Comments on: Of Teachers and Friends http://www.unsolicitedopinion.net/2006/07/06/of-teachers-and-friends/ on photography, journalism, apple, iphone and life Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:49:48 +0000 hourly 1 By: ongbu http://www.unsolicitedopinion.net/2006/07/06/of-teachers-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-79 ongbu Sat, 08 Jul 2006 18:18:16 +0000 http://www.artichoked.net/?p=54#comment-79 <p>eh, i heard weiming, the cathigh one, dabbling in mlm now too... he contacted me for nth, but backed off when i said i got a job already</p> eh, i heard weiming, the cathigh one, dabbling in mlm now too… he contacted me for nth, but backed off when i said i got a job already

]]> By: renahyi http://www.unsolicitedopinion.net/2006/07/06/of-teachers-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-78 renahyi Fri, 07 Jul 2006 14:36:37 +0000 http://www.artichoked.net/?p=54#comment-78 <p>I suppose i'm luckier in the teaching aspect when compared to you. However, i thought the problem lies more towards communication then the preferences for grades. If i were you, i certainly would not have prepared that much (though i didn't feel it was a bad thing at all. I'm actually proud of you). Instead, i would approach the first lesson as a examination of the student's standing and capabilities. I do not worry abouf filling out the entire 2hours and i doubt rational parents would want a solid content packed 2 hours session. It's simply not sustainable and absolutely not beneficial to the student.</p> <p>By feeling out the student's strengths and weaknesses, i could better tailor the next tution for the kid. In anycase that i face something similar to you, i would at least take the opportunity to clarify the "confusing" teaching part to the mother. "auntie, your daughter has very poor foundations in her sec 2 work and unless i polish up her basics, i don't think i can progress much into her sec 3 work. blah blah blah, for example i gave her three questions from the TYS used for O levels and yet she had problems handling them..." or something along those lines.</p> <p>I'm pretty blessed in this sense and thus far, i only have problems with student's attendance and commitment to their work. I don't think you're a bad teacher, well i did get the website up right? =) thanks for all your help thus far and do not give up because of this small set back!</p> I suppose i’m luckier in the teaching aspect when compared to you. However, i thought the problem lies more towards communication then the preferences for grades. If i were you, i certainly would not have prepared that much (though i didn’t feel it was a bad thing at all. I’m actually proud of you). Instead, i would approach the first lesson as a examination of the student’s standing and capabilities. I do not worry abouf filling out the entire 2hours and i doubt rational parents would want a solid content packed 2 hours session. It’s simply not sustainable and absolutely not beneficial to the student.

By feeling out the student’s strengths and weaknesses, i could better tailor the next tution for the kid. In anycase that i face something similar to you, i would at least take the opportunity to clarify the “confusing” teaching part to the mother. “auntie, your daughter has very poor foundations in her sec 2 work and unless i polish up her basics, i don’t think i can progress much into her sec 3 work. blah blah blah, for example i gave her three questions from the TYS used for O levels and yet she had problems handling them…” or something along those lines.

I’m pretty blessed in this sense and thus far, i only have problems with student’s attendance and commitment to their work. I don’t think you’re a bad teacher, well i did get the website up right? =) thanks for all your help thus far and do not give up because of this small set back!

]]> By: speechlez http://www.unsolicitedopinion.net/2006/07/06/of-teachers-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-77 speechlez Thu, 06 Jul 2006 05:38:30 +0000 http://www.artichoked.net/?p=54#comment-77 <p>Haha, so I guess for your case its kinda sad, coz the parent doesn't understand the importance of basics too and got influenced by the child too easily. Tuition teacher unable to help child produce better results, is it the teacher's fault or the student's ignorance?</p> <p>Part II: Welcome to the world of MLM... Sianz, hate these things. I got a friend call me up and suddenly ask me about the same things. Arranged to meet raffles place too. Kept saying its a good way to earn money without doing anything. MLM immediately came into my mind. Urgh. Rejected him a few times b4 he stopped bugging me.. Met another of my friend on the train, he was happily into MLM, wearing a suit and saying that he's earning stable now from it. Says that the head of the organisation is damn smart and he's proud to be in it. Money you may get, but a satisfaction and clear conscience in life? Maybe not.. Damn them. lol.</p> Haha, so I guess for your case its kinda sad, coz the parent doesn’t understand the importance of basics too and got influenced by the child too easily. Tuition teacher unable to help child produce better results, is it the teacher’s fault or the student’s ignorance?

