Abandoning Algebra Is Not the Answer

[Cairycat]

67. Part of the problem is that so many higher-level math teachers

are lousy teachers. They know the subject matter, but don't relate well to students who don't pick up algebra, calc and so forth, easily. This was my experience in high school, and my three kids experience in high school as well. Now, my kids and I aren't dopes - B, B+ grade averages, even with the math in. But I know from conversations at conferences that the math teachers just don't seem to have empathy or the ability to put themselves in the shoes of a student who doesn't readily "get it". That's the art of teaching and that's what was lacking from my kids' and my math class experiences.

Not every math teacher is a poor teacher. But with fewer teachers who have mastered the subject matter, and with more lucrative opportunities available to them, math teachers don't have to prove their teaching ability as much as an English teacher, for example. So, what we need to do is not only have math teachers, but good ones.