I believe that your "failures" are not necessarily linked to "math", in the sense that other teachers probably experienced the same frustration for their own ta

I believe that your "failures" are not necessarily linked to "math", in the sense that other teachers probably experienced the same frustration for their own taught subject. Math is definitely "harder" in the common thinking of people, but I suspect that there is often a generic underlying issue. A number of students (I would say a large part) go to school or college not "to learn" but rather to "pass the exam" or to "get the degree", they are not interested in the subject but in what the consequences of having a good grade in that subject are or - sometimes - only do whatever is needed to get a passing grade. I don't blame the students, mind you it is not their fault, it is society in general that somehow has shifted the values, and culture is not anymore valued.