Part II: Welcome to the world of MLM… Sianz, hate these things. I got a friend call me up and suddenly ask me about the same things. Arranged to meet raffles place too. Kept saying its a good way to earn money without doing anything. MLM immediately came into my mind. Urgh. Rejected him a few times b4 he stopped bugging me.. Met another of my friend on the train, he was happily into MLM, wearing a suit and saying that he’s earning stable now from it. Says that the head of the organisation is damn smart and he’s proud to be in it. Money you may get, but a satisfaction and clear conscience in life? Maybe not.. Damn them. lol.

]]> By: speechlez http://www.unsolicitedopinion.net/2006/07/06/of-teachers-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-76 speechlez Thu, 06 Jul 2006 05:33:58 +0000 http://www.artichoked.net/?p=54#comment-76 <p>So as an educator, you are now faced with a dilemma. Do you want to just teach the typical, "expected" kind of standard questions just to hopefully let the student pass, or do you want the person to fully understand the entire concept, to grasp the basics, such that given any type of question that comes out (especially the non-standard, application type qtn), they are able to deliberate, think through and come up with a soln? I guess unfortunately it lies alot in the attitude of the student, the desire to learn and to truly be educated. Certain people just don't really care, they don't see the importance of it and probably never will till they grow older. So for them, you can try to change their mindset, but as a tuition teacher whom they can just sack if they're unhappy, I guess the better option is just to help them "pass". That's probably the lesser evil. Its disappointing, but that's life I guess...</p> So as an educator, you are now faced with a dilemma. Do you want to just teach the typical, “expected” kind of standard questions just to hopefully let the student pass, or do you want the person to fully understand the entire concept, to grasp the basics, such that given any type of question that comes out (especially the non-standard, application type qtn), they are able to deliberate, think through and come up with a soln? I guess unfortunately it lies alot in the attitude of the student, the desire to learn and to truly be educated. Certain people just don’t really care, they don’t see the importance of it and probably never will till they grow older. So for them, you can try to change their mindset, but as a tuition teacher whom they can just sack if they’re unhappy, I guess the better option is just to help them “pass”. That’s probably the lesser evil. Its disappointing, but that’s life I guess…

]]> By: speechlez http://www.unsolicitedopinion.net/2006/07/06/of-teachers-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-75 speechlez Thu, 06 Jul 2006 05:29:19 +0000 http://www.artichoked.net/?p=54#comment-75 <p>Part 1: Unfortunately, that's the sad reality of teaching.. The definition of a good teacher varies and often, its the teachers who drill the basics and make sure you understand the concepts that are really "good" in that they benefit your studies. But the education system does not allow for such luxury. The syllabus is rigorous and the timetables are packed so much so that its really touch-and-go during lessons. Theoratically, you are "taught" once, given one chance to "clarify" during assignments and tested during "tests" and finally its the exams. Most people miss out on the first 2 and flunk the tests coz they didn't even complete the first two steps, what more to do well in exams? Then they hire tuition teachers thinking that it'll create a miracle in the last strech. Yet when they hire you, they don't understand the value of what you're trying to teach them, to them its just, I want to pass my exams and move on.</p> Part 1: Unfortunately, that’s the sad reality of teaching.. The definition of a good teacher varies and often, its the teachers who drill the basics and make sure you understand the concepts that are really “good” in that they benefit your studies. But the education system does not allow for such luxury. The syllabus is rigorous and the timetables are packed so much so that its really touch-and-go during lessons. Theoratically, you are “taught” once, given one chance to “clarify” during assignments and tested during “tests” and finally its the exams. Most people miss out on the first 2 and flunk the tests coz they didn’t even complete the first two steps, what more to do well in exams? Then they hire tuition teachers thinking that it’ll create a miracle in the last strech. Yet when they hire you, they don’t understand the value of what you’re trying to teach them, to them its just, I want to pass my exams and move on.

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