We are the ones who must create narratives for mathematics in
teaching. And the need for such narratives begins as soon as a
teacher has a responsibility for a student. High school, middle
school are too late. The students need to know a mathematical
narrative exists and is meaningful the moment they walk into a
school. We are the ones who have to develop the stories that
will engage our students and that will attempt to answer their
questions about how the world is. We will not always succeed. We
will be heartened by the simple observation that life’s
meaningful moments are not always found while succeeding, but in
striving. To be honest with our students is paramount. We should
always be able to answer a thoughtfully-posed question, or be
honest in saying that we do not know the answer. The students
are smart, and they know when we dissimulate. We should have, as
a goal, to never hear the question “why are we learning this?”
again. No one asks why we learn to read. The same should be true
for basic mathemat