The first 5–10 minutes of class are crucial for setting the tone, and engaging students immediately is essential. Rather than relying on standard warmups, I design starters that spark interest and get students talking and thinking mathematically right away. These activities often focus on warming up their brains with creative problem-solving, rather than directly tying to the day's content, ensuring participation at all levels. For example, I might use a zombie apocalypse scenario to encourage pattern recognition and problem-solving. Students can start by creating a table, writing an equation, or even just writing a list of numbers looking for patterns. I would love to model this specific example and share my strategies with other educators.
