As far as I can remember, it was my 6th grade teacher, at the public school of Vevey in Switzerland, M. Matile, who planted the seed of excitement and curiosity in the quest for solving math and science challenges...
He’s the one who showed me that maths and science make up a big continent -though not isolated from others- ready to be explored by anyone who can find the fun in doing it. Moreover this continent can be approached from so many different creative sides, all mysteriously leading to wonderful common discoveries. All this, provided we follow the common path of this wonderful tool we all possess: human logic.
In my experience, studying maths and sciences is about so much more than getting good grades at school. Its lessons are tools that will serve us throughout our entire life. This is what keeps me enjoying everyday's singular challenges with each of my students.