"I tutored math in college. If they said "I don't understand how to do this," I'd make them tell me what they specifically didn't understand.
My feeling is that math comes easier to some than others, but most can succeed if disciplined."
2/
"I assume they have the same anxiety that I have about writing papers. Anxiety keeps them from learning things elementary school kids learn, and most people don't want to do that. It really bugs me when people talk about how their 'brain just isn't made for math.'"
3/
"I really didn't get why people find math difficult until I went to PTA of my 5yr-old's class. Each teacher said math was "confusing" and "difficult". It seems that early years teachers have a hard time talking about math... no surprise that their pupils pick up on it."
4/
"I would always think the teachers made it harder than it needed to be for other students. (They are required to teach it a certain way) I never thought about the students that struggled but rather the time that could be saved if they were taught differently."
5/
"I worked as a math tutor, but it didn't go well. My ability to see the answer just by looking has not turned into a transferable skill. I didn't have the research background so I'd have to seek employment as a teacher. Knowing math is somewhat of a handicap in my case."
6/
"I feel they haven't worked hard enough. That goes for me as well. You have to sit your ass down and learn it. You can't just simply soak it up in the way that you can soak up social conventions by growing up in whatever environment you grew up in."
7/ an 8th grader
"I just find it ridiculous how some people don't understand Algebra! The book says exactly what to do, gives you the formula, our teacher allows us to use calculators, and they still fail! I personally find it pathetic."
8/
"It's pretty easy to write people off and feel 'better than.' I work on not alienating myself from everyone else. A superiority complex makes me less funny, less kind, less of all the things I want to be as a person."
9/
"I think they are being forced into doing something they don't like or feel insecure about. Math can only be learned well if you are interested, playful, and not insecure. Many people understandably lose such an emotional attitude as they progress through school."
10/
"It depends on what I expect of the person. I think a lot less of people if they're supposed to be good at math and they aren't than if they weren't supposed to be good in the first place."
Back in 2003, hard-working kids came into my office all day long.
They couldn't pass math tests when stakes are high.
Yet they were getting 100% they got on projects, homework assignments, and sometimes even quizzes with high marks.
And it was not just high school kids. Middle school kids and sometimes even grade school kids.
To help these kids to pass math tests with ease and get the scores they deserve, I needed to help see they were making 3 types of mistakes on tests over and over again.
Type #1. mistakes from going too fast
Type #2. mistakes from poor time-management
Type #3. mistakes from weak math foundations
1/ The pre-kindergarten years are critical for introducing Math & Science through fun hands-on activities:
- cooking (weigh, measure, and observe how food combine and change)
- singing & dancing (counting, pitch, duration, and loudness)
- card/board games (monopoly is the best)
2/ Don't teach math as systems/ rules that kids have to learn/remember.
- Some parents circumvent the possibility of kids not liking math by embedding it into their brains before kids have a chance to like/dislike it.
-If you are going this route, monitor the fun factor!
3/ Living and loving math with them around the house.
- Plan a trip together 'how long is that going to take by airplane, car or train?'
- Read map together (and then check it with GPS)
- Find the cost of having a pet (food, toys, vet bills, etc)
- Read an analog clock together
Get a 30,000-ft perspective on how math governs the physical universe with a book by Roger Penrose #nobelPrize in physics 2002:
"The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe"
2/ Learn once, teach twice.
If you're in finance, teach compound interest; if you're in marketing, teach Bell curve; if you're in startups, teach ROI.
3/ Forgive your bad math teacher, said an HS dropout.
"Not all teachers are good teachers. This was something I learned a bit too late. I should've focused on learning the basics and constantly practice. I gave up. You shouldn’t.
I'm not a stupid person. Math was my kryptonite."