I often hear people say, “My math teacher/professor is terrible at explaining.”
Why does this seem to happen in math classes much more often than other classes?
Stolen from Rebecca T.
Some people want to be told step by step how to solve a math problem. These people memorize steps but don’t really understand conceptually what is going on. If a teacher focuses on concepts and not memorization, these students might feel their teacher isn’t good at explaining. Unfortunately, memorization while important, will only get you so far in math.
Some people can connect the dots of math conceptually. They may not always get quick answers, but they understand what is happening. If a teacher expects a lot of memorization of steps over conceptual understanding, these students might feel their teacher isn’t good at explaining. Plus, at different times memorization becomes important. For example, once you understand conceptually what multiplication is, you need to memorize those multiplication tables in order to reach the next levels.
Many math problems have multiple valid ways to reach a correct answer. Different teachers and different education systems will favor certain ways over others. If a student favors a way that is different to the teacher or the system they might feel like the teacher isn’t good at explaining.
Sometimes, you just got to suck it up and do it the way the teacher and the system is asking you to do it. Sometimes, they are asking you to do it a certain way for a reason you won’t understand until later. Usually, the teacher does not choose the method, its a curriculum and system thing.
Rarely, is the teacher truly terrible at explaining, but it happens from time to time.
Quite often, students aren’t paying attention, and they try to find shortcuts rather than doing the work. Students, like most people tend to blame others for their own shortcomings rather than looking at what they need to do better. These students will claim the teacher is horrible at explaining.
Unfortunately, education cannot be downloaded into your brain. Education requires effort and studying. If you don’t study you aren’t going to do well. Contrary to popular belief, getting an education is not the same as working a job, you have to do some things outside regular school hours or you aren’t doing it right.
“I Often Hear People Say, ‘My Math Teacher/Professor Is Terrible at Explaining.’ Why Does This Seem to Happen in Math Classes Much More Of…” 2024. Quora. Accessed June 14. https://qr.ae/psmLva.
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Mathematical Mysteries 