Learning and use of what is learned is not restricted to school. But, besides knowledge,
will and management skills are necessary to reach the pace. The social implementation of the
intellectual booty highlights the mathematical mastery of the population, so that knowledge of
mathematics should be an integral part of an individual and an educational priority. Although it
is true that the construction and consolidation of knowledge happens throughout life, adolescence
is undoubtedly one of the most important and sensitive periods, anticipating further capacity
building. In Portugal, the results obtained by students in the national exams are, on average, bellow
the expected. Unfortunately, educational reforms implemented over the past decades have not
solved this problem. How can we motivate students to devote time and energy to the study of
mathematics now for their future success? Which strategies catalyze good performances for lifelong
learning? Heuristics! Our research project has started with a workshop for high school teachers at an
Educational Center, in Coimbra, in 2011. Meeting sessions were devoted to mathematical problem
solving supported by George Polya’s model. Teachers were invited to apply this methodology to ninth
grade students, through the 2011/2012 school year. In parallel with the tracking results by solving
selected questions extracted from the International Mathematical Kangaroo competition, pupils had
to answer a questionnaire about their attitudes towards Math and Problem Solving in the beginning
and at the end of the school year. In this paper we explore the promise of learning Mathematics
problem-based to shorten the distance between what we do not know and willingness to learn. This
is a glimpse into mathematical problem solving practice in a time perspective.