Teach Less, Learn More

[JRLam]

janet_lee88:

IJJ:

Janet, you are not alone. Mine comes back with Maths homework almost everyday and some days, more than 2 sets of maths worksheets. Plus other subject homeworks...really hard to slot in anything.


When kids are too tired (they start school so early), their productivity and concentration are naturally low. I empathise with these poor kids.. Just weeks ago, one day mine came back to share with me that her recessmates were full of grievances on having tuitions almost daily. She said even w/o any extra classes (she only has her mom constantly on her back), she already find it hard to breathe and enjoy life on weekdays. :roll:

Maths alone, even if just 2-3 pages can take up 2 hours esp when he is so tired after school...no productivity. So I get him to sleep first...but prob is he refuses to get up after 1 hour.

I plan work for him everyday but they are secondary to his school hw...will just reduce to what is more impt...instead of whole Eng practice, I'll cut down to OE comprehension. Pumping him with too much work will not be effective.

We all are 'sama-sama' ... On the day when he is so Lucky NOT to have Maths hw, then he will have EL or CL compo as HW .. :stupid:

[janet88]

cantbearit2:

janet_lee88:

Hi cantbearit2,

I wonder how long this affiliation thing will stay...sure hope and pray hard the COP won't go to a level as good as not having any...then I will cry

This school is not supposed to be very academic but teachers are pretty ON. I can't rest on my laurels even though I thought I could.

Ya, I Thot yur DD sch is pretty on cos their latest PSLE results was v impressive. Guess more stress on parents Wen sch is on. But on e gd side, some kids thrive wif a little pressure

Last year's PSLE results were impressive and school received a good progress award. My daughter's form teacher is very dedicated and even more caring and patient than any of my son's teachers...really hope her form teacher can continue for few more years

[Chenonceau]

cantbearit2:

Chenonceau:

[quote=\"janet_lee88\"]
My son struggled in P1 for the first term, managed to float quite ok.
In P2, he excelled at the end. We were very surprised but naturally happy for him.

My son was somewhere in bottom of class in P1, even at end of year. He got wise in P2, learnt what he should and should not do. Did well enough in P2. Then P3 drop, but not as bad as P5. Never FAIL before especially after being such a good boy . I looked at his face staring at the mark and I swear I felt physical pain in my chest. :heartbroken:

Dun b so hard on yourself chenonceau. U have not been warn tats all. Fr all yur previous posts, i can tell u R oredi doing all tat u can to mitigate e shock 4 both yur ds & yourself. We r all tryg our best 2b e best parent we can b. Wats best to some may not be so for others. Like wat I always told my DD as long as u have tried yur best, tats gd enough for mommy. Mommy will try her best to help u tackle e flawed sys [/quote]

[Chenonceau]

Buds, I think you expressed what I felt in my heart. The methodology is robust but not all Teachers can carry it off… And not all Principals support it wholeheartedly yet. I also think you were most convincing because you actually did experience it in a primary school. My own experience of Teach Less Learn More has been with adult learners.


What you shared gave me renewed faith in the MOE, and I do hope it is just a matter of waiting for the kinks to be ironed out. By then too, my kids would have grown up. But it may benefit the grandchildren. Meanwhile, I’ll just work a bit harder to help my son manage.

[cantbearit2]

Chenonceau:

cantbearit2, you have PM.

Hee....u r so resourceful hor...even noe whr to look for me.... I have replied u.

[cantbearit2]

janet_lee88:

Hi cantbearit2,

I wonder how long this affiliation thing will stay...sure hope and pray hard the COP won't go to a level as good as not having any...then I will cry

This school is not supposed to be very academic but teachers are pretty ON. I can't rest on my laurels even though I thought I could.

I was actually hoping DD can get into an affiliated sch but we have no connections watsoever lor.... IJ TP was 1 consideration but dun stand a chance cos dun live within 2 km lor.

Dun worry for now. Tink it shld b alrite. PLMGS is oso trying to impose a COP 4 their affiliated Pri sch students. But fr wat i noe, it's pretty reasonable wif affiliation (ard 200 i tink).

If yur DD is gd in arts or music, prob can still use it to go into IJ TP's music or art elective prog.

[cantbearit2]

buds:

http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/skype-emoticons.html Errr... hello? Issit safe for buds to come out and play now?


