---

Almost everybody knows or could guess that the most hated subject out there is mathematics, and maybe even some of its variants like algebra, calculus, geometry, or trigonometry. Some people already despise it since early childhood, some start to hate it when the letters come in, and some just actually think they dislike math because of the social perception of the subject being so difficult. What we can all agree on whether we like math or not, is that this play of logic and numbers is definitely one tricky subject. But on the other end of the spectrum of students learning math, are the educators who are actually teaching the subject; and believe it or not, these math teachers also have their own enemies when it comes to students and numbers. The following are some notions that our math teachers try to battle everyday.

  • “Ugh, I hate math.”

Math teachers definitely get disappointed when students outright conclude that they hate math. The fact that students don’t understand a certain topic, or get confused here and there don’t necessarily mean that they should hate the whole subject altogether. The biggest problem with students “hating” math is that they start to feel helpless and just don’t try to understand the lessons anymore. The goal of math teachers is to have their students learn, but getting there would be a thousand times harder if the students already hate math to begin with.

  • “Why should I study? I won’t get it anyway.”

The key to being good in mathematics is to keep practicing. This is the reason why math teachers often give a ton of examples during discussions, and even practice problems for homework. It is not because they want to make your life hard, but because they actually want you to get the hang of it. Students who are not willing to study their lessons are not helping themselves or their teachers in any way.

  • “That’s it. I give up.”

No, students cannot just give up on math. Aside from the fact that they have to pass all their required math subjects to graduate, they also need it to develop critical thinking and numerical skills. Math teachers work hard to make everyone understand the lessons, but it would not work if effort is one-sided, right?

  • “This subject is useless. I won’t even use this in real life.”

Every single day, you encounter numbers in your life from the most basic things like checking the time, paying your bills, and budgeting, to more complicated scenarios for the different occupations such as for accountants, computer programmers, or sales consultants. The fact is, you are going to encounter math throughout your whole life whether you like it or not. Sure, the real-life applications may not require you to use the quadratic formula or graph parabolas, but these kinds of things shape the way you think. It sharpens your mind for critical thinking, and prepares you for your future endeavors. No, math is not useless, and math teachers will help prove this point.

If we think about it, isn’t it a highly difficult job to teach the most hated subject of all time? Yes, it is. But most of the time, the only things our math teachers are asking of us are to listen, practice, and never stop trying. Teaching math may be an underrated job, but it is much more important than we realize. So, although math can be difficult or confusing, learn to appreciate your math teachers for all that they do. And hey, why not give math a shot? It may not be as bad as you think.