A teacher who taught me mathematics in school shared her ideas on Facebook recently. I tried very hard resisting the temptation to not respond and well, here I am. Loaded with work on this Sunday afternoon and have a fuck tonne of things to do, yet, this calls for a sit down, be humble post.

Some thoughts pop up when ever I come across posts making fun of some terms used in Mathematics like sine, cos, theta, beeta etc, apparently for not having any direct use in daily life.I feel, choosing to keep mum is irresponsibility from my side, as I am a teacher, passionate of Mathematics and my profession.No other subject faces this kind of accusations.(may be - I don't come across.)Those novels and poems I struggled with, are not directly useful in my daily life, but the language skill, I developed through them, is indeed inevitable.Those essays and dates of wars, I don't remember any more, but the awareness gained through them mold my views.Those diagrams of plant cells, or nervous systems, are neither used in my personal life nor are part of my profession. But the dedication and accuracy I practiced while drawing them, has been adopted as my way of life.When some take up the direct application of these subjects in their profession or career, others like me who left them on the way, should be happy about the hidden benefits gained, instead of rubbishing them.Role of Mathematics in science and technology is undisputed. But learning Mathematics also has some genuine hidden purpose, which most of the people are, unfortunately, not aware of, or choose to overlook.If Mathematics is done with understanding of logic and concepts, and with dedication, it helps develop the skills to observe a given situation, analyze various information, organise the procedure, choose the best ways, concentrate on minute issues, to be logical in approch, to be accurate in understanding authentic definitions, to be critical for further improvement, to be laborious and much more.Whereas, the people who are not self motivated to do this subject, just memorise the procedure of doing problems, without bothering to know the logic and theory behind it, and defeet the very purpose. They will never be able to acquire the true benefits, despite of managing good scores in the Examination.This category of people are found mocking the subject and sharing negative attitude with the next generation. The irony is that, still they want their children to take up this so called useless subject. They say 'The only use of learning Mathematics is to help your kid doing his homework'.Out of hundreds of mounteneers trying to hit the peak, only one or two succeed. Others take the defeet gracefully since it was their choice of passion.The bottom line is "The unreachable grapes are always considered soar "

Let me answer this point wise-

Some thoughts pop up when ever I come across posts making fun of some terms used in Mathematics like sine, cos, theta, beeta etc, apparently for not having any direct use in daily life.
I feel, choosing to keep mum is irresponsibility from my side, as I am a teacher, passionate of Mathematics and my profession. 

Fair enough, each of us deserve the right to stay mum or speak as and when we desire. Last I checked, this is a free country. You have as much right defending the jokes on mathematics, as the other has on cracking it out loud. It's indeed very touching to see passion and responsibility towards defending the profession as as well as the discipline.

I have, in the past (as far back as 2007- posts invisible) poked fun at the use of sine, cos, etc for my lack of understanding. I wish this passion could have translated in classroom where you did not terrorize the likes of us who could not understand the subject. Sure, the 16 year old me was not half as articulate about the problems in understanding, we can take that as your comeback. However, maybe take a step back and see if instead of posting passive aggressive responses, you can heartily contribute to preventing such a situation.

No other subject faces this kind of accusations.(may be - I don't come across.)

Fair enough, you don't come across. You're admitting the problem there. All subjects come under such a threatening dissection by those who are asked to pursue, especially the ones where they do not want to move any further. I know I didn't want to write the Science Exam altogether in tenth grade. I also did fail both the math and the science pre-board. I spoke about it over these last few years because it was a weight on my chest.

Those novels and poems I struggled with, are not directly useful in my daily life, but the language skill, I developed through them, is indeed inevitable.
Those essays and dates of wars, I don't remember any more, but the awareness gained through them mold my views.
Those diagrams of plant cells, or nervous systems, are neither used in my personal life nor are part of my profession. But the dedication and accuracy I practiced while drawing them, has been adopted as my way of life

Okay, let's take this step by step. Your problem as a teacher begins when you trivialize the role of literature by comparing it with language. Why you call language skill and what you decipher in literature are two extremely vast disciplines in itself. Maybe, begin by admitting and saying that they are critical in our existence. There would be no "x" without Linguistics, there would be no "poems" without Literature. Yes, we are all forced to struggle with them, just as some of us are asked to struggle with mathematics. An inherent flaw of the education system we are a part of. Maybe, as a teacher you should have tried to battle that, as opposed to defending your discipline so vociferously.

If you don't remember those dates of wars and essays, it's probably because of professional hazards. Your occupation doesn't require for you to remember them. For a healthy lot of us, the ones who pursued Social Sciences, you could spare a thought. We require it in discussions, in work.

I am a Cinema scholar. I do not require those dates "on paper" but I do need them from project, to project in essaying my role as a professional who is expected to deliver quality research. By trivialising the dates and the essays that you have done so casually, you're a part of the problem by being one such "my religion is greater than yours.".

No, it's as good as anyone else's. I am glad you admit that the awareness gained through the essays and dates mould your views. You understand that, it's heartening to know.

