I have taught sixth grade math in Georgia for thirteen years and I am currently working on my specialist degree. I love teaching middle school students and watching them have "ah ha" moments! I am a firm believer that math is a lot like sports or band or anything extracurricular that our students desire to excel in - you MUST practice at it. What you do at practice is exactly what you will do during a game (most likely) and same is true regarding math practice and assessments.