It always saddens me whenever people say that they are not good and math and never will be. I have learned that most of the time individuals feel that way because of a bad experience in school. I know that I had many of those moments, especially in the eighth grade when nothing related to math seemed to make sense. I remember feeling so much frustration that I actually cried and insisted that it was impossible to master anything that was so confusing. 

My mother did her best to help me, but I was in such a state of agitation that I ended up yelling at her for her good deeds. I had created a mental block that was immovable and made me feel quite stupid. After pitching several immature fits I felt determined to figure out a way to be fleetingly successful in math. Mostly I worked multiple kinds of problems and memorized how to tackle each type. While my method worked to keep my grades high, I was still feeling dazed and confused about why and how the processes led me to correct answers. Somehow in spite of my difficulties I literally faked my way through course after course through sheer determination and an uncanny ability to memorize. 

It was not until I was in college that things began to make sense. I studied under a professor who had a tremendous talent for demonstrating the reasons why different formulae and processes worked. Suddenly it all made so much sense and I fell in love with idea of spreading the gospel of mathematics for a living. Over time, lots of practice and attending multiple workshops to hone my teaching skills I became quite adept in the art of making math come alive even for those struggling mightily. 

I’ll never forget the moment when I took the GRE exam and made an almost perfect score on the math section of the test. It was a feat that had seemed impossible when I was in high school and my SAT scores were incredibly lopsided. I then had a great number for all things related to language and only an average mark for math. The GRE numbers were one of the proud achievements of my lifetime and they resulted from top of the line instruction from incredible teachers as well as daily practice conveying mathematical skills to students. Somehow what had once confounded me had all fallen in place and made so much sense. 

I now know that there has to be a connection between the visual and the abstract aspects of math. There is beautiful meaning in those numbers that explain so much about the world in which we live. Without an understanding of how the processes actually apply to reality all of those calculations are meaningless and therefore difficult to maneuver. It was good teaching that opened my eyes and in turn showed me how to convey my knowledge to my students. 

I did reach a point at which I did not continue my journey with mathematics. I have grandchildren whose engineering degrees took them much farther than I ever went. Nonetheless I now feel confident in an ability to visualize and truly understand the subjects of high school mathematics. I have the capacity to explain how and why things work and what it takes to solve a problem. I am admittedly slow and steady in my work but I also know that it is not speed in reaching a level of understanding that determines our abilities.

Sometimes I am actually frustrated and saddened when I hear of people who gave up on themselves when it came to learning math. They avoided courses and jobs that might have required them to work with numbers. From my on experience I know that nobody is hopeless and I get so much joy whenever I am able to turn on the lights of comprehension. I know how much joy there is in finally becoming competent at a skill that once alluded me. 

I’ll never be an Einstein or even as mathematically advanced as my brother who was literally a rocket scientist. There are people so much better than I am but I have learned that there are enormous resources for learning more in the world today. There are numbers of how to lessons for unravelling almost any concept. You and I have the tools to continue our educations with a computer and a search engine that leads us to brilliant educators just waiting for us to take the time to watch their presentations. Fantastically most of their lessons are absolutely free. All you have to do is find the teacher and the teaching style that works best for your learning needs. 

I wish that we did not imply to our young that everyone should be able to master mathematics at some pre-described time. The truth is that each of us learns at a different pace. It is also true that just because it may take some of us a bit longer to find success does not mean that we are any less intelligent than those who catch on right away. For that reason I’d like to challenge everyone to rethink the way he or she thinks about math. I suspect that with a bit of guidance I would be able to open your eyes to just how wonderful it is and guide you to a point of confidence and even enjoyment. 

Don’t be hard on yourself. If you feel lacking in mathematical skills it is no doubt not totally your fault. The world abounds with fantastic educators who should be able to change your mind about how you feel about mathematics and yourself. Everyone really can learn as long as you remember that it is not a race but a steady process of learning that leads to understand bit by bit.