If Mathematics is important, why do we have so many BAD Mathematics teachers?

The question is clear. I am just interested to know why so many schools believe Mathematics is important while having bad Mathematics teachers.

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People with STEM degrees often have career opportunities that are more appealing than teaching.

Those who excel in mathematics are frequently nerdy introverts who make poor teachers.

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The main reason is that there is always a bad teacher in every subject. Teaching is hard and less about one’s understanding of the material and more about one’s ability to articulate their understanding.

Though I am not sure how to test it, I would be curious to see if there is a statistically significant difference between the number of “poor” and “good” math professors.

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The main reason is actually low wages. I was once a teacher and I can confirm that Math does not pay well in the education sector.

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This is just noise. What are you expecting to get from a math teacher that you aren’t getting? Say it and learn to not just conclude things without better information.

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It would be good to tell us what you mean by bad teacher since different people have different definitions. With you definition then we can be able to answer your question clearly.

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I think you are just basing this on your personal experience only. At my high school, overall the Mathematics and English faculty were quite good, but the history teachers were quite the opposite. That doesn’t mean there is a nationwide shortage of “good history teachers” that needs to be addressed. Hence don’t base your arguments on just minimal experience.

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I saw this comment somewhere but I will repeat it, teachers are underpaid.

Teachers who are good in Math succeed in life and they either don’t teach or teach graduate level at universities.

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The main reason for that is that Math is so important. On the other side, there are lots of jobs for people who are good at Math that are less stressful than teaching.

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It can be really difficult because it is a precise subject and it’s very evident whether you comprehend something or not. Being accurate frequently conflicts with having strong social skills since being social requires letting a lot go. Teaching at most times relies on interaction, so in the end, you simply have a difficult combination.