Dear Problem Solvers,

Math really is only about solving problems. We often use numbers to solve those problems because they let us do it more efficiently, but we could solve almost any problem by drawing a picture. Many times, such a picture takes a very, very long time to create, so numbers are more efficient, but the job of math is solving problems.

You’ve been solving problems your whole life. In many cases, you probably used math to solve these problems and didn’t even know it. Our goal in math class is to give you the tools to solve problems more efficiently and more creatively. And after you get practice solving problems, you start making up problems of our own to which math is almost perfectly suited to solve.

We’ll spend a lot of time the rest of this year thinking of problems, solving problems, and talking about our mathematical methods of doing so.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck