2009: The year in review

Before the midnight mayhem strikes, here's wishing everyone a happy new year. As we enter into a new decade in just over a half hour's time, I'd like to give a quick review of the business in the year 2009.

Unlike last year, we operated solely as a tuition agency during this 2009. Matching students and tutors has its conveniences and also its challenges, for example, finding a literature tutor to teach in Boon Lay. Also, as many tutors can attest, we are one of the few tuition agencies in Singapore who personally interview our tutors individually before commencing tuition assignments. This ensures that the quality of tutors we assign is not compromised and this is a standard we are proud of achieving.

Our mission is to be the leading provider of quality education by fulfilling the tutoring needs of every student. We hope to increase the size of our team in 2010 so that we can reach a broader audience. Thus 2010 will see us developing and building on the hard works of 2009 as we work toward our vision of achieving quality education for all.

Cheers.

Disney animated movies

The classics that many of us grew up watching. An ode to Disney animated movies. Uncalled for I know, but take it with a pinch of salt.

♫ Nobody oughta be, all alone on Christmas ♫

Here's wishing every one a happy and blessed Christmas. Treasure every moment with family and loved ones.



All Alone on Christmas, Darlene Love

The cold wind is blowin' and the streets are getting dark
I'm writing you a letter and I don't know where to start
The bells will be ringing Saint John the Divine
I get a little lonely every year around this time

The music plays all night in Little Italy
The lights will be going up on old Rockefella's tree
People window shopping on Fifth Avenue
All I want for Christmas is you

(Tell me) I've got to know
Where do lonely hearts go
Because nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas

Things are different since you've been here last
Childhood dreaming is a thing of the past
Maybe you can bring us some hope this year
Visions of sugar plums have disappeared

Do you remember sleigh riding in the snow
And dancing all night to "Baby, Please Come Home"
Today's celebration is bittersweet
There's mothers and children in the street

(Tell me) I've got to know
Where do lonely hearts go
Because nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas

I'm all grown up but I'm the same you'll see
I'm writing this letter 'cause I still believe
Dear Santa I've been good this year
Can't you stay a little while with me right here

(Tell me) I've got to know
Where do lonely hearts go
Because nobody ought to be all alone on Christmas

Season's greetings to every one. Party hard. Play hard. But drink responsibly.

Somebody Should Have Taught Him

I went to a birthday party
but I remember what you said.
You told me not to drink at all,
so I had a Sprite instead.
I felt proud of myself,
the way you said I would,
that I didn't chose to drink and drive,
though some friends said I should.
I knew I made a healthy choice and
your advice to me was right
as the party finally ended
and the kids drove out of sight.
I got into my own car,
sure to get home in one piece,
never knowing what was coming,
something I expected least.
Now I'm lying on the pavement.
I can hear the policeman say,
"The kid that caused this wreck was drunk."
His voice seems far away.
My own blood is all around me,
as I try hard not to cry.
I can hear the paramedic say,
"This girl is going to die."
I'm sure the guy had no idea,
while he was flying high,
because he chose to drink and drive
that I would have to die.
So why do people do it,
knowing that it ruins lives?
But now the pain is cutting me
like a hundred stabbing knives.
Tell my sister not to be afraid,
Tell Daddy to be brave,
and when I go to heaven to
put "Daddy's Girl" on my grave.
Someone should have taught him
that it's wrong to drink and drive.
Maybe if his mom and dad had,
I'd still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter,
I'm getting really scared.
These are my final moments,
and I'm so unprepared.
I wish that you could hold me, Mom,
as I lie here and die.
I wish that I could say
I love you and good-bye.

Retold by Jane Watkins

Winners don't quit. Quitters don't win.

As a tribute to athletes participating in the SEA games this December, we salute the perseverance and determination of people who never gave up.

1. Michael Jordan did not make it to his high school basketball team, but he practiced for 3 hours every day until he became the world's best basketball player.

2. Albert Einstein had childhood speech impediment, and he failed his university entrance exam into the Swiss Federal Polytechnical School (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule or ETH). He passed the math and science sections of the entrance exam, but failed the rest (history, languages, geography, etc.)

3. Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which metastasized to his brain and his lungs in 1996, not only did he battle caner, he recovered to win the Tour de France a record-breaking 7 consecutive years from 1999 to 2005.

4. Terry Fox lost his right leg to osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that attacks the knee. Yet, he still found strength to run the Marathon of Hope (cross-Canada run), at a pace of 42km a day. He never completed it because his cancer had spread to his lungs. But after 143 days of running, he had covered 5,373km. His courage and determination helped raise $24.17 million for cancer research - thus achieving his goal of raising one dollar for every single Canadian for cancer research.

