why is my child not improving?

Many parents in Singapore have invested time and money into finding suitable Chemistry tuition classes for their children. However, despite painstakingly sourcing for the tutors for their children, parents often face disappointment as the results fall short. Why is this so? 

Here are 3 reasons why typical Chemistry tuition centres wouldn’t work for students. ​

1. The ‘One Size Fits All’ approach

Most students in tuition centres are taught with a One-Size-Fits-All approach which is similar to the type of learning students experience in schools. This makes it difficult to identify and address weaknesses students might have which then hinders any possible improvement they could make as there is an assumption that all students face similar difficulties and challenges.

2. No customisation

Since most centres adopt classroom teaching, there is no creation of customised materials for individual students. Instead, most centres use standardised materials or generic worksheets. The learning experience exists purely based on what the tutor decides to provide for the student in terms of learning content.

3. Most tutors are part-timers

At many tuition centres, tutors are often part-timers who are transitioning between jobs or working for extra income. Although many claim to have experience and flexible schedules, their availability could be inconsistent in the long run as many are working under a short-term contract. As the part-timers usually use materials provided by the tuition centres, lessons tend to have a lack of engagement due to the routine teaching. ​

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Why is Mrs Lim different?

Mrs Lim is a dedicated, full-time tutor who is driven by passion. Each of her students has a customized learning programme, achieved through specialised and tailored approaches which caters directly to the needs of every individual. Every student’s portfolio is handled by Mrs Lim in a personalised manner. From the first session, Mrs Lim profiles her students to identify their strengths and areas of weakness. Based on the students’ needs, she will address gaps in the students’ conceptual knowledge while reinforcing their strengths. 

Aside from educating students by teaching them relevant content, Mrs Lim also focuses on cultivating the right mindset towards learning that goes beyond spoon-feeding and rote learning. Instead of drilling exercises, she utilises elements of problem-based learning and highlight the relevance of concepts to real-world situations, challenging them to think critically beyond the mere regurgitation of facts. This cultivates in students the ability to evaluate and analyse problems across any given discipline.

The friendly disposition of Mrs Lim allows students to feel comfortable and open with her. She goes beyond simply being a teacher and often takes on the additional role of being a mentor to her students. Through maintaining good rapport with her students, she inspires them to take responsibility and establish purpose in their learning, guiding them step-by-step towards achieving both their academic and life goals. 

Mrs Lim also believes in establishing a unique tripartite relationship between herself, parents and students. Through the informal discussions after lessons, she keeps parents in the loop of their child’s progress regularly so that they can work together to provide help the student.