Rigor doesn’t just mean “harder” or “more difficult.” Rigor in math teaching means focusing with equal intensity on students’ conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and ability to apply what they know to real-world, problem-solving situations.
Instruction that targets all three of these aspects of rigor develops well-rounded mathematicians. It gives students a robust “toolkit” they can use to solve the wide range of problems and tasks that will come their way.
Want to learn more about rigor? Watch this screencast on rigor in mathematics.