Ugh.... math.

I envy people who like math, or even people who are good at it. (You don't have to like something to be good at it and vive versa). Math makes me sick to my stomach. I have never considered myself good at it. I always dreaded my math classes, and I always got nervous for the tests. I used to think that I did have to be good at it to like it, and that it was my fault for how I felt about math. Now that I think back on the math teachers that I had, most of them were incredibly BORING!!! As a student you don't really think of the effect that the teacher has on your performance in the class but it totally does. If these math teachers are not making it fun to learn all these difficult concepts, or show that they enjoy them then why should the students? I remember not even caring about it. I tried to take notes in class and ask questions, but the answers to my questions were not any more exciting than the original explanation. This did not make me motivated to go outside of class to get help either.

Not all of my math teachers were not so boring. There are two in particular that had more personality that a brick wall. One in 8th grade, and the other in 10th grade. These two teachers had a few things in common. They tried to relate to the students. They talked to us about things other than school. They laughed with us, they made jokes, and shared information about themselves with us. There was a connection. Now this alone might not have made me better at the actual math but it sure made me more motivated to get better at it. I liked asking questions in their classes because I knew I would not feel chastised for it.

Passion for teaching is the most obvious quality to have. I mean, one does not go into teaching for the money, the fun, or because it is easy. Let's be real. It is also difficult to keep your passion strong the more years you do it. That is also what it means to teach. Finding new ways to approach your teaching, and always trying to improve. If a teacher shows this in a classroom, it will then reflect in their students.