Students often struggle to connect math with the real world. Word problems—a combination of words, numbers, and mathematical operations—can be a perfect vehicle to take abstract numbers off the page.

Some of the biggest challenges in teaching math aren’t about the numbers and operations themselves, but students’ attitudes toward them. Getting students to think deeply about problems, persevere ...

One of my first vivid memories of math is of timed tests. I still remember how visceral my panic felt–sweaty palms, heart pounding–as I scrambled to recall facts before the clock ran out. You might ...