What should I expect from a GP tutor?
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365psych:
Sorry, but I've been tripping over the phrase, \"As the spouse of Hanseo who has been teaching...\" You mean your hubby/wife teaches? Does it also mean that spouse of Hanseo teaches English at O Level?[/quote]It's my hubby. He is a GP teacher. He has taught GCE 'O' level English before but that was quite some time back.thoughtfulminds:
[quote=\"Han Seo\"]
As the spouse of Hanseo who has been teaching this subject in 2 colleges in the last 14 years, I have seen the subject develop in the degree of technical difficulty in both the essay and comprehension components and this subject is substantially more difficult than O level English. -
Lavina:
... I paiseh to interrupt ...
Don't paiseh. You are paying for a service. In fact, you should ask questions...it will be a game changer.
But, GP cannot be learned passively. The student cannot be a sponge. If it goes on like this, might as well not have tuition. Don't know if you want to see if grades change without tuition. -
Hi Is your son in J1 or J2? If the former, you may have time to take a wait and see approach. If the latter, you may want to identify the problems quickly as the A levels are 8 months away and GP is not an easy subject to tackle without the proper skills and most importantly attitude. Just my 2 cents worth. All the best!
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Hi,
my son is in jc1. maybe that’s why the tutor is still quite relax and reassures me that he will improve over time.
Ya, I wish I know how to motivate him. Last week I asked him to rewrite his first school assignment because I though it was not good. Yesterday he told me his teacher mentioned that his essay was one of the better ones. So I said "it was worth it to rewrite then" and he said "not worth it". Donno what to say… -
Lavina:
Well, in JC there is less than 2 years to prepare for the A level exams. So time is precious and any effort spent should be a value added effort. There is so much that you can do as a parent even more so now that he is going to be 17. He must want it for himself. Wait for the 1st test and see how he does. By the way, what mark did he get for the essay, content and language?Hi,
my son is in jc1. maybe that's why the tutor is still quite relax and reassures me that he will improve over time.
Ya, I wish I know how to motivate him. Last week I asked him to rewrite his first school assignment because I though it was not good. Yesterday he told me his teacher mentioned that his essay was one of the better ones. So I said \"it was worth it to rewrite then\" and he said \"not worth it\". Donno what to say...
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To address Lavina's query on what a parent or student should expect from a GP tutor, I would like to offer my personal views from the perspective of a GP tutor (being one myself).
As the subject name implies, General Paper is so broad in scope that there is no precise syllabus outline to adhere to. This is unlike other H2 subjects where the syllabus and topic learning outcomes are clearly defined at the outset. This would accordingly increase the variance and variety of teaching techniques applied by both school teachers and private tutors for GP, although the core objectives remain the same:
1. to engage with students on hot-button issues and current affairs;
2. to distil the complex into the succinct; and
3. to empower them to read, think and write critically.
GP is ultimately a reflection of a student's maturity of thought and knowledge of current affairs, which he or she must express in a logical, well-structured and cogent manner. It is about clarity of expression in writing. GP is not about the ability to describe or narrate, it tests your ability to critically evaluate, reason logically, weigh competing interests and adopt a nuanced and balanced view on a particular hot-button issue.
The tutor's technique of making general comments (e.g. citing examples and statistics to substantiate points) is definitely valid. This mirrors what school teachers do when marking scripts and giving general feedback on essays. Perhaps you feel that your son is not learning much because he is not able to assimilate the comments and translate them into constructive arguments which are reflected in his essays.
If this is the case, you may wish to consider engaging a tutor who is not only able to review his essays, but also rewrite, rephrase and reframe the key arguments and analysis. This customization process would, from experience, empower your child to be the steward of his own learning and also facilitate an unprecedented improvement in his GP results at an exponential rate.
What I feel is of utmost importance is a thorough re-write of his submitted work, followed by a personalized review and analysis of his strengths and weaknesses, and how to improve on subsequent essays.
Instead of making general comments and then expecting the student to figure out how to incorporate those comments into subsequent essays (a common practice in schools these days due to large class sizes) it is absolutely critical to show the student the manner in which he can weave those ideas into his existing essay.
This is one of the best ways to enlighten students and instil confidence in them because they now have the keys to open doors they never thought they could.
The GP Counsel
http://www.thegpcounsel.com -
The GP Counsel makes interesting remarks on what we can expect from him
As a fresh graduate from JC, I would like to make a few additions and what we practice at the Chalkboard (https://chalkboardtutorial.wordpress.com/
Every student has his/her own voice that should (perhaps, almost) never be re-written over. Expecting the student to follow the tutor's style of writing limits the student from sharpening his/her own techniques. It might even represent the tutor's frustration to see the student improve, \"I have no idea how to help you, so let me just help you write a model essay alright?\". Instead, there are a few coaching methods that my team and I have used to help our batchmates and juniors to achieve the grades they desire.
1. Clarifying ambiguities
This is the perennial problem. Most students have at least one or two valid arguments in a GP essay, however, they are not sufficiently clarified; they are vague and imprecise. As coaches, we help our students find out what they were arguing for in the first place, and find ways to clarify what they are saying. Getting them to re-write their thesis statements and topic sentences helps our students to master their thought-to-writing process.
2. Generating arguments
Where there is a lack of arguments, our students will freeze at their pens. At Chalkboard, we like to teach content to our students in the form of arguments rather than disparate facts and figures.
There is so much a GP tutor can do, but not many are in touch with the subject or willing to go far enough with the student. -
The GP Counsel
http://www.thegpcounsel.com
FREE TRIAL LESSON
SUBSEQUENT LESSON @ ONLY $30/hour
Leading GP Tuition & English Tuition by RJ, NUS lawyer with 5 years' exp
- Guaranteed results - 80% A track record
- Convenient location (Marymount MRT)
- Quality content & skills.
- Detailed notes, guidelines and practice sessions.
- Our students are challenged to read, write and think beyond their years, with sophistication, maturity and clarity.
- Friendly and comfortable learning environment. -
The GP Counsel
http://www.thegpcounsel.com
FREE TRIAL LESSON
SUBSEQUENT LESSON @ ONLY $30/hour
Leading GP Tuition (For JC) & English Tuition, English Enrichment for Sec 1-4 by RJ, NUS lawyer with 5 years' exp
- Guaranteed results - 80% A track record
- Convenient location (Marymount MRT)
- Quality content & skills.
- Detailed notes, guidelines and practice sessions.
- Our students are challenged to read, write and think beyond their years, with sophistication, maturity and clarity.
- Friendly and comfortable learning environment. -
The GP Counsel
http://www.thegpcounsel.com
FREE TRIAL LESSON
SUBSEQUENT LESSON @ ONLY $30/hour
Leading GP Tuition (For JC) & English Tuition, English Enrichment for Sec 1-4 by RJ, NUS lawyer with 5 years' exp
- Guaranteed results - 80% A track record
- Convenient location (Marymount MRT)
- Quality content & skills.
- Detailed notes, guidelines and practice sessions.
- Our students are challenged to read, write and think beyond their years, with sophistication, maturity and clarity.
- Friendly and comfortable learning environment.
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