In elementary school, my mind wandered so much during class that I sometimes didn't respond when I was called on, and I resisted using the rote techniques we were taught to use to solve problems. One of my teachers told my mother that I was "slow" and should repeat a grade.
But my problem wasn't with math itself. In fact, I spent countless hours as a child doing logic and math puzzles on my own, and as a teenager, when a topic seemed particularly interesting, I would go to the library and read more about it.
COMMENT
A recurring theme in library stories describes self-directed research that enables someone to find their passion or discover an identity. This library exploration is notable for being independent of formal teaching, and in a few instances, specifically described as a reaction to active discouragement. [1] Most teachers do try to encourage self-directed learning, by assigning research papers and such, but the structure of classroom teaching based on a core curriculum means students are always studying for a test.
These stories suggest that the library is essential to education not because it supports classroom learning but specifically because the knowledge to be found in library materials it is not limited by classroom learning. One kind of coming-of-age happens when a child gets their first library card and can read whatever they want to; another coming-of-age happens when students realize that they are not limited by the authority-figure of a teacher. In that sense, academic libraries have a neglected role in facilitating the transition from student to expert. Colleges and universities award degrees based on a set of classes, but going to class is not actually the goal of higher education. The goal is for students to move beyond the need for professors. The pretense is that the transition happens by writing a dissertation or thesis. In reality, the transition often happens at the library, even though nobody awards grades or credit for the achievement.
This writer went on to get a PhD in mathematics despite poor teaching. It's not clear whether or not better math coaching would have resulted in better self-directed research, but it is clear that having access to a library compensated for the limitations of the classroom.
[1] See Well Read, Well Known; How to Tap Your Inner Reader; Between the World and Me
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