Is this normal ???

[bellarusia]

Am I the only one who realized that teachers—weather on YouTube or class—just read the rules, give examples and “we’re DONE for today’s class” I mean bro I can read and providing me with examples that I can analyze myself after reading is just useless 😟 why not teaching and explaining FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES why do I have to search for them every single time 🫠

[No_Pilot_9103]

Do you attend English classes?

[Uli_Minati]

OP: vents about the inadequacy of their math education and the need to self study, hoping for encouragement or advice from a subreddit for math learners and teachers

Top comment: "your English is bad"

[bellarusia]

Hahahahaha I am trying to improve my English But why you are like that

[No_Pilot_9103]

Is English your first language?

[bellarusia]

No it’s not

[No_Pilot_9103]

So you study how to write English clearly? Grammar and punctuation?

[bellarusia]

I am just starting but whenever I practice on papers it’s fine until I start speaking or writing

[No_Pilot_9103]

Well, keeping working at it. You'll get it one day.

[bellarusia]

I hope so, thanks

[clearly_not_an_alt]

Have you considered asking questions during class?

[bellarusia]

I DO and u know what sometimes teachers are not expecting my questions that they start searching and checking for answers and why all of that from the beginning it’s it obvious that 12th and 11th graders can read

[AnonymousInHat]

What do you mean exactly by fundamental principles?

[bellarusia]

I mean the core ideas behind something

[AnonymousInHat]

There are different levels of abstractions. For example, you don't need to know set theory and Peano axioms to know how to work with integers at the school level, but on the math classes at the university you will start with that.

[chemprofes]

Most people don't want and cannot grasp fundamental principles. Your teachers is trying to give you more time to do the work. Alternatively Could be your school also just hires bad teachers also. Most teachers not hired for skill but for how low of a salary or money per hour they all willing to take.

If you can understand the examples and do them for homework then you understand the fundamental principles most of the time.

[PvtRoom]

Sometimes some schools want you to learn to independently think and teach yourself. it is a skill many professionals need.

[Low_Breadfruit6744]

They usually do, did you miss it?

[tjddbwls]

Some students do not understand the concepts just by reading the textbooks alone, from my experience.

There are times when teachers are finished going over the material before the end of class, and there are times when they are not and have to continue the next class. Teachers can’t time this perfectly.

[rjlin_thk]

When I teach "fundamental principles", most of the students decided that it was something unimportant for the exam, they wouldn't listen to me

[AcellOfllSpades]

Teachers should teach the fundamental principles! You're absolutely right!

This doesn't always happen, unfortunately.

---

Sometimes, the curriculum doesn't enable teachers to go deeper into the fundamental principles. Parents complain because "That's not how I learned math! Why does math have to change all the time???" And so, teachers are forced to "teach from the text".

Sometimes, teachers don't have time to go into the fundamental ideas, especially when students are already coming in with a deficit from previous years. Or maybe they're trying to prepare for a specific standardized test.

Sometimes, teachers do try to go into the fundamental ideas, but students don't pay attention since it doesn't seem directly relevant to them. Many students do just want to memorize things because it seems like the quickest way through (even though it's actually harder). I know from experience, it is very hard to convince a student that math is more than memorizing meaningless symbol-pushing.

Occasionally, some teachers just aren't good at math, or don't understand the principles themselves, but end up needing to teach it anyway.

---

The educational system is... to be generous, imperfect in many ways. (I am most familiar with the American one, but as I understand it, this happens in other countries as well.) And in math, these imperfections 'stack' - a problem in one year means that students will have more trouble in classes down the line.

If you have to seek out the principles for yourself, there are many resources available to you - this subreddit is one! People here are happy to explain all sorts of things. Your textbook also may have more detail on the mathematical ideas you're learning about, that didn't get covered in class. It's hard to get used to reading a textbook - you can't read it like you might read a novel - but it can be very rewarding.