Damn, reading through the replies of this thread makes me sad. It’s so frustrating how mathematical curiosity and creativity is stifled to maintain conformance. https://twitter.com/mono_kumarz/status/1285952835595776001

I get why teachers might not like it if your method in solving a problem is inefficient or unlikely to work in the general case, but come on, if a kid comes up with another valid way to solve a problem, why not accept it?

Hell, you could even make it into a learning experience by asking your students to consider why the two methods are essentially equivalent.

Another thing: why do so many school math teachers think giving the same problem over and over again, just with different numbers, will help students learn? Students have to be challenged, to learn to apply concepts in new and creative ways, to achieve mathematical proficiency.

It’s no secret math is my favorite school subject, by far. I think this is because of my relatively early exposure to mathematical olympiads and the creative mathematical thinking that often accompanies them, and for that I’m very grateful.

I just wish more schools would implement this critical thinking and openmindedness to solving problems, rather than continue to create the stifling memory-based environment that so often destroys a students burgeoning interest in mathematics.

I know I'm basically screaming into a wall here, but I wanted to get this off my chest, as this is something I've felt for a very long time.