Last year was the first year that I taught Sec 4 A Math, having taught the Sec 3 syllabus in 2006 and 2007. I was of course nervous as I await for the result on 12th January. My first concern was my form class 4e6. I guess I should be slightly happy as the number of passes for A Math for 4E6 was more than that during the prelim exams ( 2 passes in Prelim and 12 passes in O level exams is not too bad ) but I guess after working hard on many Saturdays in 2007 and 2008 I can't help but feel sad knowing that the remaining 18 didn't manage to pass ( out of 34 students, 4 didn't sit for the paper). I can't help thinking that I have not done enough for them. The Saturday lessons, the scoldings, the motivational talks and the small group coaching was not enough for this class....? I'll be meeting with the ones who have passed, for a small celebration lunch at Swensens this Saturday. I will definitely ask what had made them really turn around and be able to reach that passing mark....Hopefully what worked for them will work for the weaker students this year...
For the 4E2 on the other hand, I know that most of them will make it. Out of the 10 failures during Prelims, only 1 failed in the end ( and I know this student started to be serious a little too late) and with a D7 at that. They were a really determined lot and helped each other out with the extra papers that I had given them, a few weeks before the O levels. I should have paid more attention to them. They should have achieved better grades earlier had I given them the same attention as 4E6. I am glad that most are able to go to the next level of learning and perhaps continue with Mathematics.
I am back teaching Sec 4 E Maths this year. I really REALLY hope that the results will be a whole lot better than last year's. Teaching half of 4E1 should be easier than the whole class. And 5N1, after teaching them for the last 2 years, still needs a lot of coaching and motivating. I am determined to make sure that they get at least a B4 from the CA1 to the final 'O' level Maths paper. Anything less would mean that I haven't done enough for my students. I hope the other teachers will make sure that I keep this promise till this year's batch of students finish their Sec 4/5 education.
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Well done! You have made a significant impact on those pupils who used to fail and now now have passed. Their futures are now brighter.
ReplyDeleteIn your review, you may want to find out the set of skills that enabled them to pass; these could include
motivation
perseverance
able to decipher questions
able to categorize questions and apply the right formulae, method or steps
Then check this set of skills against those he failed. These skills are likely absent from them.
With the final set of skills, we will need to explicitly teach these skills to our pupils.