Well first of all, fuck you smartass.

But also yes, you're right

I wouldn't even try to defend OP, but I once heard someone say that if you have more than four apples, then it is also definitely true that you have four apples.

As a teacher, this type of response is a great jumping off point for the discussion of curriculum vs truth, what is the extent of reality vs what is going to be on the assignment / exam etc.

It's also a great way to stick it to the know-it-all who is trying to undermine my credibility, and has the added bonus of perking up the rest of the class.

Explains plasma instead

You just need more spicy food to make it 4.

There is a point in everyone's education where they realize that their teachers are actually just adults, who are just old children, that went to school a couple years longer than you.

Mad respect to teachers though. I specifically remember my computer science teacher to be the coolest and most knowledgeable guy ever.

plasma is a kind of rifle not a state of matter, go play fallout DUH

My 6th grade science teacher tried to explain that Chernobyl was foretold in the book of revelations.

This was a US public school. In the 90s. In a blue state.

Middle school teachers in Texas only require a generalist certification, a Bachelor's Degree, and completion of a teacher training program to teach core subjects. That cert (which also exists for elementary school teachers) requires only a basic understanding of each core subject area. There are certifications specific to each core subject (I have Math 4th-8th, also Math 8th-12th, along with a Master's in math), but there is no guarantee you're going to get a teacher certified in their field. As such, you get teachers who don't understand their subjects at a very deep level or how what they teach connects vertically to their student's prior education in that subject and what they'll learn in future grades.

It is a big reason why students to come to my high school classes hating math, I think, because it was confusing to them being taught by teachers who only had a moderate understanding themselves and probably taught them lots of memorization tricks and mnemonic devices instead of helping them understand their origins and why they work.

Not really no. It's a meme. Although, now that you mention it …

“This is a triangle. It has three sides and three vertices.” [proceeds to give a collegiate trig course to the dismay of kindergarten students]

I pretty distinctly remember being introduced to square roots at the same or nearly the same time as complex numbers. Obviously we didn't do the whole Complex Numbers Extended Cinematic Universe, but I think my class did learn to solve quadratics with complex roots in middle school.

I mean I did go to Catholic middle school, but I don't think the math education was that weird.

Preferably you want to note it's existence on the way past. But leave it there.

It's one of the maths areas that is complex enough to wow them, while still simple enough for some to research on their own.

You could also wait for the first smart Alec to ask about negative square roots, blow their brain with a quick simplified answer, and move on.

Bonus, it only travels through a straight line through curved space, so to an outside observer the light did curve.