• Use Multimedia
• Encourage Student Intuition
• Ask the shortest question you can
• Let students build the problem
• Be less helpful

-Dan Meyer TED talk

No problem worth solving is solved in one day/period. We need real problems that take genuine thought to develop patient problem solvers. Give a visual and ask a question, let the conversation commence. Introduce mathematical notation and symbols, then add measurements, bring in the math at the end. 

Spend more time on the formulation of the problem than anything else. How the question is asked is more important than giving a nice clear problem solving process.
-Dan Meyer, TED talk

Find problems with a low floor and a high ceiling so that you can refer to familiar concepts when depending the investment in a problem. This uses the idea of schema to help students build knowledge. By introducing a problem and deepening it, you can move through multiple standards with one series of investigations.

Idea taken from Jo Boaler, how to learn math. MOOC summer 2013.

We all know that making mistakes is part of learning. Begin the year with a series of low risk situations designed to get students to make mistakes and share them with the class. Model how to graciously make a mistake without excuses and let the students relish in mistakes early and often. Then when mistakes are made they will not feel discouraged in more difficult situations.