Teach Less, Learn More

[Chenonceau]

buds:

My England is by preschool standards when placed side by side with the

Language giants here.. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php... duo duo zi jiao.

Hah... and what if it turns out that you in the top 0.5% eh?

Seriously though, what you wrote was a pleasure to read, and a comfort. My child has never experienced what yours experienced except at home... where I didn't consider it enrichment. I considered it family bonding... and fun activities that we all enjoyed. Interestingly, the 2 subjects that we mess around with at home for family bonding didn't look like work but has resulted in good grades even in P5, where he is tested BEYOND what is taught in class.

buds:

Finally broke my fast with that loooooong sharing..
Hope it didn't bore anyone.. paiseh. :oops:
Just thought to throw in some balance.

Not boring... definitely not boring. Thanks (1) for bringing the discussion back to topic, (2) for bringing to the fore the many merits of Teach Less Learn More, (3) for outlining the conditions for success, and (4) for providing one shining example of success from your life.

You've actually succeeded so well in bringing the discussion to a new level. :love:

[buds]

Chenonceau:

buds:

Oh no! I shouldn't have downed both the Haagen D's Belgian Chocs..

Is that what cause the 2... ummm... the... ummm... those... ummmm... you know....

The wat... the whaat? :frustrated:

Oooh you mean... the.... :evil:

Naaah.. nuh-uh. :please:

[ppnqq]

buds:

cantbearit2:

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

You guys.. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php

Did she just call me heavy... weight...? http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php

Oh no! I shouldn't have downed both the Haagen D's Belgian Chocs..

Ahem, IMHO, she may not be referring to 'that' part but rather 'the other', like those in your.. avatar? Seriously, I can imagine myself being suffocated 'in there'. :politebleah: :siam:

[autumnbronze]

buds:

Oh no! I shouldn't have downed both the Haagen D's Belgian Chocs..

buds arrrrhhhhhh,

Waaaaaaah,

:salute: ya

Thought I was the only indisputable H D walloper! You surpassed me sista!

Just donch get addicted to it hor, very exp habit. DH already complaining he is going to go bankrupt soon :!:

Okie, OT liao

[buds]

rocklee:

Hey buds, you're back to active posting again! Thot you went into hybernation after giving birth to the prince.

Heyya luv! Miss reading ya around here too.. :snuggles:

Naaah, i was playing eenie meeenie where to make a ground-
breaking 9000th pitch. :rotflmao: Chief's camping trip is really
driving me nutz! :lol:

Hope your DS' teacher can be more encouraging..http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php

D'ya think a heart to heart chat with the teacher might help?
Let the feedback flow out more like you truly need her motivation
to move mountains with your DS... reverse psychology does work.. :evil:

Plus teachers are kinda overworked with the load they're carrying..

I raised the issue of having too many children in my P4 DD's class
few months back.. she has like slightly over 40.. :faint: .. and the
AVP said, well.. my dd is in one of the better performing classes
so even with more they can cope.. :faint: .. Aniwaes, when a
phase came when we (yes, WE!) couldn't cope i raised the flag &
was calmly comforted by their understanding... well, perhaps i'm
new to their super onz ways too... but she's coping much much
better now.. imagine if i hadn't poured my heart out (i was in
confinement then too! )... things may not have settled in
that quickly for my DD1 and I..

In fact, I would've burnt out first boy! http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php

rocklee:

Always :love: reading your posts. Forever so positive.

I try to.. especially when some crazy starts to evaporate.. so must
quickly quickly breathe breathe and relax... think... what did i want
to do/achieve at first before the fits.. :lol: Not easy, but i try. But
when it is accidentally released, i apologize for it for it didn't mean
to come out the way it did and then we'd all be good again. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php

[Chenonceau]

ksi:

Teach Less is true....Learn More is false for the majority so the effect of this scheme is currently Teach Less Learn Less but More is still expected in exam questions.


Teach Less Learn less but More is required in exams.

I have experienced your perspective first hand; and my son and I are both in pain in his P5 year.

I've also experienced Teach Less Learn More first hand because I am trained to Teach Less so that my clients can learn more. I've used the methods with my son for fun, and interestingly, the 2 subjects where we did this are also the 2 where he continues to score in P5.

It could really be a case of our batches being caught in transition? It's a pity but judging from Buds' experience, it may be that the system is correcting itself and as it develops and gets stronger things will get better.

Meanwhile, we'll just have to try and manage as best we can? Maybe lah...

[Chenonceau]

Happy Mama:

This is a very nice way to describe them.... more compassionate and less condescending...

Hello dear... you have PM.

[Happy Mama]

Chenonceau:

Happy Mama:

This is a very nice way to describe them.... more compassionate and less condescending...

Hello dear... you have PM.

Hi... I've replied.

