Cheryl spent twenty years in public education, fourteen as an elementary teacher, four years as a gifted specialist, and two semesters as an adjunct professor at the local college where she taught applied math. To gain a specialized license for her gifted position, Cheryl had to take classes, many of which she took through conferences. Those experiences changed her and her teaching of mathematics. Engaging math lessons and activities directed at students' strengths, real-life application, and critical thinking replaced traditional procedures and rote-memorization-of-randomness. Cheryl had to share what she learned with her students and her own children. The changes she saw encouraged her to write this book. Please read it and see if it doesn't change you, too.