Ask HN: Mathematicians are rarely the best math teachers but why

2 pointsposted 5 hours ago
by marysminefnuf

Item id: 50183645

4 Comments

Jtsummers

4 hours ago

Because they're trained in mathematics, not pedagogy.

This is also not a math problem. It's a general STEM problem (I'm not even sure it's a problem, it's just a thing). The curricula is focused on solving problems and communicating the solution, but it is not focused on communicating the process of solving the problem. So why would they be good educators when they're not trained to communicate the process, but the solution, and education requires the former (among other thing)?

snailshare

5 hours ago

Mathematicians/most academics rarely have to explain things to people who don't know, or even worse, don't care

ffsoftboiled

5 hours ago

Teaching is a separate skill / talent. And it's rarely selected for in higher academia.

abdelrahman_d

5 hours ago

There's a significant difference among understanding, explaining, and teaching.