Small fish in big pond or big fish in small pond?

[jtoh]

jedamum:

sleepy:

Don't have streaming in dd's school. Students are randomly allocated to each class. No advanced class for any subject or advanced students. Same set of worksheets regardless of abilities.
So you see some extremely bored students & some struggling to catch up students, all in the same class

sleepy,
my ds told me that the top student in his class at times does his school homework, home assessment book (P6 std :yikes:) or past year papers during classtime (he is seated at the back and no way the teacher should stop him since he shows no dip in performance). i think the parent and the kid must be eagerly waiting for the GEP outcome.

P6 standard! :yikes:

[jtoh]

sleepy:

jtoh:

This article in the Straits Times today gives food for thought to parents who think being in the top school is best for their children.


---
ST 26.1.11

Parents need also have no fear that their children will be under-challenged in a neighbourhood school. Most schools have advanced classes for pupils strong in a particular subject.

Don't have streaming in dd's school. Students are randomly allocated to each class. No advanced class for any subject or advanced students. Same set of worksheets regardless of abilities.
So you see some extremely bored students & some struggling to catch up students, all in the same class

Is this for lower primary? I thought most schools will start to group higher ability students together from upper primary.

[sleepy]

jtoh:

Is this for lower primary? I thought most schools will start to group higher ability students together from upper primary.

According to principal, the 'bored' ones can wait for GEP screening, going to transfer out anyway. Those who didn't qualify for GEP stay back but streaming by subject banding will only be in P5.

[jedamum]

jtoh:

jedamum:

[quote=\"sleepy\"]
Don't have streaming in dd's school. Students are randomly allocated to each class. No advanced class for any subject or advanced students. Same set of worksheets regardless of abilities.
So you see some extremely bored students & some struggling to catch up students, all in the same class

sleepy,
my ds told me that the top student in his class at times does his school homework, home assessment book (P6 std :yikes:) or past year papers during classtime (he is seated at the back and no way the teacher should stop him since he shows no dip in performance). i think the parent and the kid must be eagerly waiting for the GEP outcome.

P6 standard! :yikes:[/quote]for english assessment book. i also :shock: when i heard that.
ok...to add, this small fish big fish thing. we don't have to think too much la. alot of factors in play. take for instance this very bright classmate (the one doing P6 standard english). if i am in his shoes, i may be under tremendous stress to perform well because everyone in class is expecting so. not that he can't but sometimes, examination situation and frame of mind when sitting the paper plays an outcome in the results.
not the biggest, but being a slightly smaller fish (not the smallest though) in a big pond may be a more suitable environment for him to thrive.

[sleepy]

jedamum:

sleepy,

my ds told me that the top student in his class at times does his school homework, home assessment book (P6 std :yikes:) or past year papers during classtime (he is seated at the back and no way the teacher should stop him since he shows no dip in performance). i think the parent and the kid must be eagerly waiting for the GEP outcome.

dd's teachers do not allow students to do 'other' stuff during lesson time le. Must pay attention. If read storybooks during lesson time, books get confiscated.

Gosh, don't know what would happen to students who bring higher level work to class? Teachers probably see that as an insult? :lightrod:

[jedamum]

sleepy:

jedamum:

sleepy,

my ds told me that the top student in his class at times does his school homework, home assessment book (P6 std :yikes:) or past year papers during classtime (he is seated at the back and no way the teacher should stop him since he shows no dip in performance). i think the parent and the kid must be eagerly waiting for the GEP outcome.

dd's teachers do not allow students to do 'other' stuff during lesson time le. Must pay attention. If read storybooks during lesson time, books get confiscated.

Gosh, don't know what would happen to students who bring higher level work to class? Teachers probably see that as an insult? :lightrod: :evil:

hm...maybe reading story books cannot because it may show a sign of boredom. but doing assessment books in class is also a form of learning, no? :evil: afterall, not many students want to do assessment books during 'free time'.

[sleepy]

jedamum:

not the biggest, but being a slightly smaller fish (not the smallest though) in a big pond may be a more suitable environment for him to thrive.

I agreed !

[jtoh]

jedamum:

sleepy:

[quote=\"jedamum\"]sleepy,

my ds told me that the top student in his class at times does his school homework, home assessment book (P6 std :yikes:) or past year papers during classtime (he is seated at the back and no way the teacher should stop him since he shows no dip in performance). i think the parent and the kid must be eagerly waiting for the GEP outcome.

dd's teachers do not allow students to do 'other' stuff during lesson time le. Must pay attention. If read storybooks during lesson time, books get confiscated.

Gosh, don't know what would happen to students who bring higher level work to class? Teachers probably see that as an insult? :lightrod: :evil:

hm...maybe reading story books cannot because it may show a sign of boredom. but doing assessment books in class is also a form of learning, no? :evil: afterall, not many students want to do assessment books during 'free time'. [/quote]I've had friends' kids who did extra exercises in their workbook beyond what was asked of them and the teacher made them erase all their work.

[jtoh]

sleepy:

jtoh:

Is this for lower primary? I thought most schools will start to group higher ability students together from upper primary.

According to principal, the 'bored' ones can wait for GEP screening, going to transfer out anyway. Those who didn't qualify for GEP stay back but streaming by subject banding will only be in P5.

That school's a little bochap then. Not surprising if the brighter kids choose to leave for GEP if the school's not doing anything for them.

[nms1]

jedamum:

sleepy:

[quote=\"jedamum\"]sleepy,

my ds told me that the top student in his class at times does his school homework, home assessment book (P6 std :yikes:) or past year papers during classtime (he is seated at the back and no way the teacher should stop him since he shows no dip in performance). i think the parent and the kid must be eagerly waiting for the GEP outcome.

dd's teachers do not allow students to do 'other' stuff during lesson time le. Must pay attention. If read storybooks during lesson time, books get confiscated.

Gosh, don't know what would happen to students who bring higher level work to class? Teachers probably see that as an insult? :lightrod: :evil:

hm...maybe reading story books cannot because it may show a sign of boredom. but doing assessment books in class is also a form of learning, no? :evil: afterall, not many students want to do assessment books during 'free time'. [/quote]But the teacher does need to keep control of the class so I would say that if the pupils truly are bored then the parents need to raise it with the school and come to some arrangement otherwise the classroom will end up in chaos.