“There is no stupid question! Except, possibly, a question not asked.” -Christer Romson

Everyone of us faces problem, big and small.

Students face problem in learning, in passing examinations,  in communicating with classmates, teachers and parents, in handling stress, in boy-girl relationship…

Parents face a different set of problems. Working parents must learn how to balance work and family life. Some face problems in having a proper conversation with their children. Many don’t seem to know what’s happening to their children in school. Many don’t understand the reason(s) for their children not doing well despite sending them to tuition classes, arranging for one to one private tutors to come to their house.

Today, I’m writing this post to share with you as a student or parent how I handle my set of problems and you can probably get a few practical tips when you read further.

As many of you know, I teach. I coach. My problem is getting students to ask questions openly. First, we need to understand why students don’t ask and would rather remain quiet.

FEAR.

Fear of being embarrassed.

Fear of asking  ’stupid’ questions.

Fear of being laughed at.

Fear of falsely labeled (by classmates) of being attention-seeking.

So why is it important for students (and parents) to ask questions?

• It helps them to clarify any doubts instantly instead of being accumulated at the back of their head months after months.
• Asking promotes thinking. The fact you ask shows you’re thinking! It makes you more of a thinker instead of just being a sponge; only absorbing.
• By asking, it gives me (the trainer) an indication if the students have understood what have been discussed. I can then move on to the next concepts.
• Asking relevant questions keep your mind alert and attentive as understanding is reinforced.

So what do I do to get students to ask questions?

• I lead by example. I ask them questions first. It can be questions about the concepts we’ve just discussed or it could be something related to their school, clothing, bags, shoes, movies they watch, hobbies they have. Just get them start talking.
• I thank you for every question they ask. It’s a form of emotional reward for them.
• I encourage all my students to ask any questions freely and that there isn’t any stupid question in my class.

If you’re a student reading this post now, ask yourself:  Could you’ve been better in the subject when you just ask a few more questions? Are you going to allow fear (FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real)  from paralyzing you? What is one action you’re going to do today? Are you going to continue to ‘act blur’ and pretend that everything’s okay when it isn’t?

If you’re a parent reading this post, ask yourself: Do you know what your child is going through? Is your child happy in school? Is your child doing well in the subjects or is he failing miserably? Is he pretending everything’s okay? Is he saying that he knows what to do to buck up? Is he telling you not to care?

We need courage, support and encouragement to face our problems.

We need to act in spite of fear to achieve great things.

We need to constantly remind ourselves that fear is nothing but a feeling and we can take control and turn it into energy.

Leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you on how you handle your fear, your problems.

fear

Most students should have completed your common tests or in the midst of completion.

How have you performed? Are you happy with your results? Are you upset? Or you don’t bother at all?

What matters most is perhaps not what you have scored, but moving forward, what do you do with the outcome?

Every test or examination has a lesson for us to learn. Do you sit down and think through the lessons taught or you simply forget about it?

3 Questions to learn the lesson well:

1. Ask yourself, what are some of the good things you have done? (You start preparation early, you clarify all your questions before the test, you did your assignments consistently, you manage your time well, you handle the questions with calm and confidence)
2. What did not go right this time? (Slept too late the night before your test, you didn’t put in any effort, your ‘what’s-the-great-deal’ attitude, you didn’t finish the questions due to poor time planning)
3. What is one action you would work on to improve upon on your next test or examination?

Regardless how you have fared for your test, there are definitely good things you have done, it just takes time to realize and acknowledge.

So, what you have learnt?

Photo Credit: KaCey97007

post-examination · post-test

I was looking at this year ‘O’ level examinations timetable and observed the following:

Unlike last year where first official week is reserved for English, E-Math & A-Math, we see a ’scary’ schedule in which A-Math Paper 2 is combined with Pure Chemistry Paper 2 or Combine Sci Paper 3 on the same day. (29 Oct 2010)

E-Math Papers are scheduled separately on consecutive days afternoons. This arrangement is just like 2009 timetable. Candidates need to keep themselves in peak performance despite the 230pm paper.

Download the entire 2010 GCE ‘O’ Level Examinations Timetable here.

For more details, please visit Singapore Examinations Assessment Board. (http://www.seab.gov.sg)

O Level Exams Timetable

For more details, please go to seab website or call MOE Customer Service Centre at 6872 2220

o level registration · private candidates

One of the interesting questions I discuss with my students every year before major examinations is

‘What foods would you recommend for brain?’

Photo Credit: Bob.Fornal

Generally, I have heard about ‘berries’ and fish help in memory.

It wasn’t until recently that I came across an interesting article on Pickthebrain.com

Here’s a summary of the foods recommended in the article:

1. Herb: Rosemary
2. Tea (Yes! The beverage)
3. Fruits & Vegetables; colors for boosting memory are dark red, blue and green.
4. Fish & Nuts
5. Dessert: Honey

More details here: ‘5 Foods To Remember For Better Memory‘.

So are there any specific foods you take to better your memory? I would love to hear from you! Leave me a comment.

before exams · food · memory