How To Excel In High School Whilst Managing Anxiety

YEAR 6 STUDENT GOES FROM C’S TO A’S IN 5 MONTHS

 

At A Team, we aim to provide a sense of enrichment to all our students, whether it may be in the form of academic achievements or personal development. To do this, our tutors are dedicated to instilling motivation and confidence in their students through creative means.

 

For one of our incredible tutors, Rimaz Toto, such a mindset was extremely effective in transforming one of her Year 6 Math students, Chloe, into a shining star.

 

Some would say Maths is interesting in the sense that it is a subject that can be explored in so many different ways, and to so many different extents. Others might say that it is the subject they find most challenging, or that they just can’t seem to get their head around it!

 

Before receiving tutoring from A Team Tuition, Chloe was one of the latter.

 

As a student who was struggling with Maths in school, Chloe’s greatest weaknesses were comprehending complex Maths questions and understanding how to approach those questions.

 

Consequently, her parents felt tutoring would be of great help to Chloe’s result in Maths after discussing it with her teacher.

 

As Chloe’s brother, Harrisa, was already being tutored by Rimaz and receiving great results, Chloe’s parents did not hesitate to seek out A Team Tuition again for Chloe’s Academic Personal Training.

 

Just as we aim to satisfy all our clients, Chloe’s parents were very content with Rimaz as their tutor: “We all bonded with Rimaz immediately; she is very easy to talk to and Chloe feels very comfortable with her”.

 

Fortunately, Rimaz identified Chloe’s greatest struggles almost instantly!

 

“I often found that Chloe would make silly mistakes or not fully understand the question, leaving her confused and stressed. I figured this out during the initial session, where I had printed out some simple straight forward questions and some wordy questions. I found that the straightforward questions Chloe was able to answer confidently, however the wordy questions she was struggling a bit”.

 

Accordingly, Rimaz brainstormed ideas to tackle Chloe’s weaknesses in Maths.

 

“In terms of the strategy that I implemented to address Chloe’s struggles, I started practicing straightforward and wordy questions in every session. I would also assign her homework that would allow her to practice the content we had completed during the session. The worksheets that I gave her aligned with similar ones that her teacher gave her, and Chloe was able to build her knowledge through those practice questions and then work on harder wordy questions in the sessions”.

Nonetheless, transforming Chloe did not come easy to Rimaz.

 

For most tutors, the first few academic personal training sessions are often spent on getting to know their students a little better. This is so that tutors can connect to their students on a personal level, and also to find out their hobbies and habits.

When Rimaz first began tutoring Chloe, she felt a little lost as to where to begin. Though she had previously tutored Chloe’s brother and discovered his study methods, she couldn’t exactly get Chloe’s.

“It took time and after many conversations with Chloe’s mother, we both knew that Chloe knew all the information she needed to know for all her classes, her biggest struggle was practicing those questions and putting the knowledge into context.”

On top of that, Rimaz experienced slight difficulties in stimulating her sessions with Chloe.

 

“The toughest thing with tutoring in general is finding a balance between challenging the student but also making the session fun and enjoyable. I found that Chloe was a very hyperactive kid and would often get distracted and hungry very easily.”.

 

Rimaz revealed that this hindered Chloe’s ability to concentrate and focus 100% of the time during their tutoring session. As a result, Rimaz worked hard to find a balance in her lessons with Chloe, and soon realised that Chloe simply needed some distraction time throughout the session in order to regain her concentration.

 

“We would often take the occasional breaks and I would ask her questions that were not school related. For example, “what did you buy when you went shopping this weekend?”, “what’s your favourite thing about dancing?”. These questions distracted her from her study and she was able to focus for another 20 minutes before we would have to take another break”.

 

Accordingly, Chloe noted that “the best part about my tutor is that she is always cheerful,” and “(I) get advice and it is not boring”. Chloe also felt that she began to develop the desire to get better grades, as opposed to before she started tutoring.

 

Slowly but surely, Chloe’s transformation began to take place. When asked, her parents also confirmed that Chloe’s confidence improved and so did her results.