Whatever it is, i surrender first hor.. http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/skype-emoticons.html

I was spoilt for choice on where to mark my 9000th post but since now
the coast here a bit clear, i ehekhemm.. decided that after weighing the
pros and cons... http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/facebook-smileys.html, i will mark it in this post with an extensive sharing, so pleeeze bear with me. :oops:

Honestly, i thought discussing General Election issues were already heated
enough, but phew... it was kinda hot in here when it started so i kinda errr..
chickened out for awhile... well, knowing the low profile me... ... and
will now get my chicken in. :lol: I'm on the fence with this never-ending issue
with our ministry proposed style of teaching... http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/skype-emoticons.html but am going to offer some of my personal sharings
based on how our education system fared for my children & I since its implementation... with my not so powderful England.

TEACH LESS, LEARN MORE

\"TLLM would mean less dependence on rote learning, repetitive tests
and a ‘one size fits all’ type of instruction, and more on experiential
discovery, engaged learning, differentiated teaching, the learning of life-
long skills, and the building of character through innovative and effective
teaching approaches and strategies.\"

The above is taken from the official website marking the http://www.moe.gov.sg/about/yearbooks/2005/teach.html.

For as long as i could remember, parents here have been complaining of
the many assessments and tests and more tests on top the rote styled
learning of yesteryears.. Hence upon the many feedbacks and research
done by MOE, it finally chop to endorse the Teach Less, Learn More method
in schools. When it was first piloted however, not all schools started this
method at the same time... good in a way cause the method can be refined
further as it went along. As with any new programmes, new teachers, new
baby (etc)... it takes time for the new idea to sink in with the children, their
parents (us) and definitely even with the teaching personnel. It's akin to an
instance where the Teach Less part was married off with the Learn More.
As with any marriage, again, it takes time to reach the stage where things
hit off & slowly move into auto pilot mode. The method was cynically viewed
as we all know how teaching in schools have always been rote learning =
sit-down-face-whiteboard-listen-to-teacher kinda learning... so how in the
world would a teacher even begin to fathom the idea of teaching less of the
required curriculum within the same time frame?

Teaching Less

As per what the website indicated... Teach Less, Learn More is about teaching
better, to engage our learners and prepare them for life, rather than teaching more,
for tests and examinations.

Now, how do teachers go around teaching less to begin with and yet complete
the curriculum proper? How to ensure there's quality teaching as opposed to the
then quantity teaching which equates to long draggy periods of lecture mode?
The answer is, the teachers themselves gotta learn more... for
that is the only way to approach the method imposed on them as
constructive as possible.

In view of this change, teachers supposedly go for training to facilitate this
new idea of teaching the syllabus. I like to add that i see this idea pumped
more into the lower primary in the beginning.. Teaching less to engage our
new learners at P1/P2 levels does offer a holistic dimension that aimed to
benefit children of all the different types of learning abilities, pre-taught
knowledge, family backgrounds (etc). The modes of assessment go beyond
pen and paper based exams, which in reality bodes well for majority of the
average learners within our communities who can afford only basic
kindergarten education, which at this juncture is still not compulsory but...
definitely highly encouraged.

What's different for learners at this stage? My DD2 came into this method
the moment she entered her little feet to formal primary education and i
for one tried to look at this new idea positively & was drawn into this new
idea with teachers who must've ploughed thru' sleepless nites preparing
their lessons... for teaching less only means they have waaaayy more to
prepare to ensure that the young learners are indeed engaged.

The teachers in the school (neighbourhood sch by the way)... :love: lovingly
prepared a whole semester of events and activities for the children and
guess what...? Also for the parents! Yes, you didn't hear me or rather
read me wrongly... parents are given more opportunities to learn together
with our children on the different areas of learning and assessments and
were advised on the rubrics at the beginning of the first term. Parents were
given more opportunities to work hand in hand with the children, the school
and the teachers with alternative teaching modes. Children got to work in
groups, in pairs and also individually which in a nutshell allowed children
to work on leadership skills, interaction skills, public speaking skills and
also skills that enable them to think out of the box... which many parents
have emphasized our local children lack due to the then labeled as the
stifling-textbook-manner of teaching children. Cookie cutter mode some
said. This opening up to parents was definitely a new thing for us and a
big hit with most parents as schools are usually seen as a closed-door
instituition. With Teach Less parents also get to learn more about what's
being carried out in our children's classes & how they are being assessed.

