Bad Day Teacher Woes...

[Mammabruski]

Sigh... I work in a great high school as a math teacher and most of the time LOVE my job. In fact I am currently in a graduate degree program to be come an administrator. But sometimes I have kids and classes that get me so down. I worry about a lot of kids and no matter how hard I try nothing seems to reach them. Motivation is down all around and I am constantly being asked, even by my high level kids, "why do we need to learn this?" Granted, one should always know the purpose of learning, but these gripes are usually more general - why do I need math? Really? Why would you need to be numerically literate? Gee, I don't know... let's look at the mess our economy is in for starters... I mean I could go on and on and on with the reasons and explanations I give!

Sorry for the rant, I'm just really down, and for the first time in a long time questioning my devotion to my profession...:(

[SBETigg]

I'm sorry. It has got to be hard some days, some classes, some years. The complainers are louder and the ones who aren't getting it might stand out more. But, I know there are kids you are reaching and kids who do get it, kids who appreciate what you're doing and they're learning and just not vocal maybe. Thank you for becoming a teacher and having that devotion. Teachers are under-appreciated. I had some great teachers and teachers like you do make a difference. Keep believing!

[DizneyRox]

True story...

It's been years since High School, and I admit I haven't found much use for much of what HS teaches you.

Recently, we implemented a search function on our website, and doing a radius search from a point on the map was a requirement. Well guess what? After over 20+ years, I FINALLY got to use some trig functions! You see, then earth has a slight curvature to it and if you really want accurate distances, you need to take that into account. So, it's very possible that what you are learning about now may be helpful after school!

[jodijo]

I teach 3rd grade and understand your frustration. Although my students are younger, I still have those that don't want to be there and don't want to learn. However, like a previous poster said, you are making a difference to those other students that are listening. I know this from experience.

One year I had a very difficult class. I spent a lot of time working with the low kids and those that misbehaved. Well, years later I had a student from that class come back to see me. I barely remembered her. What I did remember was that she was smart, well behaved, and took very little of my time. However, she told me that I was the one teacher that changed her life and made learning fun. So, don't get down. There are those kids that are learning and enjoying your class. You might just have to wait years for one of them to tell you, :thumbsup:

[BrerGnat]

Well, why not be straightforward with them and tell them that if they want a job that makes any kind of decent money, they're going to need to take a LOT more math classes in college?

It's true. If you don't do well in math, it's very difficult to get into a profession that has a stable employment future and earning potential.

That might wake them up...

[Dulcee]

I HATED math in high school. Probably because I was pushed into Advance Placement calc classes because I could handle it, but never really enjoyed it.

One day the handful of kids in my class kind of pounced on our teacher with a "why does any of this stuff matter to my future when I have no desire to be a math major in college?"

We got this answer. "Because none of you want to work full time at 18 and because colleges like to accept students who know how to do math."

It was honest to say the least. Knowing AP calc got me into college, then graduate school for a doctoral program...and I haven't used the stuff since.

[Ian]

I agree with Natalie. Try and put it in real world terms for them, because DisneyRox has a very good point, as well. Computers are most certainly "where it's at" from a future high-earnings potential standpoint and you can't do anything with programming or software development without having a ton of advanced math skills.

Not only that, but most senior leadership positions require heavy finance involvement and again ... finance is math.

I'll admit I was one of those mopes who used to say the same thing to my teachers and I can only imagine it's even worse these days what with Excel and iPhones and all.

[princessgirls]

Hang in there Maggie!!
Don't get so down...

I agree with the other posters...You need math and knowledge of math to get through college, and get a good paying job!!!!
On some level every day we are using basic math reading and English skills no matter what you are doing in life.

I hope things get better for you as the year goes on!!
Julie:mickey:

[dnickels]

Aside from the biggie (jobs), I'd add that just about every choice in life they encounter (choice of career, to buy or not to buy a home, whether/when to have kids, retirement planning, vacations, etc), is a game of poker. Nothing is guaranteed but they all have their probability of success or failure.

The players on one side of the table know how the probabilities (math) can work for them. The people on the other side who don't understand math pay lots of money on credit card interest, believe they will hit the lottery someday and thought home values could go up 25% year over year for ever and ever.

In the long run the chips all end up on one side of that table. Understanding how math works means you get to sit there.

Hang in there, we need more good math teachers out there! :thumbsup:

[minnie04]

I have a suggestion. Why not put them into real life situations where they will have to use MATH to get through it. Set up some scenarios and put them in charge of getting it done and show them that without certain MATH skills they won’t accomplish the task... Maybe set up jobs in the class and make them work their way to the top. Just to see how they would like it if they failed and they had a family to go home to without a way to get by the next month. I know they are young, but it’s so hard out there to make it these days they need to see it firsthand. How school Math, English, History etc. fits into their everyday lives.:number1:

[Mammabruski]

Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement and advice...

Today was much, much better - a pretty typical day, actually. And I love my job on a typical day! :)

All your ideas for making math relevant are great, in fact I've used pretty much all of those examples at one time or another. There are just so many reasons why math is needed, but sometimes no matter what you say or do it can't motivate 100% of the kids. I'll try, oh I will try, but I'm not going to give up because one or two kids are "difficult" (total euphemism)...

Again, thanks for the kind words, it really made me feel so much better! :mickey:

[VWL Mom]

Hang in there, some off them are getting it but just don't realize it yet.

Don't know your class makeup or what level you're at but sports statistics won my sons attention and is another way of making math relative to their world. Of course as a soph in college he still can't multiply fractions without a problem but he can compute ERAs and batting averages in his head!

[diz_girl]

I definitely agree with what Natalie and Ian wrote. I use algebra all of the time and basic geometry too. Maybe not trig so much. But amortization of loans will affect them greatly with how much interest will cost them when they buy a house or a car, or have student loans or credit card debt. So math is very important in their life.

Also, if you get the student that says that they're going to be a pop star or rap artist or a professional athlete or just plain rich, and thus will have a lot of money (a surprising number of kids think that), let them know that even though they may hire someone to take of their money, they have to make sure that the person doesn't steal all of their money. Even if the person handling their money is someone that they trust, that person can still be bad at handling money and investing and they lose everything anyway from sheer incompetence. A number of celebrities have lost everything or almost everything by putting their money in the wrong hands.

Even basic economics uses calculus, as Marginal Revenue, Marginal Cost and Profit Maximization use derivatives.