my new student.

today, i had lesson no 2 with my new student.

last week we did photosynthesis and respiration in preparation for her test.

i was able to last 1.5 hrs because she had sth she didn't know how/what to do.

this week we went thru atoms and molecules.

half an hour later, i was done. =X

and i didn't know what else to do. because i'm sure she has understood the concept, it was only atoms, molecules and ions. not even isotopes was tested. (sec 2 science)

draw electronic confirguration after electronic configuration? ticked.

solve tables asking us to count protons neutrons and electrons? ticked.

what else can we do?

my tutor used to go through the whole chapter with me.

tell me some stories.

we do some problems.

i ask him a question.

he tell me more stories.

spend time thinking about the question.

solve some easy questions.

refer to solution and teach me the intermediate qns.

tell me he will come back with solutions for the more diff qns next week.

and tell me more stories.

it's not sth i want to do. i'm fine listening to stories and all because it does give me some insight at times, but we shouldn't be doing that so often, after all we're paid to teach, not to story tell.

i don't agree with going through the whole chapter again when the student already did that in school, unless she has parts she didn't know/understand.

instead i like to just reinforce the more important parts from the text and do questions to understand the concept.

that was the way i liked my tuition to be in the past. and so now when i'm a tutor, that is my way of teaching.

my past students had problem understanding what was done in school/ never pay attention in class (pretty much like me in the past) so i could go through the whole chapter again. this time round the student does know what's going on in class. (so i just go through the part she has queries, and we did questions).

this time round, she understood the concept of atoms and molecules before i came, test her understanding in half an hour. did challenging qns in another half an hour. and the last half an hour i had to teach her a new topic (next week's hour!)

next week i go no idea how am i going to last another 1.5hr.

maybe we can talk about tennis, bollywood films, or bishan or toa payoh having better food.

ah..i always wonder what it would be like to tutor a kid..

who is really interested in learning.

who doesn't give the teacher nonsense.

to do work as instructed.

to ask questions when in doubt.

basically a student who just need some guidance.

and i'll be there to show the student the approach.

today, i had my question answered.