This course explores how intentional instructional design can transform the way students experience and engage with Mathematics. By centering two powerful pedagogical tools — the Hook and Success Criteria — educators will discover how to reduce math anxiety, build confidence, and create classrooms where every learner feels capable of succeeding.

Participants will explore how a well-crafted Hook can spark curiosity and lower the emotional barriers students often bring to Mathematics, replacing apprehension with genuine interest from the very first moment of a lesson. Alongside this, clearly defined Success Criteria give students a transparent roadmap of what achievement looks like, removing the guesswork that so often fuels self-doubt and disengagement.

At the heart of this course is the understanding that when students feel oriented and safe, teachers are freed to teach with greater flexibility and empathy. This dynamic shift moves the classroom away from a culture of performance anxiety toward one of collaborative inquiry and honest effort.

By the end of this course, participants will be equipped to design lessons that meet students where they are, communicate expectations with clarity and warmth, and cultivate a supportive learning environment where mathematical growth is accessible to all.