[buds]

teh_oh:

Hi Tamarind, my child just reached home at around 5pm due to similar 'holistic' activities in school. The class was still given homework for all 4 subjects to be handed in tomorrow and there are still Oral exam tomorrow, really bad news for those last minute mugger. He needs to go to bed by 8pm. Luckily our Oral revision is 85% done. We are not allowed to opt out of such afterschool activities and he will be having twice weekly CCAs (which he so looks forward to) next Semester. If schools want to TLLM, please cut down on written work or at least give the children more time to complete them.

Heyya teh_oh, i know this post was for tamarind, but i hope u won't mind
i cut in a bit. :oops: Teaching Less methodology is supposed to work still
within the same curriculum time frame, but ensuring they learn more by
being more engaged learners... thru' purposeful activities to help children
be more outta the box kinda students, instead of textbook learners.

Oral revision has always been done by the school on a regular basis for us
meaning the teachers put in extra effort to pump the emphasis of scoring
well for oral to push up Language grades since it is actually a non-study
area... however the teacher provides the neccessary jargon required to
understand how oral exams are graded... for flow... for content (picture
conversation)... and also cue the children on how to score the extras.

As for the homework part, i have had my share of that and raised the flag
to the teacher who brought it up to the principal and they came upon a
compromise not to give more than maximum 2 subject homework for
children especially most days they're engaged in supplementary class.
The teachers banded together to decide which days they would each
give the home assignments and MT teacher will usually check with
Language teacher if composition component is in the homework for
the day as they have compromised no 2 compo writing homework
in a day for the children.

I dunno if i have spoiled the market for DD1's level due to this change
but i sure heck know i made many many children much happier & more
rested. The teachers checked bk with DD1 and i thereafter to make sure
we were coping better. :love: They offered to review again if things didn't
improve... ultra sweet! :please:

In this scenario i was literally screaming HELP! :imdrowning: Drowning liao..
But the teachers made this way that i communicated into an effective one. Kudos to them!

I may have just developed post-natal depression if they didn't quickly arrive
with a feasible solution. Homework now is no longer quantity but truly truly quality
work, for the structure of the work now seems very much into zooming and
trouble shooting into the children's common weak areas. Frankly, i'm soo impressed. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php

My DD1 is in P4.

[buds]

Chenonceau:

Buds, I think you expressed what I felt in my heart. The methodology is robust but not all Teachers can carry it off...

*hugs* for you... :hugs:

Most times, the people who carry off the methodology will showcase the
impact of its effectiveness. It is how the methodology is delivered that
truly counts, not just blaming the methodology in its entirety that it did
not work at all. As the support stems from a whole lotta people too in this
case of the Teach Less Learn More, it makes it all the more challenging as
the macro people up there have to evaluate that many people to fairly
appraise how this method have worked... or not.

Teachers can use more enrichment lessons (yes, just like our children) to
help them break the routine and the norm of school days so they can get
rejuvenated when they come back again to teach holistically. MOE or P's
can engage external speakers, vendors or facilitators to motivate teachers
on the how to's (make it work) and also the power to be able to evaluate
their own work to ensure they can improve from their first project and so
on.. When the reigns are being freed, that's where the quality of the Teach
Less may get disrupted.

My husband and i have been invited to come into the school and the class
rooms to personally be involved in how the teaching is carried out. We've
been invited to volunteer our strengths into what would make the method
more fun for the children too and we love it! This is more the open-door
policy we look forward to since forever! It also worked well for the teacher's
end for parents have less doubt and question and to how things are carried
out and what exactly children learn from all these fun... i mean yes, they
gotta learn something lar right... :lol: We looked forward to receiving more
invites and more opportunities to work with the children, with other parents,
the school and the teachers as the manner the method is carried out got
increasingly interesting... exciting and all-inclusive.

Chenonceau:

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.

Agree abt the P thingy.

I have one in P4 if it does count as older
earners.. as compared to the P1s & P2s.

Chenonceau:

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.

A system cannot be in place to suit and to make everybody happy regardless
of the industry. It usually is a matter of how we have to adapt or work our way
around it. I mean aren't we all obedient government citizens? Why has few
oppositions actually made it? Because the majority of us are soo used to the
system in place. :lol:

My children are fortunate in a sense that apart from receiving Montessori
education that complements the Teach Less Learn more beautifully, they
have the same fun your boy gets at home as well and yes, they learn
like that too... better if i may add... for they don't realise they were
learning in the first place... and that definitely helped them not to be
too cookie cutter in a sense.

Being the relentlessly striving forward proactive kinda parent you are, your
boy definitely is in good hands and will have you to thank and if you do feel
the burn-out no one will judge you either if the need does arise to outsource.
I did. Finally... But that's sharing for another area entirely. :lol:

So, whatever your choices are to best help your child is in YOUR best
interests for him and way fine. We do what moves them... always. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php
And hope they keep moving on as we slowly loosen the reigns...
when they can go into self-motivation mode. Uhmmm... If they go there
that is.. :lol:

Every child is different and this is where Teach Less Learn More aspires to
fill the missing gaps so that no child gets left behind.