I am a teacher in New Zealand who has been teaching mainly within the NZ curriculum for the last 5 years. However, for 2 years I taught IB mathematical studies class and was trained to teach the Applications and Interpretation mathematics course before moving to a different school that was only NZ curriculum based. I am really enjoying my time as a teacher. It has provided both a challenge and a reward for me. Teaching allows me to use my creative mind to think of ways to make maths maybe a bit more interesting. I started to create mathematical based stories which incorporate students into a dramatic scene. This was a cross curricular idea between English (creative writing) and Mathematics. The students need to listen to the story and find the hidden clues to solve the problem. At first it was mainly for the 'number strand' but I have extended it to algebra, trig bearings, and the simple calculus.