“Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.” (Albert Einstein) Once we come to understand math, I believe that we can come to agree with Einstein. The challenge is that many students do not fully understand math. Why is this? Is it because we as teachers make it confusing, because we have a habit of only teaching it in one way, or because we do not see it as something that can be interesting? Perhaps it is all three, but after my experience working with students in math and reflecting on the struggles I had with it, my goals with math have become more clear. I want to continue to learn different ways to teach it well and keep students interested in it. The most important things I’ve learned during the Math for Elementary Teachers course are that there are numerous ways to teach different concepts in math and the importance of doing so. I also am a firm believer that students need time, they should never be rushed when it comes to math, they need time to process and focus. I also feel that math can be taught in an entertaining and engaging way, it doesn’t have to be serious and it definitely doesn’t have to be boring. It is easier for students to learn and enjoy any subject if it is made interesting and relevant to their lives. Students show interest in subjects when they see that they are relevant, interesting, and if they can see that the teacher has a positive attitude about it. It is important that students maintain interest for all subjects in school so they can develop a desire to succeed. I will try to help students develop this desire by giving students math activities that they can physically interact with. They need to build, feel, and see things that help them understand math in a real way, instead of simply doing work out of a book all of the time. It is not always enough to just read about something, especially when there are opportunities to open our eyes to things we can see in real life when we step out of our house or look at the room around us. I hope to make students see this, something I did not see throughout my elementary school experience. And then perhaps they will be able to see the poetry that lies in math.