why-i-couldn39t-be-a-math-teacher
Explanation
The Joke
The comic is titled "Why I Could Never Be a Math Teacher." A student raises her hand and asks the classic student complaint: "Teacher! Will we ever use any of this algebra?" The teacher responds with devastating honesty: "You won't, but one of the smart kids might."
The Humor
The humor comes from the teacher giving a brutally honest answer to one of the most common student complaints in math class. The standard reassuring teacher response would be something like "Yes, you will use algebra in many careers!" Instead, this teacher essentially tells the student that she personally will never use algebra because she is not one of the smart kids -- but the smart ones in the class actually will. It is funny because it contains a grain of uncomfortable truth (many people do go through life never using algebra again), but delivers it in the most tactless way possible, which is why the comic is framed as "why I could never be a math teacher" -- because giving this answer, however honest, would be career-ending.