Students learn in different ways and rates. There are some ideas about how students learn that I believe are universal and which have helped to develop my instructional strategies. I believe that students learn mathematics best by "doing": Experiencing a cube is more helpful to a student's learning potential than a teacher telling a student that a cube is a six-sided figure with squares on each side. I attempt to push my students beyond simple rote memories. Students need a rich supply of meaningful examples and manipulatives to help make mathematical ideas and relationships come to life.