding problems with multiple access points that accommodate all students. This article narrates the author's lucky day as she discovers the Four fours problem which impacted her passion for teaching math. The day she presented the Four fours problem to her…

Great strides in the real world are usually accompanied by failure. Mathematics teachers should accept some failure as their students take risks during mathematical explorations. This is not to imply that students should fail an entire course, but they should have opportunities to take risks that may lead to failure, especially in the area of…

We discuss approaches to develop and improve habits of mind in our students. Several illustrations and strategies are offered and we demonstrate how popular culture and mystery can be used to motivate students. We offer an approach to assessing the work ethic efforts of our students based on an historical approach used at the United States…

This article discusses how teachers can organize and use mathemagic tricks in their curriculum and classroom to enhance conceptual understanding. Four mathemagic tricks are presented and analyzed. (Contains 3 figures and 5 online resources.)

This proceedings volume of InCoTEPD 2018 covers many ideas for handling a wide variety of challenging issues in the field of education. The outstanding ideas dealing with these issues result in innovation of the system. There are many innovation strategies resulting from recent research that are discussed in this book. These strategies will become…

Mathematics is both a beautiful language and the simplest systematic discipline men ever created. The simplicity of mathematical concepts almost guarantees that the facts it establishes about those concepts will also be elemental. Despite this simplicity, most people complain about the difficulty of mastering the subject and shun the study of…

After 11 years of teaching, the question the author worries about now is "How do we do this well? How do we engage students in math classes? How do we convince them that math is beautiful, fun and powerful?" For the math department at the author's school, Boston Arts Academy (BAA), the answer has been to infuse creativity into math…

The motivation of students is of great import to mathematics teachers. Such an abstract powerful language needs to be valued or students will not wish to study it. This article argues that mathematics may be better appreciated through the beauty of the language in which problems are written, respect for the cultures of others and through relevance…

From time to time, the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) mounts studies to investigate in depth and detail particular fields of interest in mathematics education. This paper is the Discussion Document of the forthcoming ICMI Study 16, "Challenging Mathematics in and beyond the Classroom."

Discusses the importance of children's literature in kindergarten math instruction, noting it is rich with opportunities for children to think and reason. The article explains how teachers can find math connections in children's books and then select books. It describes two books appropriate for literature-based math lessons. (SM)

Creativity in the mathematics classroom is not just about what pupils do, but also what teachers do. If they are thinking creatively about the mathematical experiences they offer their pupils they can open up opportunities for them to be creative. This article reflects the belief of staff at the NRICH Mathematics Project that mathematics is about…

Creative activities can enliven math classes and enhance student learning. Several suggestions are given for creating amusing word problems and lively drills. Included is a reproducible word problem sheet. (IAH)

A junior high teacher converted her science and math classroom into a business-like setting where students report to work daily and cooperatively participate in planning, learning, and classroom management. (SM)