1. Maths at School is Hard -
Here's Why

2. For most, the word "maths" will stir up
feelings of irritation and letdown. A
comment resembling "i was so bad at
math" will most certainly emerge.
Usually that's the end of how much we
think about maths. For some of us it is
a different story. For some, the word
"maths" stirs up feelings of pride and
confidence in one's abilities; an
acknowledgment of just how much maths
has helped us in life and how many
opportunities for education and career
it exposed us to. What a difference in
perspective. Why does maths not click
for so many?

3. Maths is rarely taught cooperatively
- with partners, groups or teams. Yet
to succeed at it, math requires a lot
of discussion, feedback and
reflection. Reflection in particular
is important - unlike many subjects
understanding of hard math problems
comes in layers and reflection is
necessary.

4. Maths is rarely taught globally - with
the big picture in mind. It is usually
taught in small micro-chunks.
Relationships between topics are
neglected and concepts become too
patchy to remember. Some topics are
learned out of context, without their
real value emphasised. Algebra is a
prime example. Often taught as just
another topic, algebra is so much
more. If mathematics were a language
then algebra would be its grammar,
syntax and punctuation.

5. Maths is rarely
taught with real
world relevance.
Theorems and
formulas become
more distant
from a student's
life than they
really are.
Maths seems
useless and
students resort
to memorizing
maths instead of
understanding
it.
Maths is rarely
taught proactively
- with teachers
encouraging lots
of questions and a
deep
understanding.
Teachers have
strict guidelines,
large classes and
limited time. The
result is many,
many gaps in
knowledge.

6. Most importantly, maths is never
taught strategically with a focus
on the learning skills required to
succeed. Unknowingly students rely
on memorizing rules and processes
which simply does not work for
maths. Those hard word problems
that we all hated cannot be
answered by remembering maths.
Problem solving and lateral
thinking are required -
unfortunately they are not
explicitly taught at school.

7. http://brilliant.org/
Students who start to learn maths the
right way can often improve by 20-35%
in just months. As grades improve,
further study and career
opportunities become available.
Students can finally join the group
for whom the word "maths" stirs up
feelings of pride and confidence.