All Schools are GOOD Schools
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I was revising w p4 DD for her science test on the topic on human systems. Without yet flipping thru any resources, I asked to briefly share with me what she has learnt on the various systems. Here’s how the conversation goes:
Me: tell me what u know about muscular system
DD: muscles
Me: that’s all? Where hv u been revising from?
DD: I like systems n i read the entire textbook on system. Really musculasystems Is easiest. The whole page only has one key word "muscles"
Me: really? Show me ur textbook
DD: mum, the textbook is useless. We hardly use it during lessons for both Maths n science. Why does the school make us waste money to buy when they r seldom used?
Me: ???!!!
If DD has a uninitiated teacher who do not provide additional good notes n if I do not already hv some basic science knowledge, I will b blissfully thinking "muscles" is all she needs to know about the muscular system! -
Jade:
Thank you Jade for sharing your experience.I was revising w p4 DD for her science test on the topic on human systems. Without yet flipping thru any resources, I asked to briefly share with me what she has learnt on the various systems. Here's how the conversation goes:
Me: tell me what u know about muscular system
DD: muscles
Me: that's all? Where hv u been revising from?
DD: I like systems n i read the entire textbook on system. Really musculasystems Is easiest. The whole page only has one key word \"muscles\"
Me: really? Show me ur textbook
DD: mum, the textbook is useless. We hardly use it during lessons for both Maths n science. Why does the school make us waste money to buy when they r seldom used?
Me: ???!!!
If DD has a uninitiated teacher who do not provide additional good notes n if I do not already hv some basic science knowledge, I will b blissfully thinking \"muscles\" is all she needs to know about the muscular system! -
I think some of our school children and tuition centers have raced ahead of the some school teachers in terms of knowledge and skills. I personally feel that these school teachers can’t keep up with the smart kids these days. Some of those who opt for teaching after a basic non-teaching degree may not be trained to cope with certain subjects. Sometimes i wonder: How different are the knowledge of these teachers who hold non-teaching degrees and just go NIE to learn general skills for a year compared to us parents who are degree holders? Please correct me if I am wrong as my intention is not to insult any teacher. Instead, I empathize with them. I understand for example, majority of teachers who teach Science are non Science grad. For such a specialized subject like Science, a teacher has to answer all sorts of interesting questions from inquisitive kids. So some of the teachers will say ‘I will get back to you on this’ brush them aside and never get back to the kids on their questions. From their angle, I think such teachers may feel ill equipped and lost in handling the generally brighter and Internet savvy kids. So, I urge for MOE to look seriously into TRAINING the teachers in proper knowledge and skill set, not just go NIE learn general skills for 1 year then come out to teach. Also please equip them with quality notes and upgrading of knowledge around the year. MOE should target for the gap between (a) most school teachers and (b) their outstanding knowledgeable senior teachers OR quality tuition centers to be closed or at least smaller.
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If it is not appropriate now to ban tuition centers… how about banning the advertisements for tuition?
Just like now they ban advertisement by the casinos…
I feel… tuition center is another social vice that degrades the overall well-being of the education system (i.e. MOE schools) and drawing away capable teachers from the govt teaching profession…
Also, it’s quite distasteful for the centers to be boasting about the so-and-so top scholars from their tuition center when these kids could very well did as well even w/o attending the tuition classes…
If they advert the value-added, like significant increase in scores after attending lesson, maybe not so bad… but if they take in top students and produces top student… what pride is there there to boost about? Other than attempting to mislead parents to increase profits… -
Snow Crystal:
I think some of our school children and tuition centers have raced ahead of the some school teachers in terms of knowledge and skills. I personally feel that these school teachers can't keep up with the smart kids these days. Some of those who opt for teaching after a basic non-teaching degree may not be trained to cope with certain subjects. Sometimes i wonder: How different are the knowledge of these teachers who hold non-teaching degrees and just go NIE to learn general skills for a year compared to us parents who are degree holders? Please correct me if I am wrong as my intention is not to insult any teacher. Instead, I empathize with them.
Teachers are badly served in the current system too. It must be stressful to have to teach things you have no mastery in... and at such HIGH levels of competence too!!
Parents in lower primary may not feel it yet because the material learnt is still well withing the capability of many a primary school Teacher. Come to upper primary, the standards required of the kids may surpass the capabilities of the Teacher and that is when faultlines appear.Snow Crystal:
This happened to us. DS' teacher never gave us an answer to a question we asked. A pair of Teachers we met at CNY flatly refused to look at a Math question set by another school saying \"If other schools set the question we may not know how to do.\"I understand for example, majority of teachers who teach Science are non Science grad. For such a specialized subject like Science, a teacher has to answer all sorts of interesting questions from inquisitive kids. So some of the teachers will say 'I will get back to you on this' brush them aside and never get back to the kids on their questions.
Snow Crystal:
We've all met poor teachers before in our lives. I, for one, learnt a great deal from textbooks and libraries. Kids in primary school are not yet independent enough for library search... but they are independent enough for self-study using textbooks and properly organised database resources.From their angle, I think such teachers may feel ill equipped and lost in handling the generally brighter and Internet savvy kids. So, I urge for MOE to look seriously into TRAINING the teachers in proper knowledge and skill set, not just go NIE learn general skills for 1 year then come out to teach. Also please equip them with quality notes and upgrading of knowledge around the year.
Else, the situation is like ours. The school tests HARD to scare the s*** out of the average parent, who scrambles to (1) teach personally (2) buy resources (3) get enrichment... and the school can claim the good results of parents' hard work and expensive tutors. -
Another clear signal from schools that they want parents to get tuition...
