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As a long time lover of mathematics, it pains me to hear about people's various childhood traumas with math and subsequent lifelong avoidance. Math is taught s

As a long time lover of mathematics, it pains me to hear about people's various childhood traumas with math and subsequent lifelong avoidance. Math is taught so poorly in school. It is taught as rote memorization of formulas with no context and no questions about WHY we are doing what we are doing. I've been on a personal quest to help rehabilitate people who self identify as "bad at math" because I'm convinced that most of them have been doing some sort of trauma induced avoidance for their whole lives and don't deserve to have this math shame hanging around their necks.

musicale 3y ago
In the US k-12 math seems to be taught as a skill to pass tests and little else. Maybe if you're lucky you'll use some calculus or algebra in science classes. And it's taught in a lock-step sequence. If you fall behind, it is generally impossible to catch up. Lower division mathematics in universities seems to be taught either for math majors (the important people, selected based on whether they already know the course material), science and engineering majors (the plug and chug contingent), and everyone else (as a "weeder" course to discourage students from continuing in mathematics, science or engineering.) Instructors view the course as an exercise in effort minimization and student sorting. A similar approach is often used in basic science and engineering courses as well. The "weeder" course is a wonderful metaphor because it casts so many students in the role of "weeds" - harmful and worthless invaders who need to be pulled out by the roots, shredded and burned (or perhaps dumped into a compost heap, if the university is environmentally inclined.)