Show & Tell... Project Work... Charity Work... Exhibitions... IT Learning...
Field Trips/Learning Journeys... Class Presentations... Stage Performances..
The above were a few of the new ideas my child and i have enjoyed with
this Teach Less method in place. Did it meet our expectations? In our
opinion, YES! My child loved school... looked forward going to school and
absorbed all the fun ideas without so much as having to study for testing..
but study to really learn... and not just classroom textbook based lessons
but also out of classroom experiences that they truly enjoyed. Children got
to work in the garden for early science exposure, went to the Science Ctr
for follow-up and submitted a group project for class presentation and
finally showcased their ideas with a mini exhibition. Yes... my little girl
actually did all that. And learnt so much from the experiences... This
would not have been possible if the education system kept to its old
school whiteboard-based learning where the teachers are always rushing
to finish the curriculum and pile children with endless homeworks that they
in turn have to mark, which adds to their list of to-dos as well.

For Language, children got to visit the library more often as classes take
turns to sit down and watch drama skits... participate in drama classes...
listen to story-tellers... exposed to more books and yes get opportunities
to tell about the books they read (the teachers introduce books appropriate
for their level) and also get to rate how interesting the books are based on
their genre of interest. Funny books and retold stories got the most thumbs
up, so i've heard. Parents enjoyed Reading Night where all of us
came with our books and picnic mats and snacks... crowded the school
hall to listen to engaging story-tellers from the National Library... be
awestruck by children performances and choral reading based on the
Stellar books covered for the term... a lotta work i tell you, but... our
children learn. Grammar contents were covered by the given Stellar
worksheets and more from teacher-prepared materials that encompassed
the specific grammar rules that was to be covered in the curriculum plan
handed out to parents during the first term.

Children were assessed based on classroom participation, how they behave,
how they helped peers and teachers alike, how they understood what was
delivered in and outside of the classroom, topical papers based on monthly
theme/book (etc... etc...) too many to name but in short everyone gets to
shine and excel in the attributes-variant where it isn't just paper based..
But yes... Teachers are still expected to cover the curriculum proper ie.
textbooks & activity/workbooks on top of all those fun activities.

Gotta end this sharing here for now for i gotta fetch my DD1 from supp
class which is another fun extra the sch is providing... will share more
if my sharings can provide the different perspective to what TLLM has
to offer.

To end this sharing, my girls and i evaluated the method... and the end
result? Did they really learn more?

.
.
.
.
.

Happy to note, i got a resounding YESSSS!

PS : As with any human-reliant industry... it is with profound knowledge
that we all know \"the teacher\" plays a huuuuge part in ensuring this
TLLM method to be a successful one. While there are still way too
many teachers who do indeed go bo-chap on us and the children
(yes, i have experience and can really shame the teacher if i
really want to.. :x) it's only fair that we give due credit to the
ones who truly truly truly and relentlessly make it work... and
in my case... it worked big time! :celebrate:

:goodpost: u have captured the essence of the teach less, learn more concept. Unfortunately in tis human dependent industry, not all teachers (in fact, given the no. of warnings i got fr my frenz, rarely heard of teachers who can) R able to deliver it like your DD's.

(if you say your England not powderful, u may juz instill fear in parents like me leh wif geniune Singlish lor.....U inspire so many parents in KSP here leh)

BTW, :congrats: buds on your promotion !!!! :lol:

[cantbearit2]

tamarind:

buds,
That school is definitely not just any neighbourhood school, it is a \"premium\" neighbourhood school. Most neighbourhood schools do not have any top 10 PSLE scorers.

My kids' neighbourhood school only produced 1 top 10 PSLE scorer in 10 years. It is the top choice in my area, because none of the other primary schools have produced any top scorer in their entire history.

My kids' school do have some activities that you mentioned. However, recently I heard one parent complaining that her girl was made to do Grammar workbook from page 20+ to 90+ in one day Quite sad. My girl also encountered teachers who made the whole class write the exact same set of words for a few days just before SA1. I think it really depends on the teacher.

Whatever methodology it is that MOE is trying to implement, if they don't have proper control over how teachers teach, it is still quite useless.

haha....tis thread has attracted 2 heavyweights. 1st there was Buds, then now come Tamarind. Hee.... :lol:

Thks ladies, for inspiring me wif presch teachings. :thankyou:

Back to our topic. My DD is still having her honeymoon period. I juz hope wif all tis info, we can better prepare her.

