Why is Math Boring According to Mr. Hunter

Photo of Oscar Miranda posing as an unfocused student in Mr. Hunters class

Mr. Hunter is a math teacher who believes that math is often viewed as one of the most boring and useless subjects by many students. But why does math feel boring? Maybe it has to do with how math is taught, student attitudes towards it, and the academic pathway students follow.

Through his past experience, Mr. Hunter has seen how students act when they find math as useless or unnecessary. When students are introduced to new units, such as fractions, it often raises concerns and makes them less open to learning if they aren’t met with immediate success. Every time an answer is wrong, they become more frustrated and lose confidence in their ability to understand the subject.

“I think students struggle with that idea and they discourage themselves when they don't get the answer. They don't see the process along the way but they see that they're wrong and so it's discouraging and that's probably why I think a lot of students are frustrated in the math classroom.”

Many students can also struggle with the class environment especially when they aren’t able to comprehend. The transition from junior high can be overwhelming. Students are often used to only having to complete minimal work and then suddenly are expected to do the opposite. In some cases, students may not be at the required level and instead of seeing this as an opportunity to grow, they may begin to believe math is useless because it feels too hard. 

“A lot of the incoming freshmen struggle with adapting from junior high to high school and math is not everybody's best friend. Students come in with lower foundational skills and struggle more when we do harder concepts. ”

Mr. Hunter at his desk grading papers.

To make math more engaging, Mr. Hunter focuses on building trust with his students. He meets with them one-to-one to discuss the topics they struggle with most and breaks down the concepts step by step. This helps the student get a better understanding. He also encourages students by recognizing good grades, and quiz scores hoping to make his students feel proud of themselves for the work they’ve put in. 

Students may simply think math is useless to them because it doesn’t correlate with what they want to become in the future. Because of this, they might choose not to focus on math and instead prioritize English for example because it fits their academic goals and what they plan to study in college or university.

Alvin Pascual interviewing Mr. Hunter

Overall, students view math as boring or useless for many different reasons, including frustration, difficult class transitions, or lack of confidence or personal interest. When students struggle with a lack of motivation or skill in math it can affect their educational mindset and grades. However, with supportive teachers like Mr. Hunter, who take time to build trust and explain lessons clearly, students can begin to feel more confident and engaged. By changing how math is taught and how students view their own potential, math can become not only understandable but valuable in their lives.