The diagrams of plant cells, nervous system are not used in my personal life or profession (despite drawing dicks whenever I'm bored in a meeting), but yes, indeed the dedication and accuracy we all hone while attempting those are a life lesson to carry forward. I completely agree with that.

When some take up the direct application of these subjects in their profession or career, others like me who left them on the way, should be happy about the hidden benefits gained, instead of rubbishing them.
Role of Mathematics in science and technology is undisputed. But learning Mathematics also has some genuine hidden purpose, which most of the people are, unfortunately, not aware of, or choose to overlook.

I wholeheartedly agree, we all should be happy about the "hidden benefits gained, instead of rubbishing them" or rather, go on with our lives. To each, his own. Am I right?

Pray, tell me "genuine hidden purpose". Please don't equate your Book keeping skills with number loving ones.

We all need numbers, as much as we need words but I am dying to know this hidden purpose. Is this a clickbait scenario? We'll have to find out.

If Mathematics is done with understanding of logic and concepts, and with dedication, it helps develop the skills to observe a given situation, analyze various information, organise the procedure, choose the best ways, concentrate on minute issues, to be logical in approch, to be accurate in understanding authentic definitions, to be critical for further improvement, to be laborious and much more.

That what you're saying "Logic" is a discipline in itself. Still waiting for you to tell me cos and sine helping me pick between all mangoes are oranges syllogism. I say it, because I have studied it in great detail in my undergrad. While, it may have origins in mathematics, just like science orginates in words, it by no means should be equated for what we were forced to study in school. As far as I remember, you initiated me into the lesson of Trigonometry and other such in Eight Grade. Logic, was no where heard or seen in school curriculum, until my limited scope of mathematics as a discipline until tenth grade. I was introduced to Logic in college classroom, where admittedly, my own hangup about dealing with my inability to understand mathematics paralysed me in the classroom. Your eight to tenth grade math classes were of no help in Logic classes. 

Whereas, the people who are not self motivated to do this subject, just memorise the procedure of doing problems, without bothering to know the logic and theory behind it, and defeet the very purpose. They will never be able to acquire the true benefits, despite of managing good scores in the Examination.

My problem begins when you put your terrorizing skills on Facebook for one and all. Who says one isn't self motivated to study mathematics? Maybe, take ten minutes off Facebook and introspect the role you have to play in peddling the passion and discipline to minds who are terrorized by the idea of attending 45 minutes of Mathematics with you in a classroom. I know, I was. In Eight Grade, I failed mathematics for the first year. Guess who was my teacher? Guess who never came around asking if something is the problem? I suppose you were busy teaching those who acquired the true benefits of mathematics, as well as those who didn't, "despite of managing good scores in the examination".

I don't recall you explaining the logic and theory behind where I was going wrong. Instead, there was eye rolling and accusation of not giving my 100% behind that. You won't remember, but I do.

One doesn't come self motivated from the mother's womb, people play their parts. I have to say, in my life, you didn't. I guess, 120 likes and reacts don't agree with me. And, they don't have to. One should speak for oneself and not on behalf of others.


This category of people are found mocking the subject and sharing negative attitude with the next generation. The irony is that, still they want their children to take up this so called useless subject. They say 'The only use of learning Mathematics is to help your kid doing his homework'.

Okay, let me stop you right there. My father is an Engineer, my mother is a Commerce graduate. Both my parents have been instrumental in building me into the person I am today, academically or otherwise. My mother played a big role in honing me into the budding academician I am today.

Yes, she wasn't good with mathematics, to the point she never said that to me out loud. When I look back, all the signs were there. Her inability to help me with my inability of grasping the subject, yet, never did she say a stupid comment or a fact out of the air, the kind that you're on a rampage of saying in this rant. My parents didn't share any negative attitude or mocking in the house infront of my sister and I. As far as I remember, it was you, giving me glaring looks as my class teacher, when I decided to walk out in defiance of not wanting to study Mathematics in your class. I stood against you and your discipline because I did not want to be the one saying, "The only use of learning Mathematics is to help your kid doing his homework."

I wasn't allotted a classroom, a department, or even the liberty to study the language I wanted to. Did you stand up respecting your profession saying how I should be allowed to pursue my choice? I don't recall any of that.

What I do, however, remember is your signature eye-roll. The kind that made your Math terrified students pee in their pants. Do you know that particular thing is the subject of most personal reunions people have with each other? 

Out of hundreds of mounteneers trying to hit the peak, only one or two succeed. Others take the defeet gracefully since it was their choice of passion.
The bottom line is "The unreachable grapes are always considered soar "

Two those lines do not correspond. I say that with authority, keeping in mind the aforementioned rant you uploaded and are being congratulated for, by those who are proudly sharing their board exam score with you.
Also, there are glaring typos in the statement above. Perhaps, if you would have focussed in your language class and vocalized your struggle with poetry, you wouldn't confuse between "sour" and "soar". Isn't the point of poetry, wordplay anyway?

Cheers,
A former student who felt the need to tell you to be humble