Teach Less, Learn More
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Chenonceau:
It's called Shifting the Burden to Parents and Textbooks Document Less, Exams Demand More.
It isn't the fault of the HODs or the teachers. They're very stressed.We need to look beyond the individuals from MOE we interact with and address the system issues. It's the design of the whole teaching support structure that needs to be reviewed.
Yes, teachers are indeed very stressed...many of them are seeing psychiatrists. MOE definitely needs to review the teaching structure. The burden of passing and doing well in exams has shifted to parents...or else the tutors/enrichment centres if parents can't coach.
(1) The textbooks are far simpler than what the exams require.
Questions found in Science CA/SA questions are never seen/taught but yet students have to know how to answer them.
(2) The exams test skills (math thinking skills, science thinking skills, high level language manipulation skills - oral, compo). Hence students must DO to learn. Yet, teachers talk a lot in class. Teaching methods have not evolved to be compatible with the syllabus' new emphasis on skills. Teacher talk too much. Kids don't practise enough.
Result, they need tutors to mark extra practice compos etc... math practices etc...
Compo writing is a skill. Teachers talk a lot, but they don't know how to teach students to write...and yet parents don't know how to coach.
(3) You can't do skills practice in big classes of 30. To do proper skills practice, you need 15 maximum. Class sizes have not evolved to be compatible with the syllabus' new emphasis on skills.
Teachers need to work within the teaching support structure.
Parents need now to pick up the slack. -
janet_lee88:
Yup! Agree!!Chenonceau:
It's called Shifting the Burden to Parents and Textbooks Document Less, Exams Demand More.
It isn't the fault of the HODs or the teachers. They're very stressed.We need to look beyond the individuals from MOE we interact with and address the system issues. It's the design of the whole teaching support structure that needs to be reviewed.
Yes, teachers are indeed very stressed...many of them are seeing psychiatrists. MOE definitely needs to review the teaching structure. The burden of passing and doing well in exams has shifted to parents...or else the tutors/enrichment centres if parents can't coach.
(1) The textbooks are far simpler than what the exams require.
Questions found in Science CA/SA questions are never seen/taught but yet students have to know how to answer them.
(2) The exams test skills (math thinking skills, science thinking skills, high level language manipulation skills - oral, compo). Hence students must DO to learn. Yet, teachers talk a lot in class. Teaching methods have not evolved to be compatible with the syllabus' new emphasis on skills. Teacher talk too much. Kids don't practise enough.
Result, they need tutors to mark extra practice compos etc... math practices etc...
Compo writing is a skill. Teachers talk a lot, but they don't know how to teach students to write...and yet parents don't know how to coach.
(3) You can't do skills practice in big classes of 30. To do proper skills practice, you need 15 maximum. Class sizes have not evolved to be compatible with the syllabus' new emphasis on skills.
Teachers need to work within the teaching support structure.
Parents need now to pick up the slack. -
It's just the same thing as bite-size assessments instead of exams in lower pri. I had a shock when DS' chinese teacher had \"bitten\" 7 chapters (including 4 that had been tested in term 1) for a test this week & 10 chapters (including the earlier 7) for a test 4 weeks later. What's the diff between that & SA1? On top of that, still hv to prepare for show & tell & read aloud etc.
Mouths r really HUGE these days. :roll: -
Teach less, learn more? Total Craps.
End up, students go to enrichment centers, tuition,Projects done by parents etc. If parents dun do assignments, then will the effort of the students be awarded?? -
janet_lee88:
I second that. I asked dd how her English teacher teach creative writing in school. She said teacher gave them a few phrases, asked them to think of more phrases themselves. That's IT :roll:Compo writing is a skill. Teachers talk a lot, but they don't know how to teach students to write...and yet parents don't know how to coach.
So now, tearing my hair out trying to coach my dd to write at home.
Her compo results kept deteriorating - from 18/20 beginning of this year to 14/20 now
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sleepy:
Hey, that is exactly what is happening in my son's class. Teacher gave them a picture, some phrases, make a draft. That's about it.
I second that. I asked dd how her English teacher teach creative writing in school. She said teacher gave them a few phrases, asked them to think of more phrases themselves. That's IT :roll:janet_lee88:
Compo writing is a skill. Teachers talk a lot, but they don't know how to teach students to write...and yet parents don't know how to coach.
So now, tearing my hair out trying to coach my dd to write at home.
I literally pulled my hair out helping my son with a compo last week...title given was 'Grandma saved the day'...no helping words, scenario or plot given. -
smurf:
I have to send my son for creative writing class bcos his teacher doesn't teach them to write. Enrichment centres enjoy good biz bcos of the poor teaching system in schools.Teach less, learn more? Total Craps.
End up, students go to enrichment centers, tuition,Projects done by parents etc. If parents dun do assignments, then will the effort of the students be awarded??
When I first saw 'teach less, learn more'...I felt that something was just not right. -
Sleepy, Smurf and Janet… I so agree with all of you. I am so glad some people understand my misery.
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Actually, to teach such mental SKILLS. Small group coaching is essential. Given the syllabus, you need a lecture tutorial system where big groups are exposed to a short theory talk through and then tutors take over for skills practice.
That is what is happening now when parents coach kids after school or engage tutors to do so. School does the lecture. Parents and tutors do the skills practice after school. If that is so, they should shorten school hours so we have more time for practice. To go to school to listen to 6 hours of lecture makes no sense. -
Chenonceau:
:goodpost:Actually, to teach such mental SKILLS. Small group coaching is essential. Given the syllabus, you need a lecture tutorial system where big groups are exposed to a short theory talk through and then tutors take over for skills practice.
That is what is happening now when parents coach kids after school or engage tutors to do so. School does the lecture. Parents and tutors do the skills practice after school. If that is so, they should shorten school hours so we have more time for practice. To go to school to listen to 6 hours of lecture makes no sense.
My DD is in P1 & oredi can feel the stress. Can't imagine her without those enrichment classes. Her sch stream them into diff MT class on the 2nd week of sch. :shock:
Sad to hear some kids who din noe HYPY was banded in 1 class. Imagine the emotions of a kiddo who juz started formal education.
Guess these r the less privileged kids. Not b'cos they r not smart but juz no outside enrichment.
I can't agree wif our current MOE's \"teach less to learn more\" way. Juz dun c a light at the end of the tunnel.
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