 

Undoubtedly, this was largely attributable to Rimaz’s patience, observance and effective academic personal training.

 

“(Chloe’s) turning point occurred when I realized that the practice questions and homework that I was assigning her was helping her. I tailored the tutoring sessions to meet Chloe’s academic needs and that’s what every tutor should do because once you do that, everything clicks into place and the lightbulb shines”.

 

As the fruits of her labour, Chloe’s impressive transformation has definitely boosted her confidence and allowed her to become more sociable as well as outgoing in numerous aspects of her life. Rimaz also quickly recognised that Chloe became a lot happier and less stressed out about school upon her steady transformation over 5 months.

 

Upon appreciating such results, we at A Team Tuition are extremely pleased that Rimaz was the perfect tutor for Chloe, as Rimaz herself revealed:

 

“I think the reason why I was able to achieve this transformation and not her parents or teachers is because A team equipped me with the skills and strategies that they need in order to assist Chloe. A team helped me identify my strengths and I was able to implement those strengths into the tutoring sessions and use my strengths to help the student improve”.

 

“Also, I feel teachers are unable to complete this transformation because of the other responsibilities they have. Teachers have to look after a number of students, whereas with tutoring, the tutor’s attention is on the student and their area of difficulty”.

 

Remarkably, Chloe was not the only one who was transformed through this time.

 

“Chloe has allowed me to become more patient and appreciative of everything that I have,” Rimaz commented.

 

“Chloe vibrates love and happiness and that atmosphere has rubbed off on me and allowed me to become just a happy person”.

 

Even more, Chloe’s parents were also greatly benefited by the tutoring sessions:

 

“Homework is a much calmer and happier experience for all of us!!!”

 

We are extremely proud of Chloe’s transformation from a C to an A in Maths and can’t wait to see what this dynamic duo achieves in the near future!

 

Not only did Rimaz and Chloe’s story further boost our immense confidence in both our tutors and our clients; it has also certainly imparted to all of us that – anything is possible with the right support, resources, and can-do mindset!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post YEAR 6 STUDENT GOES FROM C’S TO A’S IN 5 MONTHS appeared first on A Team Tuition.

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5 Ways To Ease The Transition From Year 11 To Year 12

The last school bell of the year rings. You have finally completed Year 11 and an appealing two months of school-free holiday awaits you. Firstly, congratulations on finishing your second last year of school! You are now one step closer to the long-awaited graduation – exciting, isn’t it? 

While this is surely a prime time for some well-deserved celebration and relaxation, getting prepared for a smooth transition into Year 12 will definitely come in handy in your final year of school.

A couple simple steps and you will see Year 12 fly by like an arrow as you make the most of your last schooling year!

1. Treasure Your Year 11 Notes

If you have had a peek at your Year 12 subject textbooks, you will see topics that are almost identical to those studied in Year 11. Senior subject topics are introduced in Year 11 and expanded in Year 12. You will be studying the same topics, just with more advanced content and to a more profound level – this will apply to most core subjects.

The good news about this is, you get to re-use all your Year 11 notes! Think of Year 11 as a foundation year in preparation for Year 12; it contains all the formative assessments while Year 12 is comprised of summative assessments.

That said, the notes that helped you through Year 11 will be of equal advantage to you in Year 12, especially when you need to refer to the basics in order to understand more challenging concepts.

To give yourself an extra boost, scan through your Year 11 notes occasionally throughout the summer holidays to refresh your memory on what you have learnt in the past year. This way, you will be all ready-to-go in Year 12 without having to revise the old concepts after school has begun.

2. Make Use Of Holiday Sessions

 

What better way to excel in Year 12 than to gain the advantage of being few steps ahead throughout the whole year?

Begin with requesting for holiday sessions with your tutor, who will be more than eager to help those of their students who seek to achieve above and beyond.

For your holiday sessions, select 2 to 3 of your strongest or most liked subjects and start the respective Term 1 syllabus. As you complete the first few topics that will be taught in Term 1 during the holidays, the content shall sit deeper in your mind when you learn it a second time in school.

