Why don't math students understand math?

Honestly, I think that a big part of it is how we have presented math in this country. Many, if not most, students are told from an early age that math is hard, and that it will be impossible for all but the most intelligent students. Then we portray every mathematician or person using math as the ultimate nerd. Remember that in the rest of the world billions of students have studied math successfully, and they don't have any more native intelligence than do U.S. students. Math shouldn't be any more difficult for our students than it is for theirs. Yet they go on to learn math, and most of our students leave school thinking that math was beyond them and that they shouldn't have had to be subjected to that torture.

A secondary reason, as others have suggested, is that many math teachers and tutors are the few who DID get math the first time around, and who then teach with an attitude of, "Well, if you don't get it, you are too stupid to waste my time on!" Generally our history and English teachers don't take that kind of an arrogant stance, and we then manage to learn history and English, even if we started out afraid of those subject matters. Math students who ask WHY they are learning a particular theorem or proof are, far more often than in history or English or just about any other subject matter, just told to wait, that at some point in the distant future it will all become clear. Most people need more reason than that to be able to push through the tough moments in a subject matter.

There's a variety of reasons: 1. The teacher might not be available, eg, a weekend or holiday. 2. The teacher might have already explained and the student failed to understand them - a different perspective can be helpful. 3. Hate to dash any idealistic dreams, but not all teachers are supportive of students. Some just call you an idiot for not understanding.

The students may not understand due to the way you or their teachers are teaching. Each student is different so they may need their lessons to be modified. As a tutor, you should try different methods (hands on, visual, ect.) and see which one works best for the student.

They do not understand math because of being lazy.Some students do not like to think too much.you know to think too much is a little complicated.I think math is a subject that require some hard understanding to learn and when we think too much our brain hurt.Also math have arithmetic,algebra,calculus and so on so it is

hard for some people that having a lot time without practicing math.Math is a subject of practicing.If we do this everyday without stopping I can assure that the results going to be betters.

Well, what does that mean? That is such a vague statement. Do you understand arithmetic? How about tensor multi-variable calculus? You shouldn't be a tutor if you're so arrogant to think you understand everything.

Well, not everyone is good at everything. I am good at math, english and art, but I am rubbish at wood-shop and metalwork and science. NOT EVERYONE IS GOOD AT EVERYTHING!

tutors like u r hell