Proudest achievement in 2019 - A Case Study

Student Profile

Name: J
Level: Sec 4 
School: Chung Cheng High Main
Grades: E8-F9 
Marks for Prelims: MCQ 29/40, P2 - 37/80 (Failed), Practical 21/40(Just pass)
Date of first session: 27/9/19
Total number of lessons: 8  (27/9, 4/10, 6/10, 9/10, 13/10, 16/10, 18/10 and 26/10)
Total number of hours: 16
Date of O level Exam: 30/10/19

Strategy

• Understand weakness and needs of student.
• Covered important skillset - including chemical formula and balancing equations.
• Focused on changing of mindset - importance of understanding of concepts and scientific keywords.
• Gave tips - reduction of memory work, special answering techniques and templates.
• Covered both practical (planning) and theory questions.
• Reteach important concepts using customised notes.
• Provided topical notes and worksheets for weak topics .
• Provided challenging questions to test student's understanding.
• Provided constructive feedback for answers.

1st Feedback to Parent on 28/9/19

Hi Mdm W, just a quick feedback regarding my observation so far:

1. J is weak in understanding of concepts. She may be able to give the answers to certain questions, but when asked further, she doesn’t know how she formed her answer. Most likely, she uses a lot of memory work when studying, instead of understanding the concepts.

2. She lacks skills when forming equations, taking up a lot of time even when it’s a 1 mark type of question. I have given her tips on how to form equations faster and more accurately. Also taught her how to check the equations formed.

3. She is not very sure of the keywords to use for answering questions. In chemistry, there are certain sentence structure template that we use to answer questions. And most likely she lost marks when she did not answer using important keywords (which she didn’t know that they are keywords). 

4. I went through the basics to make sure that she doesn’t make the same type of mistakes again and again as these basics are repeated throughout all topics. 

5. We started with the most challenging chapter which is electrolysis. She couldn’t answer well even for the most basic type of questions. Have already gone through her mistakes and given her some homework.

6. I stressed to her the importance of understanding of concepts. Knowing how to explain how she came out with the answers is crucial as the exam questions set in recent years require students to answer questions base on new context. Remembering answers from familiar context will give her a disadvantage.

I gave her some reference materials, notes and worksheets. Hopefully she will find them useful. Will be preparing according to her request for the next session.

2nd Feedback on 5/10/19

Hi Mdm W, just a quick update:

We finished the chapter on electrolysis yesterday. It’s the hardest topic of the whole syllabus. She didn’t understand how to derive certain answers at first and by now, she should be able to as I have shared with her a method to figure out which thinking process to use. Have also given her some practice questions to do.

We also covered a component of practical skill - planning. She has problem writing in a scientific way. Have gone through the requirements with her so that she knows what to write.

We will move on to her next weakest topic and I will also give her more examples for practical planning question.

3rd Feedback on 10/10/19

Hi Mdm W, just a quick update:

I gave J a few more planning questions as example so that she has more exposure to questions. Also gave her practical exam notes and went through with her the common mistakes that students make during practical. I also tested her on the way she writes her exam answer for practical.

For the theory paper, we are currently doing organic chemistry which is a large topic comprising of 6 smaller topics. I gave her homework on this topic and she’s learning from mistakes made in the homework. I also reteach a few concepts like isomers and esterification as these are her weaknesses.

Yesterday was the 4th session. (27/9, 4/10, 6/10, 9/10).

4th Feedback on 15/10/19

Hi Mdm W, just a quick update:

1) I gave her 2 model answers for planning exercise and both types came out for the practical exam - thermal decomposition and thermometric titration.

2) Currently we are doing the more challenging concepts for organic chemistry. Have also gone through and  given her extra notes on concepts that are taken out of the syllabus but frequently tested (moe wants students to be able to analyse and do without being taught). J has come across such questions in her tests and exams before but couldn’t understand at first. Now she can do questions given without referring to notes. 

3) Will be moving on to other frequently tested topics and concepts. Also gave her tips on how to study for Chemistry and what to take note of.

Last Feedback on 26/10/19

Hi Mdm W, just a quick feedback, we managed to go through most of the popular topics for o level. Have taught her answering techniques and answers templates for the relevant chapters. 

For every new technique, I have given her questions to test her. So far, she could replicate what was taught.

Today marks the last session. She feels that she can handle the mcq paper on her own.

The 4 sessions are 13/10, 16/10, 18/10 and 26/10. 

Thanks! Hope she will do well for her paper this wed.

O Level Results - A Jump from E8/F9 to A2 in Just 1 Month

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