Really, the most important thing you can teach is the context behind the maths. Find examples in real life of where the maths is applicable; spend 3/4 of a lesson explaining the backstory as to why we do things the way we do. Students lose their way because maths is presented as an endless series of facts to rote learn, with no context. There's a thriving backstory of human ingenuity behind the numbers and operations which sadly gets little or no time in the classroom.
Read Bill Bryson's book "a short history of nearly everything" for an example of the style I wish my maths classes had been taught in. It's a survey of science book, but mostly focuses on the human interaction behind the discoveries & theories, and makes fascinating reading because of it. We need to teach maths (and all hard technical subjects) closer to this approach.
Read Bill Bryson's book "a short history of nearly everything" for an example of the style I wish my maths classes had been taught in. It's a survey of science book, but mostly focuses on the human interaction behind the discoveries & theories, and makes fascinating reading because of it. We need to teach maths (and all hard technical subjects) closer to this approach.