The Maths Teacher

Hi Hilary,

Wish I'd had a Mr Wicks when I was at school in the 1960s. I absolutely hated maths and could never concentrate on the subject I never understood. Even to this day I don't know where I'd be without a calculator. More teachers should be understanding of the pupils that cannot grasp maths.

Anyway I thought your poem gave food for thought and was well put together.

Jenny.

A bit of fun. Sometimes I feel there needs to be just a concentration on the basic maths useful in ordinary living, rather than the more complicated concepts that aren't going to grab everyone!

And teachers vary in how much they understand their pupils, but also in how to explain and catch the interest. There has been a shortage of maths teachers as there are so many job opportunities for those skilled in the subject. And it can be easy to just try to parrot kids in what to do to answer the exam questions without really trying to help them understand what is going on which can be much more interesting I gather (from hearing my husband, and ex-maths teacher talk!) Rhiannon

I always quite liked maths. It genuinely hoped if the teacher cared. I enjoyed your poem, Hilary. Paul :)

Teaching Mathematics is an art but often thankless and unfulfilling. When the student fares poorly it is always the teacher's fault but when he does well the student is champion. I have taught at every level from primary school up to post-graduate. Teacher tutor lecturer etc.

It went well with my probation and I said to the one professor I prefer teaching strong students, he replied "Don't we all".

Most of the kids said I am a born teacher said I am gifted, the smoking was just a bit of a nuisance but now it's clean more than six years. The problem is I am hopeless and pathetic at business I have to work for other people.

Keep well! Tom Brown

What is 1/0 or, how many zeroes goes into one? This was the best, Sir is a point round or square? That do you answer to that?

A jolly poem about what is, for me, a dark subject. I did alright at maths, and several other subjects, but always detested school. How different life might have been had there been a Mr Wickes or two around in my day.

I really enjoyed reading this. It made me smile.

Thomas Edison said mathematics is like women, he never could understand either. In my experience women mathematics teachers are often of the hysterical type, cruel and with no talent while the men tend to be sarcastic sadists. Thank goodness capital punishment has been abolished, well yes depends who is punished hey? Most have sideline jobs that pay handsomely, easy bucks if you ask me don't be shy. A good name, name your price. Get rich quick.

Nolan &

This woke my sympathy :0) What is strange is how as a species we can have such different aptitudes? I don't know if this is the case for polar bears or centipedes, maybe they just have to be brilliant at everything, survival of the fittest etc. No group D classes for them. Like you, I much preferred to be in the class without hope when it came to Maths. Until I had to pass, and then I was so thankful to have the perfect most wonderful amazing Maths teacher it is possible for me to imagine :0) It is a shame there are not more teachers who like unravelling the wool that clouds the minds of numerophobes, I bet you would have passed with Mrs Scott, too!

Talent instantly recognises genius, mediocrity knows nothing greater than itself.

Typical tutoring technique (successful classroom and xtra math lessons). This one you do like this, oh that one? Those you do like that. Don't know about this one it must be new. Skip. This is like that. Wonderful you know all the answers! Theorems learnt verbatim they don't make sense anyway nobody understands the proofs. What for do you need math if you are a doctor just get it over with.