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=725425#p725425
This did NOT happen in DD's time. -
Chenonceau:
This is unacceptable/incomprehensible on so many counts:
This happened to us. DS' teacher never gave us an answer to a question we asked. A pair of Teachers we met at CNY flatly refused to look at a Math question set by another school saying \"If other schools set the question we may not know how to do.\"Snow Crystal:
I understand for example, majority of teachers who teach Science are non Science grad. For such a specialized subject like Science, a teacher has to answer all sorts of interesting questions from inquisitive kids. So some of the teachers will say 'I will get back to you on this' brush them aside and never get back to the kids on their questions.
1) cop-out - you are a math teacher, another school sets a qn, you don't know how to do?? MOE sets the PSLE qns then u can also say dunno how to do lah!
2) lost opportunity - if someone is handing you a question from another school on a plate (you don't even need to go and beg/borrow/steal/ask for it) shouldn't the teacher be overjoyed to get their paws on it and take the opportunity to get clued in on what other schools' standards are, and attempt to use the question to up their own standards/train their kids in such questions?
3) laziness - signals a simple can't be bothered attitude. -
toddles:
They didn't miss out on the opportunity. The same question with numbers changed came out in the exam 2 weeks later.
2) lost opportunity - if someone is handing you a question from another school on a plate (you don't even need to go and beg/borrow/steal/ask for it) shouldn't the teacher be overjoyed to get their paws on it and take the opportunity to get clued in on what other schools' standards are, and attempt to use the question to up their own standards/train their kids in such questions? -
Chenonceau:
lagi worse. disingenuous!
They didn't miss out on the opportunity. The same question with numbers changed came out in the exam 2 weeks later.toddles:
2) lost opportunity - if someone is handing you a question from another school on a plate (you don't even need to go and beg/borrow/steal/ask for it) shouldn't the teacher be overjoyed to get their paws on it and take the opportunity to get clued in on what other schools' standards are, and attempt to use the question to up their own standards/train their kids in such questions? -
Snow Crystal:
I think some of our school children and tuition centers have raced ahead of the some school teachers in terms of knowledge and skills. I personally feel that these school teachers can't keep up with the smart kids these days. Some of those who opt for teaching after a basic non-teaching degree may not be trained to cope with certain subjects. Sometimes i wonder: How different are the knowledge of these teachers who hold non-teaching degrees and just go NIE to learn general skills for a year compared to us parents who are degree holders? Please correct me if I am wrong as my intention is not to insult any teacher. Instead, I empathize with them. I understand for example, majority of teachers who teach Science are non Science grad. For such a specialized subject like Science, a teacher has to answer all sorts of interesting questions from inquisitive kids. So some of the teachers will say 'I will get back to you on this' brush them aside and never get back to the kids on their questions. From their angle, I think such teachers may feel ill equipped and lost in handling the generally brighter and Internet savvy kids. So, I urge for MOE to look seriously into TRAINING the teachers in proper knowledge and skill set, not just go NIE learn general skills for 1 year then come out to teach. Also please equip them with quality notes and upgrading of knowledge around the year. MOE should target for the gap between (a) most school teachers and (b) their outstanding knowledgeable senior teachers OR quality tuition centers to be closed or at least smaller.
I hope I don't sound arrogant for what I'm about to share. It's true that most teachers are not grad in the subjects that they teach. However, there's no stopping them from acquiring knowledge on their own. I gave tuition after my A levels. Tuition was easy at that time - no assessment books or kiasu parents breathing down your neck. :siam: All I need was to go through textbooks and explained. I stopped when I had a full time job. Years later, I gave tuition again as it was the best option when I decided not to have any maid. So much has changed over the years. I started by going through my 2 elder sons' work and picked up from there. I learnt the whole syllabus for EMS all over again. I started by teaching 2 students and over the years, through exchanges with parents, I learnt the ropes. My students were also my teachers. They taught me what I needed to know. After about 3 years, I complied a set of science notes made up of notes from various assessment books. What I find lacking, I made up my own and integrated them. This set of notes has been circulated among all my P5 and P6 students throughout the years as easy revision for PSLE. I learnt to draw models and how to do challenging sums. If I come across a question that I can't solve, I would tell my student honestly and try the question at home. Meanwhile, my student will let me know the solution after the teacher had marked and gone through the HW. That's how I learnt. In this way, I also instill certain values in my students. They learnt to be humble (admit you are not Know All), honest (don't pretend you know when you don't) and diligent (willingness to learn) and in the end you gain knowledge. :imanangel: All my students improved tremendously and did extremely well under me cos I proved to parents that my methods worked. My students are now friends and even after having moved on to sec schools, they'll come to me for advice in their school work (I can't teach but I can encourage them
). I cited Maths and Science as examples here cos I failed Maths terribly when I was in sec school, getting F9 all the way and Science was one of my weakest subjects. I was from the Commercial stream since sec 3 learning typing and shorthand while others studied Physic and Chemistry. I had no idea what they are let alone the difference! Most students are shocked that I can teach EMS very well and many asked why I didn't join MOE and it's their loss that I'm not a sch teacher. They think that I teach better than their sch teachers. :oops: Others thought I was a trained and retired teacher. If parents know the truth about my academic qualifications, none of them will engage me as their children's tutor. :censored: :censored: However, those who did would highly recommend me. My only qualifications? PASSION AND LOVE FOR CHILDREN. Without them, one can never be a good teacher. MOE has yet to realise this cos I know many who are like me and they give tuition cos of lack of paper qualifications. :roll:
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