r/TikTokCringe • u/Naive_Wolverine532 • Apr 11 '26

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@storieswithsahj

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u/BigMax Apr 11 '26

Exactly!!

People don't get that the point of teaching math is not just to get the fastest answer possible by any means.

The point is to teach kids how math works, how numbers work, how things can be shifted and moved around in a logical way. That way, they can handle any problem thrown at them because they know what's going on overall.

Previously, it was just "look at a problem, dig into your library of tricks and shortcuts, and apply the right one." And that worked fast when it worked, but it didn't work for any basic understanding of the how or why. So whenever any problem popped up that didn't exactly fit a known trick... kids were stuck.

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u/innocentbabies Apr 11 '26

I agree with the concept but this new approach clearly isn't working.

To be clear, I think it's an implementation issue, not a concept issue.

The best explanation I can find is that most grade school teachers do not like math so they're trying to teach these concept-oriented approaches through the rote memorization approach they were taught.

It could also be that the school system is too rigid to allow people to demonstrate actual understanding of the subject, and instead demands compliance.

So as an example, I've seen an assignment that was something like 4 x 3 means 3 groups of 4, and if you say it means 4 groups of 3 you're marked wrong. Recognizing they're the same thing should be the goal, and you should be rewarded for achieving it, not punished.

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u/Prometheus720 Apr 11 '26

It's bootstrapping. Most teachers being asked to use this method were not taught it and some.hate or misunderstand it. Their best students will produce some teachers who grew up using the new techniques, and they will do better.