"That'll be $6.52," 
the store clerk said. I handed her a $10 bill. She looked at it, then looked at me. As I watched, she started writing on a piece of paper. After what seemed like several minutes, she handed me the change. "$4.52 is your change," she smiled.
I stared at the change, then at her. "That's not right," I said. She looked at me, confused. "I gave you $10, so the change would be $3.48." I put several coins back on the counter. "I'm sorry," she replied. "Our computer is broken, and I have to do this by hand. I'm not very good at math." She counted out my change, and I left.
As I think back on this exchange, I feel sad, sad because it wasn't the first time it had happened, sad because I know it won't be the last. I taught high school math for years, and every year, the conversation was the same: "Why do I have to learn this? This isn't important. I'll never use this again in my whole life."
Unfortunately, students don't see the long-term merit of studying a subject. And when that subject is math, they see the value even less. I no longer teach full-time, but I look back on those conversations and think about how my reactions changed each year. The first year I taught, the question caught me off guard. "Because" was my standard answer. The second year, my response was similar, "If you want to graduate, you learn this stuff." It took me until my third year of teaching to realize that, if I really wanted students to learn, they needed a good reason to learn. So, instead of my standard "because" and "if you want to pass" answers, I asked them what they'd like to do when they graduate -- or when they "grow up". For each career path, I had "math" that they needed to know in order to be successful. For the construction workers, architects, and engineers, there was the math involved in getting a building to stand up. For those who wanted to be employed as teachers, it was the math required to see if your tests were fair to the students. For those who wanted to make a fortune in business, there was the math ability to understand the economics needed to make smart investments or be successful in business. For those who wanted to do technical work in a lab, there was the math needed to examine the information collected in the laboratory. For those who insisted they didn't want to do anything more than push a broom, and didn't need math, a simple exhibition showing them how people are cheated when buying goods drove my point home.
Who needs math? We all do! We use it every day. For those still teaching, it is necessary to use these examples and develop some activities that will help students to understand how math fits into their worlds. For parents, the same holds true. When your child complains that he or she doesn't like math, give your child an example. Take your child to the store to buy food for dinner. Give your child $10. Tell your child to provide a dinner for the family, complete with the four basic food groups, for that $10. Show your child the importance of learning mathematics. It will be good practice for your child - and who knows, you might learn something too!
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Who Needs Math? 课文讲解
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