5 Lies About ‘Modern Math’ We Need to Stop Telling Teachers

By John Bruchhagen, Founder of Infinity – The Math Institute

Let’s be real.
Math hasn’t changed in 3,000 years.
So why does it feel like the way we teach it changes every 3 months?

As teachers, we’ve been fed a steady diet of “modern” ideas, “innovative” methods, and buzzword-laden lesson plans that somehow leave students more confused than ever.

It’s time we stop pretending the problem is math itself — and start calling out the real nonsense.

Here are five lies we need to stop telling teachers — today.

❌ Lie #1: We Don’t Need the Fundamentals Anymore

Ever heard of the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic? No? That’s probably because it’s not even in the Common Core.

We’ve literally removed the foundation of how numbers work — and then we wonder why kids are struggling. This isn’t optional. This is bedrock. Every student should learn the rules of divisibility, factorization, and number structure before we throw them into “algebraic thinking” without context.

❌ Lie #2: Calculators Make Paper-and-Pencil Obsolete

Wrong.

Calculators are tools. But if you don’t know what multiplication is, you can’t use one effectively. A calculator helps you do math faster — but only after you’ve learned how to think mathematically with a pencil in your hand and a brain that’s been exercised properly.

Desmos is amazing — for me.
But not for a 5th grader who’s never drawn a coordinate plane by hand.
You don’t start with tech. You earn the right to use it by mastering the manual work first.

❌ Lie #3: Making Math “Relatable” Helps Kids Learn

We’re wasting time designing culturally “relevant” math problems when what students really need is to understand how numbers work.

I’m all for connection and purpose. But you don’t teach multiplication better by putting it in a scenario about skateboards or social justice. You teach it better by teaching multiplication. Period.

When a kid understands math, they’ll see how it connects to the world — no need to force it.

❌ Lie #4: Group Work and Discovery Learning Should Replace Direct Teaching

Listen — I like group work. I believe in student discovery.
But those are tools, not philosophies.

You don’t build a house with just a screwdriver.
You use the right tool for the right job — when it makes sense.

Discovery learning is amazing when kids are ready for it. But if you never give them a structure, a definition, a model — you’re just throwing them out of the nest and hoping they fly. That’s not teaching. That’s gambling.

❌ Lie #5: Curriculum Should Be Written by People Who Don’t Teach

Here’s a hard truth:
Most textbooks look, feel, and read the same — confusing, corporate, and disconnected.

You know why so many teachers search for videos, worksheets, or side resources?
Because they can’t rely on the curriculum they’ve been handed.

If the people designing math instruction haven’t taught in the current climate, they’re missing the most important question of all:
Does this help kids absorb the material?

At Infinity – The Math Institute, that’s the only thing that matters. We built a curriculum by teachers for teachers — with clarity, tools, and structure at the core.

🧠 What Really Matters

I don’t care if you use group work, lectures, YouTube, or handwritten notes on graph paper.
I care whether your kids are learning.

Innovation isn’t the enemy.
Confusion is.

Want a math curriculum that cuts through the fluff and gets results?
That respects your time and your students’ brains?

Try it.
You’ll know the difference on Day 1.

🎯 Ready to Drop the Lies and Teach Like It Matters?

✅ Real scripts
✅ Real strategies
✅ Real results
✅ Built by teachers who actually teach

Visit TheMathInstitute.com and reclaim your classroom.