When working with students in math, I am always impressed by how emotionally involved students are with mathematics.  Many feel that “numbers are numbers,” and are merely austere objects.  When I observe students doing math, I see something different.

I feel that we engage with the numbers creatively and emotionally.  Students feel anger and hatred from a vast set of past experiences with numbers.  So it is that:  as we chat, feel relaxed, and calm talking about numbers, we relax towards math and our emotions are more positive towards it.  We become infinitely more creative with numbers when we are able to talk aloud about them!