science tuition

Treasured Moments from My Students

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I am inspired to write this article after several students shared their ups and downs with me these few days.

Incident 1:

Last week, my primary 3 student started his first lesson with me after a 2-week break from his exams. During the lesson, he confided in me that he felt upset as he did not make it through the second round of the Gifted Education Program test (GEP). He was a very intelligent boy who grasps concepts very quickly. I could fully empathize with him. I consoled him and started to counsel him by telling him that GEP is not the only route to academic excellence and shared with him the bigger picture of life: academic success does not equate to success in life. Even though these precious few minutes deviated from academic topics, I felt that I have taught my student an even more important lesson than science: the lesson on picking himself up from failure (in a different way) and learning to be positive and strive to be the best he can be in his own way.

Incident 2:

Several of my students are taking O Levels this year. The Physics MCQ examination was held last friday and the Chemistry MCQ examination was held this morning. After the physics and chemistry papers, three of them excitedly updated me their scores after their exams. (Apparently, their school teachers worked out the answers as they were doing the exams and gave them the answers after that. Hence, the students knew their scores straight after the paper). All three did very well, with marks ranging from 35 to 39 out of 40 marks. I was very happy for them as their hard work and perseverance paid off. When these students came to me, they had only D7 to C6 grades.

Both incidents touched me as a tutor as they signified that I have become more than a tutor in their hearts. I have become their confidante and their counsellor. As a tutor, I believe that besides helping my students to excel, I should also guide them to become more resilient individuals who are able to see beyond academic success and also learn timeless values like commitment, responsibility and integrity which will serve them will in their future endeavours.

Congratulations to A Special Boy

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Over last weekend, I received news from one of my students’ mum that my primary three student achieved 83 marks in his SA2. I was extremely delighted when I heard this news. I was happier hearing this news than the other piece of news from another primary three student who scored 98.5 in science.

You may be wondering why I am happier over the news with lower marks than the news of almost full marks. The reason is because the student who scored 83 marks is a child with learning challenges. He started lessons with me end of May this year after failing his SA1. I faced many challenges teaching him.

For a start, his attention span was short. Secondly, for him to understand a science concept, I must think of innovative and simplified ways to explain to him in order for him to understand. I also realised that for him to improve, I must definitely enlist the help of his mum as I only see him 1.5-2 hours a week. Daily guidance at home is essential for him. As a result, I make detailed notes at the end of every lesson summarising clearly his weaknesses as well as the concepts to reinforce at home so that his mum can continue with the necessary home education. Despite these challenges, I enjoyed teaching him very much as he is a cheerful boy who always try to complete whatever assignments given to him and is committed to coming for every lesson.

I was overjoyed to hear that he improved so much as I did not expect it. Being his tutor, I know that there are still several areas he can improve on. However, the dedication of his mum and the boy’s hard work has spurred me to try even harder to teach him.

 

A Strong Foundation in Science: Give your Child THE Opportunity

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The exams are over and the Nov/Dec holidays are round the corner. Have you any plans for your child this holidays? If you are reading this article, very likely you are sourcing for a good tutor and your child has gotten less than ideal grades for his science exams.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate you for being a very concerned parent who is trying to help your child achieve better grades. Getting good grades in science is more than just scoring As. It brings a host of other benefits:

  1. It opens doors for your child: If your child is taking pure sciences, scoring As in “O” Levels will mean at least 1/3 of the battle won as two science subjects can contribute towards the 6 point aggregate system. You child can have the option of which JC or poly he/she wants to go.
  2. The widest possible choice of careers: “A” levels science students with good grades can choose any course of study they want in the universities and this ultimately determine their careers. It will also open up scholarship opportunities.
  3. Understanding yourself and the world around you: Our body functions, the nutrition our bodies need, the appliances and machines around us, the air we breath in are all science. With a good science background, you will be able to better care for your body and understand the environment around you.

Given the benefits of doing well in science, I love to help weak students improve and excel. Many students come to me either failing science or having D or C grades. The common comment from their parents is they do not have interest in science. I think that is a very natural reaction. How many people like things that are not their strength? Under my tutelage, I have seen these students transformed and blossomed into individuals with a keen interest in science. The key reason I believe for this metamorphosis is that they began to understand what they are studying and they start achieving. The achievements give them confidence and hope.

Hence, if your child is struggling with science, I strongly urge you to make full use of this holidays to help your child build a strong foundation in science by having tuition with the right tutor. Do not waste this golden opportunity.

Consistency & Commitment

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One of my students, a JC 1 student, informed me this week that his Chemistry grade improved from an “Unclassified” grade to a “D” grade. I was very happy for him. This student only joined me in August and his final exams was in September. Even though there was less than 2 months to help him, he still managed a more than 20 point jump in marks and an improvement by 2 grades. I strongly believe that one of the key factors for his improvement was his commitment in coming for tuition and his consistency in doing the assigned homework. He did not miss a single lesson and completed all the homework on time.

