Back before "No Child Left Behind" meant teaching to a test, I worked with an 8th grade math teacher that introduced the basics and then immediately brought in real life applications--kids signed up for a group project and she taught the rest of the year by manipulating the real life applications so that each group had to show mastery of each concept. An excellent teacher that got burnt out when we started testing kids to death. Glad to see that Common Core is making kids think again and really learn!
P.S. Glad to see you back after surgery, Jan!