Math is a game, but unfortunately few teachers are gifted enough to stress that point. It doesn't necessarily have any relevance to life unless you choose to see it.
Good for you Caitrin to recognize that bad teaching is a problem. Read a book or take a class in the history of math. It's much more fun when you see it from that point of view. And read Lewis Carrol, his sense of humor sprang from his genius at Mathematics.