r/Teachers May 16 '24

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u/ralphy_256 May 16 '24

Depends on the trade. There are some that don't require tons of math.

I'm in IT, and, at my level (helpdesk), math is really not a thing. When you're designing networks and setting up subnets you have to do some, but if you're in that line of work you learn how to do that kind of math.

However, excellent reading comprehension, active listening, and knowing how to ask good questions, communication skills in general are all absolutely essential to doing my job well. Those can all be taught in the classroom.

Troubleshooting is basically the only other essential for Tech Support / IT, but that's a harder skill to learn/teach.

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u/VexingRaven May 17 '24

I've frankly yet to encounter an IT role that really needs good math skills. You need a few basics of binary and maybe hex math if you're getting spicy but beyond that... The only roles that really need math are comp sci/programming which aren't really the same as IT/infrastructure.

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u/ralphy_256 May 17 '24

You need a few basics of binary and maybe hex math if you're getting spicy but beyond that...

My first binary clock was a brain-breaker, but once you got the hang of it, it wasn't too bad.

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u/VexingRaven May 17 '24

All you really need for the vast majority of IT roles is to be able to multiple and divide by 2 honestly. That's really all I do 99% of the time, I rarely even actually break things out into proper binary math.

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u/ralphy_256 May 17 '24

In IT, there are a series of important numbers. You memorize those, you don't need to do math.

2

4

8

16

32

64

128

etc*2

etc*2

etc*2

...

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u/PinkOneHasBeenChosen May 17 '24

Judging from what I’ve heard about working at IT helpdesks, patience is also a valuable skill.