Not only will this ensure you have a more profound understanding of the content than the rest of your cohort, you are now one term ahead of schedule in that it allows you and your tutor to begin Term 2 work at the end of Term 1 as well as during your break in between.

Consequently, throughout Year 12, you would have learnt the subjects you have selected twice, so that you become even stronger in your strongest subjects.

I also recommended for you to choose your most liked subjects for this purpose because you wouldn’t want to get sick of subjects you do not necessarily enjoy by studying them over the holidays, right?

Don’t get me wrong, holidays are still a time for you to relax, travel, catch up with friends, or stay home to binge watch TV series all day!

In view of that, your holiday tutoring sessions can take place either weekly or fortnightly, and easily scheduled according to your personal timetable, as our Academic Personal Trainers are usually pretty flexible and accommodating during the school holidays!

3. Set Goals And Follow A Plan

Almost every achievement is a result of a goal. Nevertheless, your goals do not have to be result-specific; it may not be realistic to set the goal of achieving an OP 1 when you do not have a plan that works towards this goal.  

Hence, it is ideal to set goals that are attainable hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly. For instance:

• Finish Your Maths homework in an hour without any distractions
• Complete 300 words of your assignment by the end of the day
• Go to a consultation with your subject teacher at least once a week
• Finish reading the book you are studying in English by the end of the month

Such goals should not only be set when Year 12 begins, but also in the holidays during your transition between Year 11 and 12 (though they can be much more laid back!).

If you struggle to construct a realistic timetable during your holidays, simply consult your Academic Personal Trainer to give you a hand!

Personally, I like to utilise the sticky notes on my laptop as my planner, reason being I can easily edit them in the event that I am left with extra time to accomplish more or when plans change.

For those of you who prefer writing your goals down however, there are a variety of aesthetic planners available in bookshops and gift shops for you to choose from.

I recommend something handy which you can carry around with you so to ensure you will always stay on track with your plans. You could also have a look at the Neurobooks developed by A Team for a more content-specific planner.

By crafting an elaborate timetable in which you will follow diligently throughout Year 12, you are taking baby steps towards achieving your bigger, long-term goal.

Such goal-setting will also warrant a smooth transition as you have composed a clear path you wish to follow, which already places you ahead of the year!

4. Solidify Relationships With Teachers And Classmates

While academic goals and achievements are crucial in your final year of school, good relationships with those whom you will see 7 hours a day, 5 days a week are equally essential.

Imagine having spent most of your life with the same classmates and the same teachers who have been around since Prep, and now you have reached your last ever schooling year – you’d want to make the most out of it!

Firstly, cherish your high-school friendships as they may last a lifetime.

One of my best memories from Year 12 was the fun we had when my friends and I assisted one another in completing homework, group presentations and assessments.

This consisted of late-night calls, sleepovers and staying back after school to brainstorm ideas – you’d also be surprised how much you may learn from your classmates!

Secondly, develop close relationships with your teachers. Why? Check out our blog “Why being a teacher’s pet is so cool” to be amazed by the many benefits that come with good relationships with your teachers!

In addition, the numbered days you have together will make this coming year the most unforgettable year.

All in all, by solidifying relationships with your teachers and classmates, you will guarantee yourself a fun and rewarding time in Year 12!

5. Think Ahead

It is no doubt that Year 12 will be your busiest year of school. Amidst all the impending assessments, you have carnivals, house events, QCS preparation, formal, and a number of other different school activities!

However, you shall not neglect pondering about some huge decisions that you have to soon confront.

For example, begin thinking about the degree you would like to study in University, and set a goal for yourself to work towards accordingly.

Alternatively, deliberate your plans after graduation – whether it is a gap year, or straight into a career you have set out for yourself.

It could be anything at all – competing in performing arts, joining a sports team, becoming a tutor with A Team Tuition, or moving to another country for a couple of months – you are in control of your own decisions.

Again, you won’t likely go wrong with an elaborate plan set out for the year after Year 12.

To conclude, I am sure you will consider these steps while easing your way into your final year of school – A Team wishes you all the best, and good luck!

The post 5 Ways To Ease The Transition From Year 11 To Year 12 appeared first on A Team Tuition.

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