Why is it so OK to hate Math?

Why is it so OK to hate Math?


I came across this ad on Facebook at some point in the last couple weeks and it irritated me possibly a bit more than things should irritate a teacher during summer vacation. (btw, I added the red text, in case you were wondering what was going on in the photo.)

Ha ha, 25% +85% is not 100% (snore). But more than this tired joke is that someone went out of their way to make an anti-Math shirt for mass-market.

I went to a party the other night where people were all high-fiving each other when we arrived, and it wasn't because we found a babysitter and were able to go out. It's not that no one wants to babysit; we just don't trust many people. When does that feeling go away? Will I ever be able to leave my daughter with someone for bedtime? Do you babysit? OK, back to my story. It seemed that right before we got there someone brought up the fact that they can't read and everyone was joining in that they can't read either. What a bonding experience it was! A whole bunch of Americans who can't read! What a party!

OK, this isn't true. At all. I wasn't at a party where people were high-fiving each other that they couldn't read. I wasn't even at a party. But now imagine the same party, only instead of "I can't read" replace it with "I can't do Math". Now the high fives are a bit more realistic to imagine, right? I have been to a few parties where people bonded over their inability to do Math.

So why is a shirt like this OK? I'm not talking about the First Amendment here. You can print whatever you feel like printing on a shirt and wear it as far as I'm concerned. It's a person's right to wear whatever t-shirt they want, even if they look like an idiot. What I really want to know, and what I mean to ask, is why is it so socially acceptable to hate Math that someone thinks they can make money on making a shirt like this? For example, I don't think a "I Can't Read" shirt would sell, and I'm willing to bet the maker of this anti-Math shirt doesn't think it would either. Kids don't get recess because schools want to improve test scores, yet it's an American pride to hate Math. Why is this?

4 comments:

  1. Here is my reality at a social gathering:
    Random Person: Oh, so what do you do for a living?
    Me: I'm a teacher.
    RP: Oh, what do you teach (interested)
    Me: I teach high school.
    RP: Ohhhhhh, teenagers. What grades so you teach? (still interested)
    Me: I teach math so I teach all grades
    RP: Ugh, I hate math! (disgusted face followed by a 2 minute listing of all the math they can't do and why they hate it).
    Me: *sigh*

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    Replies
    1. EXACTLY, Secon Mathshop! I have been to that party! Numerous times!!

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  2. I was at new teacher orientation for our district this past week and these are some of the comments I heard from other teachers! "Only math teachers can get paid the 10 months out of the year because they know how to budget." "How can you teach math?" These were both from English teachers. It's disconcerting how many of our teachers don't like math...

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    Replies
    1. UGH! And we wonder why students hate Math so much! I just hope they don't express their dislike of Math in the classroom to students who look up to them. So terrible.

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