[buds]

tamarind:

[quote] Neighbourhood schools have been the underdog performers of late and my girls' old school produced top ten psle scorers a coupla times too.

buds,
That school is definitely not just any neighbourhood school, it is a \"premium\" neighbourhood school. Most neighbourhood schools do not have any top 10 PSLE scorers. [/quote]Premium? Hehee.. because near condo issit? :lol:

No, seriously. The existence of top psle scorers in neighbourhood schools
require the encouragement and observation of the school's teaching staff...
to develop the children's best potentials and also push the children to
excellence...
to the Principal herself on how she supports his or her teaching pool with either
resources or advice plus motivation... to the support the children are getting
from home on top of the kind of environment the child him or herself sets for
study days/times.. Some may or may not have outsourced some help but essentially
the child is motivated by the factors that surrounds the study concept for herself
and no one else. They have it in themselves the need (and of course also
the \"want\") to do well. :love:

My deepest admiration and personal kudos to these children.. http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/facebook-smileys.html. They work really super-dee hard to achieve stellar results..

I'm still fine-tuning the positive environment for my girls to motivate themselves
to learn... hee... :oops:... and i'm also learning lotsa tips from you guys here to
further develop what they already have in them. :hugs:

tamarind:

[My kids' school do have some activities that you mentioned. However, recently I heard one parent complaining that her girl was made to do Grammar workbook from page 20+ to 90+ in one day Quite sad. My girl also encountered teachers who made the whole class write the exact same set of words for a few days just before SA1. I think it really depends on the teacher.

There will be cases of unfortunate incidences whether or not the teacher is
the bo-chap kind or perhaps under a lotta pressure him/herself to complete
the tasks before exams.. could also be a matter of time management for
them or a case of struggling with classroom management where more :rant:
is done than more learning..

Effective communication can reduce this. I've had personal experiences with
this. Teachers may think that children (ooh.. and parents too of course) are
coping fine with the workload they give. Provide constructive feedback and
allow them to understand where you are coming from and perhaps reach a
compromise to ensure a two-way success story. It is possible.. unless of cos
the teacher isn't literally interested in her job to begin with. I have zero
tolerance for such teachers and will not count on them to nurture my girls
when they need nurturing or rather :spank: to wake up their idea! :x In
this really way off bo-pian case then seriously gotta kao zi ji.

tamarind:

[Whatever methodology it is that MOE is trying to implement, if they don't have proper control over how teachers teach, it is still quite useless.

Very true, tam. That's why it is a success story for us. MOE implements.
Teachers get training for new implementation and Principal offers umbrella
radar to motivate her teachers along... anytime they may require assistance.
I shook the hands of the Principal on my last visit there and told her earnestly
i was sooo super sad and reluctant to leave her school for she in my opinion
had successfully geared her team of teachers to teach from the heart and it was
only possible cause she was there every step of the way for her teachers and
all her students. In my eyes, she has nurtured a neighbourhood school to become
like a banded school. She just humbly smiled and said it can't happen if she
doesn't have supportive parents to support her mission.

She isn't the stay in office kind of Principal. 1st day we all met her, she said...
\"If you have something to say, please don't go shoot letter to MOE straight
away for the smallest issues. I'm always here to listen and let's work together.
My office is always open for you, you're welcome to come chat if i'm available.
If we can't meet in person, this is my number... please call me... and i have
this issue with parents thinking a call from school is usually cham already,
sure my child got problem... well, don't be surprised if my teachers call you
just to share how happy they are with your child's work...

Yes, my teachers don't call up parents only to bear bad news but i encourage
my teachers to call you even when there's no news.. perhaps just to catch
up and also to share how your child has progressed and how we can have
a better parent-teacher partnership... for without you, the parents working
hand in hand with my teachers and i, we cannot capitalize on the strengths
of our children and fully boost their potentials.\"

Lastly to the effect, she added...\"Even if you do call MOE, MOE will still call to inform
us that you went to them to complain right... so if you need to complain, please
do come complain to me first and i will personally see to it what i can do... and
if you think after that i still did not manage to address your concerns and you go
MOE, i will not hold it against you. But here i am just sharing that we can work
the kinks out amongst ourselves first instead of making everything a big hooha.\"

After that speech, you can see parents looking down storing her number as she
repeated it.

The best Principal i've met to date. Hands down. :udawoman:

[cimman]

buds:

I'm still fine-tuning the positive environment for my girls to motivate themselves
to learn... hee... :oops:... and i'm also learning lotsa tips from you guys here to
further develop what they already have in them. :hugs:

could you share some of the techniques in creating a positive environment for the child to be self motivated ?