Why is my child not performing to his/her maximum potential?

In theory, every student should be successful learners. Having the experience of teaching many classes of 40 students made me realize that it is not an easy task for all student to understand what the teacher is trying to teach in a classroom even though their IQ are around the same (due to streaming). This is because misconceptions are very common even in good schools. Teachers deliver a standard routine lesson but students interpret the concepts in another meaning. Some students become confused and are demoralised if their misconceptions accumulate and are not adequately addressed. Such problems are compounded if they miss  lessons due to e-learning or CCA-commitments. They will not be able to do well in exams and will be banded as lower-ability learners which lead to low self-confidence and hence, a detrimental viscious cycle causing a downward spiral in their academic performance. 

My Solution

Telling them to work harder is the most common advice which is rarely effective because they need to be advised on which area and how to put in the effort. More importantly, misconceptions need to be corrected.

My coaching and mentoring methods will seek to address such learning difficulties to restore their confidence and love for learning. I will check and clear misconceptions during teaching. Adequate time must and will be spent on questions practice to guide them properly. Once students have a good grasp of the concepts and develop critical thinking skills (highly important to handle data-based and higher order thinking questions) , they will be able to improve quickly and subsequently lay the foundation for further studies and attain higher academic qualifications. (Please click and read "students comments" page)