I took a test for a new job in teaching at a public secondary school.
One test was held from 10:30 to 11:30 for one hour. It was a thesis test. What does thesis test mean for a professional writer? It is more apparent than watching fire. - Sorry this is based on Japanese expression, means it is completely clear -. It was much easier than others.
I was thinking over the theme for twenty hours and started writing. It took fifteen minutes to complete it. The rest of 25 minutes I was just sitting.
The theme was how to stabilise the study habit for pupils.
My reply was 1--Not to let them watch telly. 2--To let pupils write some comment about special occasions. 3--Forbid studying at home.
I took interview test from 16:30 to 17:00 exact. Three people were interviewed together.
Thus my busiest day ended, I am exhausted but in a comfortable way.
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ReplyDeleteWhere the heck are they supposed to do it, then?
I insisted all their study has to be done at school in a class. At home they are forbidden to study what they were taught in a school. They have to think themselves what they ought to do at home, for instance, read a book, write a thesis, paint a picture, and make a mold, etc.
ReplyDeleteI simply don't get it. All the children I know - in several countries - go to school where they are taught, then they go home and do their homework for next day. Do Japanese children do their homework/preparation at school? Supervised?
ReplyDeleteIf somebody asked me how to stabilize study patterns, I'd say it was up to the parents, and they can: 1) fix a time for studies every day and not disturb the child during that time; 2) make sure that the child has a quiet place where everything is ready - good light, pencils etc.; 3) be ready to help if the child doesn't understand something or have trouble solving a problem.
ReplyDeleteThe school/teacher can: 1) make the subject interesting and ensure that pupils aren't afraid of asking questions; 2) have regular meetings with the parents at which special problems can be discussed; 3) make sure that the most intelligent pupils get some challenges too - if everything is easy, they get bored and don't get used to applying their brains.
I didn't study at home at all. Because I was able to learn by heart what I had in a class simply by attending the class.
ReplyDeleteActually I won't force them to do the same as what I did in my school days, but I intend to teach them how important the class is. Indeed they can learn by heart everything if they learned how to concentrate their attention on the content in a class.
Oh, that's so conventional. We need not a teacher if children study themselves.
ReplyDeleteI suggest the best way to let them study themselves willingly is forbid to study at home. Then they will start studying hid themselves from their parents and teachers.
Yes, but isn't there stuff that has to be written? Like math? My homework was mostly applying what we had already learned, like solving math problems or putting the correct grammatical form in sentences or similar things.
ReplyDeleteLater we had things like "read this short story at home"; then we discussed it in class. Having the students reading to themselves in class is waste of teaching time.
I don't think children should be encouraged (forced) to hide things or to lie.
ReplyDeleteFor me, a teacher's role is to be there when I get stuck, and to correct me when I get the wrong idea. Studying doesn't result in perfect knowledge. It might not even result in learning anything useful, if the proper mental framework doesn't get set up.
ReplyDeleteIn my educational experiences here in the US, we were supposed to read a chapter of the textbook, then get lectured on what it means. Pieces start falling into place throughout the lecture, as things that we read start to match the examples we see on the board. And then we go home to do the homework problems in the back of the chapter, once we ostensibly have a good handle on what's supposed to be going on.
And to tell things that aren't in the book. To explain - depending on the students' age - that some researchers have different opinions from the author's (e.g. in history or science). In foreign languages: to give us training in conversation. To encourage independent thinking instead of believing everything one sees printed. Last but not least: to inspire and make learning a joy.
ReplyDeleteThat's in Europe. In India, one would think the teachers were training parrots. Argh!
It is nothing but a degradation of teachers or abandonment of teacher's role if teachers expect their pupils to do something in their homework.
ReplyDeleteAgain respective teachers ought not to expect their pupils to do anything in their homework. Only very stupid teachers impose homework, which is beyond the authority of teachers.
I simply don't agree with you. The purpose of homework is to give the students practice - in writing or calculation or translation or whatever. If they are to practice in class, there's not enough time left for actual teaching.
ReplyDeleteIf you teach the students 20 new words in e.g. English in class, they (with a very few exceptions) remember about 5 - this has been researched. You can either repeat the words in class until they are remembered, in which case you don't get through very many words in a year, or you can tell the students to memorize the words at home and check next day that they have done it. The latter is how I was taught, how Zeenat is taught now, and it works.
So, unless Japanese children go to school 10 hours a day - No!
Your overall opinions are worthy of embracing.
ReplyDeleteAt least I am a teacher by trade. I need to be a reliable teacher. Probably pupils are supposed to read a chapter of the textbook before they get lectured. But good teachers never expect their pupils to read a chapter beforehand. Good teachers need to have a class under the premise that no pupils know at all what they learn in the class.
No no - neither I nor Zeenat was/is expected to read a textbook chapter BEFOREHAND. The teacher explained the new chapter, and then we were told to read it before next class. Of course, students with a good memory (like you and I) just opened the book at home, thought "oh yes, yes, and yes", end of studying that book.
ReplyDeleteIf you're objecting to teachers who expect the students to know things before they get to them in class, then I agree with you. But I have never met any teacher who did.
Sorry - I don't know how it is in Japan.
I was completely doing my homework till age 15 or in my junior high days. But at age 16, I stopped doing so. It took many hours to complete homework and it was simply a wasting of my precious time. Because those days I noticed teachers didn't know what is really needed for pupils to do. I decided to learn by heart what I thought it needed. Besides I stopped taking a note, because I felt it nonsense to do it. I was just sitting in a class and trying to learn by heart what I thought it necessary.
ReplyDeleteAt home I was writing a novel all day long.
This habit lasted till I got a degree in University.
If teachers have a class under the premise that all pupils finished their homework, only those pupils who followed their teacher's instructions to do their homework can catch up with the pace of class by the teachers. All others are unlikely to follow the class. There are many pupils in a class. Some follow well and others don't. Some pupils are superior to teachers. Teachers' role is not to impose something in a class, let alone at home, but to give advice what is needed for each pupil.
That's definitely how I taught - but that was at University where I think that those who don't want to work - or can't get by without much work - ought to get out and find a job in a factory.
ReplyDeleteIt's rather different with small children, but I still think they should do homework in order to get more practice in disciplines like writing and calculation. Also in order to get used to working for their own benefit, in this case catching up with the pace of the class. We don't want people to be 35 when they graduate from high school, do we?
Those who don't follow well - if it's because of laziness, there's no excuse, and the rest of the students shouldn't be held back because of those. If they have learning disabilities or other problems, then it's up to the teacher to help them.
I must say that a good deal of this depends on how many students you have in a class. If you have max. 10, you're able to check in class whether they have all understood you. If you have 25-30, this is impossible; you have to give them papers to write or math problems to solve at home. If you don't, you'll never - or very late - discover who needs help.
ReplyDeleteHm, you can give them written tests in class - but that is proven to be stressful for the children.