After 10+ Years of Teaching Math, Here’s What I Wish Every Parent Knew

1. Mathematics is not a collection of separate chapters

One of the biggest observations I have made during my teaching career is that many students learn mathematics as a collection of disconnected topics.

They learn:

• Linear equations
• Algebra
• Statistics
• Geometry
• Trigonometry
• Functions

as if each topic exists independently.

But mathematics doesn't really work that way. Mathematical concepts are connected.

A student might learn how to solve a linear equation and then encounter algebraic reasoning inside another topic later. They may encounter equations while working with graphs, statistics, coordinate geometry, word problems or functions.

“But we haven't done equations. This is statistics!”

The issue isn't necessarily that they don't know how to solve an equation. The issue is that they don't recognise the connection between the concepts.

This is why I don't want my students to simply ask: “Which formula do I use?”

I want them to eventually start asking: “What mathematical idea is this question actually testing?”

2. “I make silly mistakes” doesn't always mean “I don't understand math”

One of the most common things I hear from students is:

“I love doing maths, but I don't know how I make such silly mistakes.”

There is an important distinction between not understanding a concept and making an execution mistake while solving a problem.

If a student genuinely doesn't understand the underlying concept, they may struggle to know what to do in the first place. But another student may understand exactly what they are supposed to do and still copy a number incorrectly, make a sign error, skip a step, misread the question, calculate incorrectly, or rush through the final answer.

These are different problems and should be treated differently.

In many cases, I find that these mistakes can be connected to hastiness, concentration and exam pressure, rather than a complete lack of mathematical understanding.

That is why simply telling a child “Be careful!” usually isn't enough. We need to help the student develop a systematic approach to solving problems.

3. Exam pressure can make small mistakes much bigger

Imagine a student knows how to solve a particular type of problem. At home, they solve it correctly.

Then they enter an examination. The clock is running. There are questions remaining. They start thinking about how much time they have left. They rush.

And suddenly, something they knew how to do becomes a silly mistake.

This is why I believe exam preparation is not simply about solving more questions. Students also need to learn how to perform under pressure.

One of the approaches I use is systematic testing.

Instead of waiting until the final examination, students should regularly experience structured testing and review. Over time, this can help examination conditions feel less unfamiliar.

4. Sometimes the first thing a student needs is not more questions—it is diagnosis

When I start working with a student who is struggling, I don't want to immediately give them 50 questions.

First, I want to understand: Where is the actual problem?

Is it:

• a missing foundation?
• a misunderstanding of a concept?
• difficulty applying the concept?
• difficulty connecting different topics?
• careless calculation?
• poor concentration?
• exam pressure?
• lack of practice?
• or a combination of several things?

Once we identify the problem, we can work backwards.

Giving a student more and more questions without identifying the underlying gap can sometimes make the student feel even more frustrated.

5. A student I will always remember

One student who taught me a lot about this was Shada.

Shada was a hardworking student. The problem was that despite putting in the effort, he wasn't getting the scores he wanted in mathematics.

The easy thing would have been to simply give him more questions and tell him to practise harder. But that's not the approach I took.

First, we tried to understand what he was actually struggling with.

Then we worked on filling those gaps so that the same mistakes wouldn't continue to appear.

Once the foundations were strengthened, we introduced rigorous and systematic testing.

The process wasn't an overnight transformation. It was a gradual cycle.

Over time, the results started to change.

Eventually, Shada passed his O-Level examinations with flying colours.

For me, the important lesson wasn't simply that his marks improved. It was that the right combination of diagnosis, conceptual understanding, practice and testing helped him turn his hard work into actual results.

6. I don't believe in putting mathematics on a plate for students

My teaching philosophy is quite simple: I want students to think.

As teachers, it can be tempting to make everything easy for the student. We explain the method, solve the example, give them the formula and show them exactly what to do.

Then the student follows our steps and gets the answer.

But there is a problem. The student may have solved the question without actually doing enough thinking.

I don't want to give everything to my students on a plate. I want to give them enough guidance to move forward—but I also want them to struggle productively.

I want them to ask:

• “Why?”
• “What happens if I change this?”
• “Is there another way to solve it?”
• “Why does this formula work?”

The goal isn't for the teacher to solve the mathematics. The goal is for the student to become capable of solving the mathematics independently.

7. I don't want students to simply memorise formulas

Another thing I have deliberately moved away from in my teaching is rote memorisation of mathematical formulas.

Of course, students eventually need to know and use formulas. But I believe it is much more powerful when a student understands:

• Where did this formula come from?
• Why does it work?
• When should I use it?
• What does it actually represent?

Whenever possible, I try to connect mathematical ideas to real-world situations.

When students understand the reasoning behind a formula, mathematics becomes less like a list of things they have to remember. It starts becoming a system that makes sense.

And once mathematics starts making sense, students often become much more confident.

8. What I tell parents when they say, “My child is weak in mathematics”

If a parent tells me:

“My child is weak in maths. He isn't getting good marks. He keeps making silly mistakes. I don't know what to do.”

My first response is: Don't immediately put a label on the child.

Instead, let's understand what is happening.

If your child is making mistakes, we need to determine what kind of mistakes they are making.

If there are conceptual gaps, we fill them. If there are foundational gaps, we rebuild them. If the student understands the concepts but makes frequent execution mistakes, we work on accuracy, concentration and systematic problem-solving.

If examination pressure is affecting performance, we gradually expose the student to structured testing.

And throughout the process, we need to protect something that is extremely important: the child's confidence.

9. Pressure alone doesn't create better mathematicians

I strongly believe that continuously telling a child: “You need to get better marks.” doesn't automatically make the child better at mathematics.

Sometimes it does the opposite.

The student starts associating mathematics with pressure, fear, comparison, disappointment, and the feeling that they are not good enough.

Instead, I want students to understand what mathematics is actually doing.

I want them to see the connections. I want them to solve problems themselves. I want them to make mistakes and learn from them.

And yes, I want them to get good grades. But the grade should be the result of the learning process—not the entire purpose of it.

10. What I try to do in my first few sessions with a student

My approach can be summarised quite simply:

My biggest lesson after 10+ years

If I could tell every parent just one thing about mathematics, it would be this:

Don't ask only, “What marks did my child get?” Also ask, “Does my child understand why?”

Because mathematics isn't really about memorising hundreds of formulas or completing hundreds of questions.

It is about understanding relationships. It is about recognising patterns. It is about connecting ideas. It is about thinking logically.

And ultimately, it is about being able to take something you have learned and use it in a situation you haven't seen before.

That's the kind of mathematical thinking I try to develop in my students at ScorePlus Academy.

When a child says, “I can't do maths,” our first job should not be to convince them to work harder. Our first job should be to understand why they feel they can't do it.