Jimmy Buffett said it best. It's no Cheeseburger in Paradise, to be sure. No, Math Suks. And I agree with him.
| | Let's start with something simple, |
Yep, Come Monday and we're all back in school, slogging through another day in algebra class. It could be arithmetic or geometry or trigonometry or even calculus, but for most of us, it just suks.
I really do agree.
But why is it that Math Suks? (He spells it that way in his song; maybe he thinks spelling sux too!)
There's The Question that everybody asks in math class at one point or another, and then there's this one: Why is it that for some of us Math Suks?
The short answer is that math suks when you doesn't understand it.
We tend to hate that which we don't understand. We disdain the subject so much we deride it by saying things like “math suks”. Or we even put ourselves down by saying "I'm not a math person".
But once we begin to crack the code - which for most of us takes us getting Knee Deep into some problems - that hatred of it starts to wear off.
Maybe it’s not quite a Sunny Afternoon way down in Margaritaville but hopefully you’ve experienced the feeling a time or two when you “got it”. The Light Bulb moment.
Perhaps it was changing classes to that one teacher, or Changing Latitudes or Changing Attitudes toward how you thought about math, but that moment finally came after you put in the work.
OK, I know that you're saying, It's not like I love it now... it just suks a little less than before.
That's really what SINT is created to do: to help high school students think math suks just a little less than before we come into the picture. In a sort of crass, but very real way, this speaks to a lot of young people who for the most part have nothing but negative feelings about math. It takes a while to U-turn an ocean liner.
It could be that a student has never understood math, or just started to lose their way in middle school. Or a student's parent isn't there anymore to help. Or is there but doesn't understand it herself.
SINT was founded - and is funded - by people who understand and appreciate math and want to share that with young people. So many students in high school nowadays are frustrated and defeated in math and other classes.
The vision of SINT is to help students write a new story about overcoming frustration and finding success in school and in life after school.
Mr. Buffett closes his chorus saying, Sometimes I think that I don't know that much, but math suks.
We agree with him, but it doesn't have to stay that way for our young people.
I'll close by saying, Sometimes I think that I don't know that much, but math doesn't have to suk.
But why is it that Math Suks? (He spells it that way in his song; maybe he thinks spelling sux too!)
There's The Question that everybody asks in math class at one point or another, and then there's this one: Why is it that for some of us Math Suks?
The short answer is that math suks when you doesn't understand it.
We tend to hate that which we don't understand. We disdain the subject so much we deride it by saying things like “math suks”. Or we even put ourselves down by saying "I'm not a math person".
But once we begin to crack the code - which for most of us takes us getting Knee Deep into some problems - that hatred of it starts to wear off.
Maybe it’s not quite a Sunny Afternoon way down in Margaritaville but hopefully you’ve experienced the feeling a time or two when you “got it”. The Light Bulb moment.
Perhaps it was changing classes to that one teacher, or Changing Latitudes or Changing Attitudes toward how you thought about math, but that moment finally came after you put in the work.
OK, I know that you're saying, It's not like I love it now... it just suks a little less than before.
That's really what SINT is created to do: to help high school students think math suks just a little less than before we come into the picture. In a sort of crass, but very real way, this speaks to a lot of young people who for the most part have nothing but negative feelings about math. It takes a while to U-turn an ocean liner.
It could be that a student has never understood math, or just started to lose their way in middle school. Or a student's parent isn't there anymore to help. Or is there but doesn't understand it herself.
SINT was founded - and is funded - by people who understand and appreciate math and want to share that with young people. So many students in high school nowadays are frustrated and defeated in math and other classes.
The vision of SINT is to help students write a new story about overcoming frustration and finding success in school and in life after school.
Mr. Buffett closes his chorus saying, Sometimes I think that I don't know that much, but math suks.
We agree with him, but it doesn't have to stay that way for our young people.
I'll close by saying, Sometimes I think that I don't know that much, but math doesn't have to suk.
P.S. How many Jimmy Buffett songs did you catch hidden in this post? It was seven. Still think math suks? I hear ya... just Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On. (Eight.)
Mark B. Anderson
Tutor & Founder, Strength in Numbers Tutoring
Donate 1-on-1 math tutoring to a student in need.
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