I’ll never forget the day that a student asked my 8th grade teacher, “why do we need to learn science and math anyway?”  You could tell he was waiting to answer that question all year long!  His response was the following (not verbatim):  I won’t lie, you may not use many of the specific topics we are learning in this class, but science and math are much more than the specific topics.  They are a way of thinking.  Math and science teach you how to think logically and serve as exercises for your brain.  All of us use logic to solve our daily problems and challenges.  We also use it to evaluate opportunities and challenges.  Math and science help us reason logically through many of our decisions.

This really made an impression on me because it was at that moment that I realized if I was to stand the best chance of succeeding in school and subsequently in my career, I would need to make sure my brain was constantly being exercised. Continue reading →