Feh to Math

[glass]

I had a friend who basically wasted 3 years of college because he was convinced engineering was his thing, but he couldn't hack the math. Now, years later, he's in a totally different profession, one that is much more suited not only to his talents but to his personality. Keep looking -- something is out there for you.

I did something not disimlar to that.

The only difference was, I could have coped with the maths, if I had learned it in advance, but I just didn't know it. By the time I dropped out (after 2 and a bit years), I could do the maths, but not a lot else!


glass.

 

[Starman]

I agree. I struggled desparately with math in high school and avoided it in college, mostly because nobody could explain what it meant in the real world. It was all just theory and problems; there was absolutely no discussion of how any of this could be used.

But I later mastered trig in the process of learning, and then teaching, marine navigation -- particularly celestial nav(using sextants and the stars). Once all the numbers had some real world values attached to them, the relationships between the numbers suddenly became crystal clear to me.

Carl

I've seen this a lot. Generally, a math teacher is a math teacher because they enjoy the numbers for themselves and the theories behind them and what not. They don't need real world applications to understand and enjoy the math.

Most people don't work that way. They need to see what the numbers mean outside of the classroom and how they apply. Give them that and it becomes much more clear. In fact, I think the same could be said of most subjects in school, from English to History to Biology. Show the students how the knowledge applies to life outside of school and they are a lot more likely to learn it and enjoy learning it.

 

[Jdvn1]

I think that the problem for most people, not all, but most, is that they haven't had a good math teacher.

Seconded.

I have family that used to be bad at math--my cousins used to get C's in it. I taught them math for less than an hour and they understood it completely. Now they get A's in math and one of them got the math award at his school.

 

[Umbran]

I have family that used to be bad at math--my cousins used to get C's in it. I taught them math for less than an hour and they understood it completely.

Let me get this straight - you approached the subject in a completely different environment than the original teacher, and you did better, so you blame the teacher?

It may well be that the teacher was bad. It could also be that students have a hard concentrating in a crowded classroom (or simply have no desire to really pay attention), and that teachers don't have the time to give so much individual attention...

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Let me get this straight - you approached the subject in a completely different environment than the original teacher, and you did better, so you blame the teacher?

It may well be that the teacher was bad. It could also be that students have a hard concentrating in a crowded classroom (or simply have no desire to really pay attention), and that teachers don't have the time to give so much individual attention...

Or it could be he has a different teaching approach that worked with his family members, but would not for someone else. Can't blame the teachers for not being able to adapt to every individual's needs, that is why there are tutors.

 

[Jdvn1]

Let me get this straight - you approached the subject in a completely different environment than the original teacher, and you did better, so you blame the teacher?

It may well be that the teacher was bad. It could also be that students have a hard concentrating in a crowded classroom (or simply have no desire to really pay attention), and that teachers don't have the time to give so much individual attention...

Each of my cousins had tried going to their teachers after/before school for individual attention (so they had had individual attention) and at least one of them had had a previous tutor.

And due to a plethora of situations, I am a better teacher than at least 95% of the teachers out there.

While I may not blame the teacher for anything (how can I blame a teacher for at least trying?), quality of the teacher was definitely a (not necessarily the only) factor.

 

[elforcelf]

I was born with brain damage in the math,spelling parts of the mind. But I have been tested in a test without them several times and came out with a high I.Q. Part of it is my mind swiches numbers around like 12 would be 21. At times it does this. Maybe it is not your fualt at all;theachers (sp) would be mad at me for years. Till someone firgure out I was not fakeing or goofing off.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

I think my math teacher is generally a good teacher. My mian problem is I forget what I was taught, sometimes in the middle of while I am doing a problem. I dont need to see how an equation is applicable in real life to learn it though. When I actually understand and am good at something in Math, I like it.

 

[orbitalfreak]

One method I've seen in helping students understand Math (and other subjects) is to tie it in with the real world. A purely theoretical approach to a subject is useless except to provide the world with more academically-inclined people who become teachers to teach a purely theoretical approach to their subject. Having worked as a tutor and a teacher, I based my instruction around "Why do we need to know this?" Real-world examples of people who use these problems help, as well as relating things significant to the students; for example, I would use dice rolls when teaching probability to a bunch of D&D'ers, but sports statistics or business-related information for a generic low-level college math course.

I've had a very large number of students come to me to say "Thanks, I really understood it when you said it like that," and had quite a few mention that they'd never encountered someone able to tie the teachings in to something other than intangible theoretical mumbo-jumbo.

The theory-for-theory's-sake is what kept me from going any further than a year of grad school in the pursuit of mathematics; I just couldn't wrap my mind around what was happening, why it was happening, and what this knowledge was good for.

 

[WmRAllen67]

One method I've seen in helping students understand Math (and other subjects) is to tie it in with the real world.

That's why we get all those "If a train leaves the station travelling east at 60mph..." word problems in grade school...

I had few difficulties with math back then, but did like subjects such as geometry, and some of the calculus where I could see the RW applications-- more in tune with the physical than the theoretical, I guess.

Given my job, most of what I use is "shop" math-- adding and subtracting inches and feet, balancing the amperages on a three-phase dimmer system, &c &c... but I need to take the GREs soon, so I should look out my old texts...