"I have always loved math, and I enjoy sharing my knowledge of and enthusiasm for its beauty with my students. With the requirements on state standards and the obsession with covering all of the standards in a given school year, it has become more difficult to make math fun. I used to have time for longer projects, discovery, and games that helped move new knowledge from short-term to long-term memory. With the increased emphasis on NCLB requirements, our district assessments, and state graduation exit exam, much of the joy that I experienced in teaching has been lost. Many students find it difficult to believe that learning math can be fun; however, for 28 years I have prided myself on doing just that -- making math something that my students enjoy.

"It saddens me to know that I no longer have time to use these successful and fun math activities in my classes. It saddens me to know that because of the emphasis on rote learning, we may be losing the future generation of mathematicians."

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