MathDoc vs. MathDuck
“MATHDOC” is my license plate, a birthday gift from my kids actually. I like it because it captures what I do at work: diagnose and treat students plagued with math anxiety.
For the 3 years I’ve driven my Toyota Camry with the license plate, only my mechanic who changes my oil every 3000 miles asked me if I’m indeed a “Mathdoc”. “You bet”, I remember answering him proudly.
You can imagine my amusement when my husband told me, for the third time, in a week, that someone asked him if he teaches math. Each time he asked why and each time, they pointed at the “MATHDOC” license plate. A motorcyclist even pulled besides him at the stop light and asked him where he teaches math at.
My own amusement aside, you must admit that our society is pretty biased when it comes to women and science. We tell our girls “be all you can be” but when push comes to shove, we comfort girls struggling in math with “oh, who needs math anyway. That’s what accountants are for.” So, hold on tight moms. Hold on to your girls, keep them in chess, in math, in physics, in biology, in chemistry. Keep your daughter in those challenging fields, not to groom another madame Curie, but to give our daughters an equal footing on the playing field. Give them a chance to be “MATHDOC” not “MATHDUCK”?
“Well,” I told the young man who was toweling my car after a car wash “15% of my bill is what I usually tip. How much would that be for you?”
“I’m no good with percentages. Guess you’re a “mathdoc” after all.” Who said math is not cool!