Each of us has a Math Story.
Some stories are good. Some, not so much.
Maybe yours began with racing to be the fastest in “Around the World,” or memorizing steps to get the answer first. Maybe it’s standing at the board while the teacher asks the class, “Are they right?” — even though everyone, including you, knows you’re wrong.
Kids naturally come into the world full of wonder. They’re curious, they explore, they ask why. That’s how they figure things out. But somewhere along the way, especially in math, that sense of wonder can fade.
So, what if we did things differently?
What if we created math classrooms that stayed together — that worked together, learned together, and grew together as communities of problem solvers?
What if our classrooms helped students not just learn math, but love it — building resilience and perseverance that carry them far beyond the classroom walls and created a better math story?
Because here’s the truth: the small challenges students overcome in math help them build the strength to face the bigger challenges in life. Skills like taking risks. Sitting in discomfort. Trying again. Asking questions. Learning from others.
That’s what it means to create a classroom grounded in what I call “Slow Math.”
A classroom where students care for one another.
Where they share ideas.
Where their thinking is valued and explored, not judged.
Sounds like a dream, right?
But I’ve seen it happen — in my own classroom and in hundreds of others through the Word Problem Workshop approach.
So let’s stay together — and let’s help our students do the same.