Math teachers - strict!

Philippines
January 31, 2012 11:49pm CST
I have just noticed since I was in elementary that all my Math teachers were strict and were being feared by most students. Teachers in other subjects may be strict and get angry but most of the time students just act as if nothing happened. But Math teachers/professors, whoa, they have some temper, but in a controlled way. Even when I was in college, whenever our Math teacher enters the room everybody keeps quiet with just her stare. They have their ways in getting the students attention and making them listen to them. Even my daughter's math teacher is a strict one, and she reminded me of all math teachers that I had in the past. I don't know about you but it was just my observation - they are strict and serious, they can make their students fear them but with respect, and some are even perfectionist. Have you ever observed that? What do you think? If you are a math genius or a math teacher, what can you say about this? Just curious
9 responses
megamatt
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
1 Feb 12
Nah, I didn't notice that. I think that I might have had a math teacher that might have happened to be strict a time or two. However it was not because they were a math teacher, because I had the same teacher for another subject. And obviously a lot of strict teachers are going to rather be around for a number of subjects, and when policing students, if you aren't a slight bit strict, you're going to get stomped. Then again, I had other frustrations in math classes other than how strict the teachers were. I think that I had many good teachers in this subject, but there were times where I might as well have been trying to read something backwards, while standing on my head. I do applaud the patience of many teachers as math is rather a hard subject.
1 person likes this
neelia_lyn
@neelia_lyn (2003)
• Philippines
3 Feb 12
You are right there. They are ones of the most patient teachers, too, because as you say, math is difficult subject to tackle. Thanks, mega, for sharing
sumatix
@sumatix (257)
• United Arab Emirates
1 Feb 12
I too have been thinking the same. during all my schooling really maths teachers were really horrifying.They always use to have a grim face, big eyes, no child was ever able to look into that.I was never a good student in maths so offcourse it was one reason.was very happy when i choose commerce to be my subject and i was out of maths to certain extent.
1 person likes this
neelia_lyn
@neelia_lyn (2003)
• Philippines
2 Feb 12
Oh you did give a very good description of them I didn't have problems with math but I was always focused on the way they seriously handle things, making me feel scared of them. It's like they don't even know how to joke but I think that if they did, the students would have learned so little from them. Thanks, sumatix.
PumpkinThePIE
@PumpkinThePIE (217)
• Canada
1 Feb 12
Wow so true. I remember my math teachers being the most strict. I have no idea why though. Maybe it's cause all the math makes them agitated to speak English? lol. They were good teachers, though. I admit at first I couldn't understand at all. But eventually I understood. My teachers never scared me, except for maybe one. It was my French teacher though.
neelia_lyn
@neelia_lyn (2003)
• Philippines
4 Feb 12
Oh am I so glad not to have to learn French! I've heard it's kinda difficult subject, with a scary teacher Thanks, Pumpkin!
beamer88
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
1 Feb 12
I don't think the subject taught has anything to do with a teacher being strict or short-tempered. Maybe it was just a coincidence that your Math teachers and your daughter's Math teacher were strict. It really depends on the person teaching. You can impart knowledge to your students without being strict, even if it's about mathematics :) I'm not a math genius nor a math teacher, although my brother and my mom are professors of mathematics, and my sister's a high school math teacher, and they're not strict :)
1 person likes this
neelia_lyn
@neelia_lyn (2003)
• Philippines
2 Feb 12
There may be some who are not strict. But most that I've observed, they are strict and sometimes mean, in a sense that they want their students to learn something from them, and that's what I admire in them. Thanks for sharing, beamer88!
MRconrad01
@MRconrad01 (148)
• United States
2 Feb 12
I can only remember having two strict math teachers in my life (2nd grade and 8th grade). All of my high school math teachers were very nice and fun-loving. In fact, they usually took a few days out of the year to do random, fun projects for a grade. Two of my favorite high school teachers were math teachers, and math is probably my least favorite subject. I only had one math class to take in college, and that professor wasn't strict; he just wasn't a very good professor. I think that it just depends on the teacher, not the subject, and that it's a coincidence that you've observed this.
neelia_lyn
@neelia_lyn (2003)
• Philippines
4 Feb 12
Well, I believe they have reasons why they are strict and serious teachers And I think that every teacher has his/her own ways to teach efficiently without being strict. Thanks for the response, Mrconrado!
tatzkie23
@tatzkie23 (770)
• Philippines
2 Feb 12
The truth is that i hate numbers. But as we all know, Numbers are just about anywhere! I think you have a point, i came to realize that almost all my math teachers were strict, from elementary to college. LOL. They really take math seriously. I even failed it twice i guess, i told you i'm not really that good in numbers. LOL. Why need some complicated formulas? LOL.
neelia_lyn
@neelia_lyn (2003)
• Philippines
4 Feb 12
Haha! That's what I thought before. I said as long as I know how to add, subtract, divide and multiply then that would be enough for me. But who knows, maybe one or two or more of those who love everything about math will become successful and famous because of it. Thanks, tatzkie!
longbangod
@longbangod (1785)
• Philippines
1 Feb 12
Hmm, perhaps the reason why we see most of our Math teachers as strict or shall we say terror is because the subject is normally a little bit hard compared to the rest of the subjects we have in grade school and in high school. Maybe they are having a hard time explaining while the students have a hard time comprehending too. Or it could be that math teachers are really intelligent that they wanted their students to catch up with the lesson as fast as they could when they were once students themselves. Obviously Mathematics is not that easy to understand, though if you are inclined with numbers, I'm sure you will excel in this subject. There are a lot of students who have poor grades in English and other subjects but has garnered high grades in Math.
neelia_lyn
@neelia_lyn (2003)
• Philippines
4 Feb 12
I agree with everything you've said. Sometimes they could also be strict when the students are just playing around when the teachers are having a hard time making them understand a complicated lesson. And yes, there are students who have poor grades in other much easier subjects but they excel well in Math. They hate subjects that have to do with words or reading but they love doing Math! Thanks, longbangod, for sharing your views on this. Good day!
eljayo
@eljayo (1105)
• Philippines
1 Feb 12
Hi! My math teachers were not that strict in fact I learned a lot from them while having fun. Math is my weakness but I enjoyed it during school times because of my joyful instructors. I think I was just lucky. Although there were also some who were boring but most of them were really fun.;)0
neelia_lyn
@neelia_lyn (2003)
• Philippines
2 Feb 12
Lucky for you :) Math teachers are joyful, too, but not inside the classrooms Good day and thank, eljayo!
yzxprince
@yzxprince (41)
• China
1 Feb 12
Mathematics is a rigorous discipline,so strict math teacher may help you develop the attitude of rigorous scholarship,but compared to other subjects and mathematics,there is a big difference.
neelia_lyn
@neelia_lyn (2003)
• Philippines
4 Feb 12
Yup, it takes strict teachers to teach the subject well. Thank for the response. Happy mylotting!