Dr. Murtaza Hameer is a medical doctor turned teacher. He pursued his medical degree in India and did the United States medical licensing exams in the USA. He also has a postgraduate diploma in education from the University of Dar es Salaam. He is the author of the book, “Learning How To Learn: Doing well in school, college and beyond”. He is passionate about education and teaching with interests also in philosophy, science, theology and spirituality.
I
f you ask many students in primary school and high school what they think of Math, they will say it’s hard. In fact, for many their test and exam scores will reflect their sentiments. But is Math really that hard? More harder than Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Business and Economics?
The truth is, Math is no more harder than any other subject and just as easy as any other subject. The difficulty is due to the knowledge gaps that have accumulated in the student’s learning process over time. But given the right teacher, the right resources and above all the right mind-set of the learner, learning Math can be a joyful and fruitful experience. How can I say that so confidently? Well, here’s my story very briefly.
I struggled in school in my primary years, especially at Math. But then before I started high school, I was blessed to have a tutor teach me the subject in such a clear and enjoyable way, that I ended up loving the subject and acing it in high school. That gave me the confidence to do well in my other subjects as well. I went and studied advanced calculus and differential equations at university level and did very well there too. How did that happen? How did a young boy struggling in Math in primary school end up excelling in the subject in high school and university? In other words, what is the secret to excelling in Math? I’ll tell you, and it’s no secret at all.
Firstly, you need to change your mind-set. Math is not hard. You need to give yourself a chance to learn the subject and to enjoy the learning process. Be curious. Want to know a particular topic that you are learning. Be excited to learn something new in a subject that the great Galileo called “the language with which God wrote the universe.”
Secondly, understand the concepts being taught in school or the one you’re currently learning; whether it is algebra, trigonometry, geometry, or statistics – “get” the concepts clearly and understand what it is you’re learning. Be able to explain it in your own words.
Thirdly, follow the worked examples given by your teacher and see if you can answer similar questions from the topic, the way your teacher did.
Fourthly, if concepts are not clear, or you’re stuck with a particular problem in Math (and you will get stuck – that’s part of the learning process), try solving the question with your friends in class, consult the textbook, watch a YouTube video on the topic, and if you’re still stuck, go back to your teacher! Do not stop until you solve that question!
Fifthly, practice, practice, practice! For every 10 homework questions your Math teacher gives you, do another 30 questions on that topic! I’m not kidding. The more questions you do, the easier it becomes. There is no other way to master Math.
Lastly, enjoy the learning process. Love what you’re learning. Math is a beautiful subject. It is basically a language that uses numbers and symbols to describe concepts that are abstract as well as practical in the scientific and business enterprises. With the right mind-set, you can learn Math and learn it well. You just need to give yourself a chance and you should want to do it with all your heart, mind and soul. Once you fall in love with Math, you’ll never fall out of love with it. That I can assure you.
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Dr. Murtaza Hameer is a medical doctor turned teacher. He pursued his medical degree in India and did the United States medical licensing exams in the USA. He also has a postgraduate diploma in education from the University of Dar es Salaam. He is the author of the book, “Learning How To Learn: Doing well in school, college and beyond”. He is passionate about education and teaching with interests also in philosophy, science, theology and spirituality.
