My love/hate relationship with Mathematics

Funny title for a Math teacher, isn't? Surely I sit around all day just dreaming about numbers, finding new ways to solve various algorithms, and trying to figure out if pi really does never end. Wrong! Don't get me wrong, math is a highly valuable skill. Being proficient in math can make or break you in many careers today. It is being stressed in schools at higher levels than when I was in high school, and its importance is probably stressed a little too much (let's face it - a straight A 4th grader comes home with a serious migraine the week before state tests is way too much pressure). But let's forget about the teaching of math, and talk about my learning of math.

You see, I was dubbed a math teacher 3 years ago when I started my first real teaching job after graduating college, then staying home with my children for 8 years. I had never taught math. I hadn't even taken a college math class (stats for social sciences is NOT a math class, sorry). I tried repeatedly to convince the powers that be that I am indeed not a math teacher, but I kept hearing, "but you are". I'm still convinced they were desperate and I was the only one willing to do it.

I learned to love my job, and I will say I have finally become pretty decent at what I do. However, I decided that since I have been labeled a math teacher, that label will never go away. There are some types of teaching positions that, once you start it, you will never get out. This list includes middle school, math, ESL, and special education, among others. So, I decided it was time to get my Masters degree in math education. I will be finishing that in about 6 weeks (if this class doesn't kill me). Still, there is really no math involved, just how to teach math.

Anyway, back to my learning of math, and my love/hate relationship with doing so

LOVE
It's challenging
Orderly
Has rules
It's not really open to interpretation
No guessing what the author was thinking
Most of all, I need to keep my brain working at all times or I am just not a happy person

HATE
It's challenging
The rules can be complex
There is no guessing, which means even one tiny mistake will ruin the entire thing
Sometimes it works my brain a little too hard

I will leave you with my famous quote which drives my students and my own children. I made it up in response to getting tired of hearing a chorus of children screaming, "IT'S TOO HARD!!!"

Here it is...

"Floors are hard, but problems may be challenging."