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ixTo My Fellow Teachers:
As I am sure is the case for many mathematics teachers, I fell into this profession because
I love working math problems. Throughout my years in school, mathematics always came
easily to me. It made sense.
However, when I became a teacher, I learned to love mathematics on an entirely new
level. It was the first time that I really understood how mathematics all fit together, rather
than seeing it as a series of separate concepts to be learned and sporadically applied. It was
the first time that I started to view mathematics as a story that is unfolding.
I also saw how much people can struggle with, fear, and grow to despise mathematics.
I experienced the incredible fulfillment that comes from helping a student overcome the
trepidation that mathematics can cause and, even more, helping a student understand a
concept. I loved the challenge of trying to win over the students who came into my class
warning me that they “are not math people.”
As a writer for Eureka Math, I had the opportunity to work on the Algebra I, Algebra II,
and Precalculus courses and truly see the development of A Story of Functions. Working on
this project has challenged me to be a better teacher and a better mathematician. This
curriculum has been a collaborative effort by high school teachers, college professors, and
mathematicians from all over the country. The result is an amazingly cohesive curriculum
that truly tells the story of functions.
Algebra I opens A Story of Functions by building on the concepts learned from A Story of
Ratios and sets the foundation that students will need for Geometry, Algebra II, and beyond.
The lessons invite students to ask questions, experiment, and make observations. They
encourage students to look for structure, communicate about mathematics with precision,
and draw conclusions from patterns.
The lessons are challenging, but the end result is a deep understanding of mathematics
rather than a memorized set of rules and procedures that are forgotten as quickly as they are
learned. I hope that you find that this course helps you to convey the beauty and power of
mathematics, to inspire your students to be mathematical thinkers and problem solvers, and
even to convert those who say, “I just can’t do math.”
Selena Oswalt
Baton Rouge, LA
Algebra I lead writer/editor
Eureka Math/Great Minds