THAT SEEMS BOTH WISE AND OBVIOUS: Don’t ask students to ‘discover’ math before they’ve learned fundamentals. “‘In many classrooms, students are encouraged to ‘discover’ math principles, come up with multiple problem-solving strategies and explore patterns before they’ve mastered core procedures, such as 6 x 8 = 48, she writes. ‘he intention is deeper understanding. But teachers frequently report student frustration, uneven mastery, and widening gaps between those who enter with strong background knowledge and those who do not.'”

So many of today’s teaching fads leave the weaker students even further behind that you have to wonder if that’s the intent.