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a High School Algebra Teacher
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Anyone that thinks math is easy to teach has never taught it. Keep track of how many times you hear a teacher say "I'm bad at math" in front of the students. It gives them an out. Students in History don't have to have prior knowledge to go from one unit to another in most cases. Kids in English don't have to use a dictionary for spelling for every word. English can at least find readings that may interest the kids, give them lyrics to analyze, etc, but math is nothing that they readily like or need. Science has fun experiments. Math is the hardest to teach, period. Everyone hates it and doesn't see the application to their lives.
If you are comparing them at lower level I would agree with you. But highschool...no way...math beats them all in complexity and in how abstract can be especially starting from algebra 2.
Please do not judge what is easy vs difficult if you haven't actually experienced it. If you visited my calculus classroom, you would see and hear the challenges we face when students don't have the prerequisite algebra, geometry, and precalc skills needed to actually complete the course. Do you know how many times I hear, "That was so long ago, you expect me to remember that?"
On another note, please take note of which subject teachers are in their classrooms with students before and after school. They're using valuable time that other teachers are using to prepare for their classes to help students who are there getting extra help. In every school I've taught at, math teachers are ALWAYS the teachers who put in extra time outside of school hours helping students.
Don't get me started on the amount of extra work and assessment prep we need to do for SATs. Math is the only department to prepare students for the math sections. Every other subject area, including art, music, world language, and PE, help out with preparing students for the English sections.
I could go on and on about how teaching math is NOT easy...
Actually there is grammar in math. Think of how you would say 36=2x-7.
Also, society has made it acceptable to say “I’m not good at math” and use it as a reason not to try.
I feel this way especially teaching younger students ahah. Compared to the grammar rules they have to learn at this age I would choose addition & subtraction any day of the week. I think English teachers have a patience that other teachers don't have.
I have single subject credentials in both Math and English. I started my career teaching both but was soon asked to teach all math because math teachers are harder to find. Having done both, I can agree with HS Math Teacher 1 below that we often have more extraneous responsibilities and challenge to have students succeed. That said, however, I'd much rather grade even AP Calculus exams than essays that are much more subjective. On the other hand, I had more fun with my students in English lessons than math. I got to know them better by reading their writing than their math work.
Bottom line, tough is in the eye of the beholder-- do what you love and do well while respecting others for their talents and passions.
I believe our special ed teachers and K-3 teachers are amazing! I teach AP calculus and their job is harder than mine, love you guys!