Math sucks

When I was in elementary school I was really good at math. I was in the higher classes and loved to take the challenges. I was a dork.  I even had a special math packet. In middle school I had a wicked witch for a teacher in six grade and in eighth grade my math teacher told me I was stupid. In high school I took the general math classes. And by the time I got to college I hated math. I am a little embarrassed to say that I failed my first college math class. I want to place the blame on the teacher (I even got a tutor) but when a teacher looks at you and says "why are you still taking this class just drop it you will fail" you kind of get a little let down about what you can do. I recovered from that, took the class with a different teacher and got an A. So, it's not that I'm not capable but then again I took a math class with Anthony one summer. He didn't study, didn't do homework, and aced every test. I studied my butt off, did all my homework, and left the final in tears because I couldn't finish it. The professor gave me a C just on the basis that I think he felt sorry for me. I tell you all this so that you know my math background. I'm not a fan. And when my principal told me I'd be teaching fifth grade this year I told her if I have math questions I'm coming to you. Well that math is starting to creep up on me again. Last night I felt like I was in school all over again. I was in tears because I couldn't figure out fifth grade math. We are beginning a fraction unit today and I looked ahead at some of the material trying to understand it at a deeper level so that I can explain it well to the kids. The question that stumped me was what is 3/9 of a dollar. First of all why do you ever need to know what 3/9 of the dollar is? The answer is actually half of a cent. It's not like you'll be splitting something to the half of the cent. It's frustrating because I don't understand why you do what you do to solve the problem. It's not that I don't get the steps that I need to be able to explain it, it's the background behind it. At 29 years old math is still bugging me. And at 39 I'll probably be saying the same thing. I just don't remember being taught these things and if I was it wasn't to the depth that these kids are expected to know it now. So please, say a little prayer that I get through my math lessons for the next few weeks. And don't look alike a complete fool. 

Jimmy Buffett says it best:

If necessity is the mother of invention Then I'd like to kill the guy who invented this The numbers come together in some kind of 3rd dimension A regular algebraic bliss. Let's start with something simple Like one and one ain't three And two plus two will never get you five There's fractions in my subtraction And X don't equal Y But my homework is bound to multiply  Math sucks (math sucks) Math sucks (math sucks) I'd like to burn this textbook, I hate this stuff so much! Math sucks (math sucks) Math sucks (math sucks) Sometimes I think that I don't know that much--But math sucks!