From my teaching experience, I observed that the students that went on to do very well in the exams may not be the most intelligent ones. Rather, those students who came regularly for lessons were the ones that went on to ace their exams even though they had dismal grades before coming to me. Thus, I have formed the linked between commitment and consistency to success.

This is definitely not a new idea. The best sportsmen, violinists, pianists etc are those who are most committed to their trade. My observations basically echoed the fact that those who are most committed will achieve success in whatever they do. Hence, I hope to inculcate commitment and consistency in all my students.

 

My Students, My Blessings

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I was very touched when I received a thank you message from one of my students’ parent last night. She text me the following message:

“She is so blessed to have you as her tutor. She is very happy that she understood what you taught her today. She said she didn’t understand it when her teacher explained to her in School. Thank you”.

Personally, I feel that I am the one that is truly blessed to have the faith of my students and their parents in my ability to tutor their children. Hence, I always strive to do my best to teach and coach them. When any of my students do not understand a particular topic at first and show an enlightened look after I explained to them, that look really brightens up my day.

I am especially heartened by one of my students, “X”. Before X came to me, X has never passed Chemistry and found Chemistry incomprehensible. After a month’s of tuition with me, X passed Chemistry for the first time and even told me that Chemistry seems so easy now. I am very impressed by X’s learning attitude. X never misses a lesson with me even when X had a bad fall and one of the legs’ was in a cast and clutches were necessary. X still came faithfully for lessons. During heavy rain and thunderstorms, X also turns up for class and there was a time when X thought that X maybe late for class, X even took a taxi just to be on time. After a few months’ of tuition, I can see the transformation in X. X has become much more confident in doing science questions now and is aiming for high grades. I really hope that X can do well in the upcoming major exams.

As a tutor, every parent that decides to entrust their child to me for science tuition is a blessing to me. Thus, I try every way I can to help their children achieve their dreams. I hope I can continue to help more children in the years to come.

 

Acing “O” levels Exams: The Battle Plan

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Now is the busiest academic period for O Level students. Their prelims are coming up soon and the real exams will kick start in October. To prepare them, schools conduct many extra classes and give many mock papers and tests for them to do.

Given that there are only 10 weeks left to the first week of October, how does an O level student ensure that he/she is well prepared in this limited time?

Answer: Effective and efficient use of your time

To make full use of the last 10 weeks, you need to come up with a good time table. What are the ingredients of a good time table?

I recommend the following five steps to construct a time table.

Step 1: Prepare a time table that you will follow.

Be realistic and do not be overambitious by packing too many topics in 1 day.

Estimate how many hours you have a day for every single day of the week for revision and divide the time according to the needs of each subject.

Once you have a time table, stick to it as closely as possible. This requires a lot of self-discipline, resilience and determination as there will be interruptions and there will be days you will feel so tired you just want to take a break. Just continue to hang-on there. Remember, this is the last lap.

Step 2: The time table must be comprehensive.

It should cover all the subjects and all the topics in each subject. It must have breaks and rest time too. For example, there are a total of five themes to cover in Chemistry. Since there are 10 weeks left, plan a time table so that you can revise each theme at least twice in the 10-week period. It is best if you can revise 3 rounds per topic.  Plan the topics such that you cover your weakest topics first and best topics last as it is usually your weakest topics that cost you your marks. Below is an example of a time table for chemistry revision.

Make sure you have sufficient breaks between studying. It will be beneficial if you can have a 10 minutes break for every 50 minutes of intensive studying. Go for a walk, chit-chat with your family members or have some yummy food to boost your energy!

Chemistry Example

Week 1: Organic Chemistry

Fuels, Alkanes, Alkenes, Alcohols, Carboxylic acids, macromolecules

Week 2: Chemistry of Reactions

Electrolysis, Energy from Chemicals, Speed of Reaction, Redox reactions, Acids/Bases/Salts

Week 3: Periodicity and Atmosphere

Periodicity, Metals, Atmosphere, Ammonia

Week 4: Atomic Structure and Stoichiometry

Kinetic Particle Theory, Atomic Structure, Chemical Bonding & Structure of Matter, Stoichiometry

Week 5: Experimental Chemistry

Experimental Chemistry, methods of purification and separation, Identification of Anions/Cations/Gases

Step 3: Always put in Buffer time.

Emergencies always happen! There will definitely be interruptions that prevent us from following the time table or even lag behind. Some of these interruptions you can reject (e.g. going out for tea with your friends) but there are some which will definitely cause you down-time (e.g. if you fall sick).

Hence, we must always build in buffer time in our time table. Buffer time can be daily or weekly. It can be a half-hour slot you set aside every day to catch up on what you did not manage to complete previously or a 2-hour slot on Sunday for catching up.

Step 4: Acquire and Practice, Acquire and Practice, Acquire and Practice ……

To gain a mastery in any topic, you must always acquire the facts, concepts and principles first, follow by testing your understanding by practising questions. Practise any questions you can lay your hands on: be it past year questions, questions from text books and even questions found on the internet. Through practice, you will realise what are the facts or concepts you did not fully understand and this is the time for you to clarify your doubts by looking through your notes again or asking your educator.

