there were no computers in my teaching days. But where word problems were involved they were real applications. And sure some struggled, but they were the ones you spent more time with, one on one. In those days most kids wanted to learn.
That last is a very good point. From somewhere, but at least partially my parents, I acquired a deep curiosity and desire to learn. It sometimes got me into trouble, though. Say, I had 2 weeks to get a paper written in high school. I’d start researching, and then would spend the next 12 evenings reading up on every other subject the original Encyclopedia Britannica article I’d started with touched on, and then the “related to the related”, and so on. About 8 pm the night B4 the paper was due, I’d realize I’d darn well better get focused, and would likely end up pulling an all-nighter...