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It's hard to find meaning at the time, though. How is a middle-schooling thinking about using algebra in their business?

I remember being funny and putting my hand up in Latin class and asking "Sir, why are we learning a dead language?"

Years later as a language nerd I wish I had paid a lot more attention.

That comes down to evolving interests too. Maybe the way to get to latin quicker was a bridge that wasn't present. Or you just didn't really appreciate languages until you had to have a particular set of experiences. We change too. So learning something which we don't like because we might like it some day doesn't really work (even if that's how school pretty much operates). Music is a great example. A lot of kids are pushed hard to do well in very structured music classes and they become fluent players but so many just fall out of love with it.

That sounds like meaning and motivation to me.

> Why should I care about algebra? Oh, it can help me in my business? OK, will learn!

Kid do not think that way. Heck, even adults oftentimes have hard time to think that way. But kids especially dont drive motivation from long term utility.