This repeated cycle of acquire and practice is critical to acing the Exams as it will help you identify your weak areas and help you to strengthen them through reinforcement. It is important to read through each topic at least twice as most of us are not endowed super-memory and need repeated readings to remember the facts.

Step 5: Be Specific

Make sure you write down exactly what time you intend to do each task and for how long. If not, chances are, you will not get down to doing it. Remember to schedule the learning of your weakest topics during the freshest time of your day to maximise learning. To demonstrate how to add the specifics, we will use the Chemistry time-table example I suggested in Step 2. Let’s take week 1.

For week 1, let’s say, I only have half an hour a day to spend on Chemistry each day and there are 6 topics to cover in Organic Chemistry. I will plan to study a topic a day from Mon to Saturday. I will set aside the half-hour time slot on Sunday as buffer time (Step 3). Next, for each half-hour slot, I will spend the first 15 minutes acquiring the facts and the next 15 minutes practising (Step 4). Last but not least, I decide the best time to revise chemistry is from 8 pm to 8.30 pm every night (Step 5).

Your success in your O Levels is highly dependent on how you decide to spend these last 10 weeks. Please use this time wisely. Meanwhile, you should quickly get started on creating a feasible battle plan for yourself now to win the battle.

I wish every student success in the upcoming exams. All the Best!

 

Transformers: How they are use to minimise energy loss during power transmission

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Electricity generated in the power station is transmitted over very long distances to our homes. To ensure that this transmission is done as efficiently as possible, high voltage transmission is used. How is this high voltage electricity brought down to low voltage for home use then? By use of Transformers!

Watch the following video to learn more:

Genetic Engineering: Learn more about how Insulin is made in Fermenters

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Genetic Engineering is very useful for making large amounts of useful biological substances such as hormones from living organisms such as bacteria. You can visit the following websites to learn more about genetic engineering:

Websites:

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-7/Insulin.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_ocr_gateway/beyond_the_microscope/gene_technology/revision/1/

http://www.abpischools.org.uk/page/modules/diabetes/diabetes6.cfm?coSiteNavigation_allTopic=1

Key to Success

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For the past week, a number of my students who are taking important exams this year did not complete their homework. I had expected it as school has reopened, and numerous activities would have taken up their time.

Nevertheless, I spoke to each student and provided them with some advice. As this is the beginning of the second semester and many students will be taking their national examinations in a few months’ time, I would like to share my personal experience on what I feel are key factors to achieving success and a balance in life (not just studies, but in all aspects of life).

All of us have only 24 hours each day. Why are some people able to accomplish so much in 1 day? Whereas others can hardly get anything done?  Secondary school students in Singapore usually have to juggle between 6 to 9 subjects on top of other extra curriculum activities. How can a student cope and do well in everything then?

The key lies in good time management. To be able to manage one’s time effectively, you need to have Planning, Prioritisation and Discipline.

Planning

For things to happen, you must plan for it. I like to plan on Sundays what I would want to get done for each day of the following week. I would also set aside time to do each activity (block time). If you are a student, you can also plan a schedule on what subjects and topics you would like to cover each day. Set realistic time blocks which are achievable, for example, 15 minutes a day on chemistry. If you were to calculate, 15 minutes a day on one subject, if done consistently for 7 days is equal to 1 hour and 45 mins a week. That is a significant amount of time. When you get use to this routine, you can slowly increase the time block for each activity. This small incremental amount of time spent each day on each subject has a cumulative effect and will lead to astonishing results!

 Prioritisation

Human nature is such that we prefer to do things we like first and procrastinate on doing things we dislike. Similarly, for subjects or topics that we dislike, they end up at the bottom of the ladder. We may end up not studying them or study them at times when we are already exhausted. Consequently, these subjects/topics also become our weakest ones and are our Achilles’ Heels. They will hinder us from getting our A1/A*s ultimately. Hence, when I had multiple subjects to study, my strategy was always to do what I dislike most/weakest. By doing this, I ensured that my weakest points were covered when I was most alert. I would also feel a sense of achievement after accomplishing them and I could look forward to doing what I liked next.

I strongly urged students not to give up on their sleep in order to squeeze in more activities. Our brains need to rest and our bodies need to rejuvenate. A well-rested mind and body can achieve much more than an exhausted one. Hence, please make having adequate sleep one of your top priorities too.

Discipline

The best schedule will not work if it is not put to action. Hence, discipline is vital for any planning to succeed. Discipline may involve sacrifices such as missing out on favourite TV programmes at times. However, if one looks at the bigger picture, these small sacrifices pave the way to achieving success at greater heights.

Last but not least, it is important to review what you have done to past week: have you use your time constructively, are there ways you could have improve on your time utilisation?

Remember: manage your time well to lead a balanced life !