The author presented a math task asking all his 3rd graders to find ways to count seven sets of eight donuts, arranged in grids of two-by-four. He hoped this task would lead students toward fluency in single-digit multiplication, albeit in a manner that was inherently personalized learning, with students choosing their own methods to reach an answer. This method, known as complex instruction, was common practice in the independent school in Chicago where he was working at the time. This articles discusses how personalized learning should humanize students through dialogue, discourse, and inquiry.