JLab140

Spencer Roach
Staff Writer

On any particular day, one can find Dave Buck (mathematics teacher) in his classroom assisting students both before and after school. Buck says that one of the main reasons why he chose to teach math for a living is because of the challenges that teaching gives him on a routine basis.

“[Teaching is] something that challenges me as an individual,” Buck said. “It turns me on to be able to convey information that’s going to help other people.”

Currently Buck is teaching two classes of AP Calculus and Algebra I each. Many people perceive math teachers to be naturals in the subject of math, but Buck insists that despite his love for math, the process of learning math was very difficult at times.

“[Math] never came really easy for me,” Buck said. “It’s challenging to understand it myself and convey it to other people.”

Some students complain that some math teachers cannot understand the struggles that average math students face. However, Buck believes that the struggles he needed to overcome when he learned math ultimately help him empathize with his students who struggle at times.

“Because [math] wasn’t easy for me, it helps me to be more understanding as a teacher,” Buck said.