One quote that caught my attention from the book Student Engagement Techniques by Elizabeth Barkley and Claire Howell Major (2020) is: “Students must have confidence that, with appropriate effort, they can succeed. If there is no hope, there is no motivation” (p. 20). Although hope was the last thing left in Pandora’s box, the authors suggest that for students, hope is the first condition for success. Without it, motivation cannot exist. This quote comes from Chapter 2, “Engagement and Motivation.” I came across couple of strong candidates for my reflection from both Chapters 1 and Chapter 2. One idea I found particularly intriguing as a mathematician is what I like to call the ‘zero-product property,’ where the authors emphasize that it's about the product, not the sum. However, after reading the quote: “Students must have confidence that, with appropriate effort, they can succeed. If there is no hope, there is no motivation” (Barkley & Major, 2020, p. 20)—I immediately sto...