5. Thomas Edison was labelled as "stupid" and "unteachable" by his school teacher in his early childhood and his parents had to pull him out of school. He also spent his teenage years working and being fired from various jobs. Despite these setbacks, Edison became one of the greatest inventors of all time, and obtained 1,093 patents throughout his career.

6. As a young man, Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star Newspaper because he was thought to have lacked creativity. He then created his own company called Laugh-O-Gram Films which nearly went broke. Classic films like Mickey Mouse, The Three Little Pigs and Pinocchio were even rejected. But 16 years of persuading Pamela Travers to turn her novel Mary Poppins into a film paid off and finally gave Disney his big break.

English as it is broken

A classic comedy! As they say, old is gold. Mind your language is hilarious.



Most of the episodes can be found on google videos.

5 indications that your tutor is lousy

1. He's just your problem-solver

It is important that he must be able to solve problems you encounter in the course of your schoolwork. But if he's just a miracle man who solves all your questions, you are missing out on the teaching aspect of the subject. Educating someone on a subject goes beyond solving his/her homework.

2. He asks you to use algebra to solve primary school maths problems

If he can't solve primary school maths problems using models (much less teach you to do it), he's just not good enough and you shouldn't be paying him.

3. You find yourself doing practice questions for the whole lesson duration

He probably came unprepared.

4. You hate the subject even more

A good tutor should be making the subject less hard than it seems.

5. He doesn't know the curriculum

Enough said.

Possible final exam questions for A Level

Instructions: Read each question carefully. Answer all questions.
Time limit: 2 hours. Begin immediately.

Physics
Explain the nature of matter. Include in your answer an evaluation of the impact of the development of mathematics on science.

Chemistry
You must identify a poison sample which you will find at your lab table. All necessary equipment has been provided. There are two beakers at your desk, one of which holds the antidote. If the wrong substance is used, it causes instant death. You may begin as soon as the professor injects you with a sample of the poison. (We feel this will give you an incentive to find the correct answer.)

Biology
Create life. Estimate the differences in subsequent human culture if this form of life had developed 500 million years earlier, with special attention to its probable effect on the English Parliamentary System circa 1750. Prove your thesis.

Art
Given one eight-count box of crayons and three sheets of notebook paper, recreate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Skin tones should be true to life.

Mathematics
Derive the Euler-Cauchy equations using only a straightedge and compass. Discuss in detail the role these equations had on mathematical analysis in Europe during the 1800s.

Music
Write a piano concerto. Orchestrate and perform it with flute and drum. You will find a piano under your seat.

General Knowledge
Describe in detail. Be objective and specific.


and for those in university...

Medicine
You have been provided with a razor blade, a piece of gauze, and a bottle of scotch. Remove your appendix. Do not suture until you work has been inspected. You have fifteen minutes.

Economics
Develop a realistic plan for refinancing the national debt. Trace the possible effects of your plan in the following areas: Cubism, the Donatist Controversy and the Wave Theory of Light. Outline a method for preventing these effects. Criticize this method from all possible points of view. Point out the deficiencies in your point of view, as demonstrated in your answer to the last question.

Engineering
The disassembled parts of a high-powered rifle have been placed on your desk. You will also find an instruction manual, printed in Swahili. In 10 minutes, a hungry bengal tiger will be admitted to the room. Take whatever action you feel necessary. Be prepared to justify your decision

History
Describe the history of the Papacy from its origins to the present day, concentrating especially, but not exclusively, on its Europe, Asia, America and Africa. Be brief, concise and specific.

Physchology
Based on your knowledge of their works, evaluate the emotional stability, degree of adjustment, and repressed frustrations of each of the following: Alexander of Aphrodisis, Rameses II, Hammuarabi. Support your evaluation with quotations from each man's work, making appropriate references. It is not necessary to translate.

Political Science
There is a red telephone on the desk beside you. Start World War III. Report at length on its socio-political effects if any.

Religion
Perform a miracle. Creativity will be judged.

Reference:
http://www.ahajokes.com/impossible.html

A note for students studying in public places

It was 6pm on a Saturday evening and I was in a McDonalds at Raffles City. The weather was pouring and the place was crowded. A group of 4 women, having just purchased their food, were stranded in the middle of the restaurant with trays-in-hand, but no available table. The women obviously weren't Singaporean and they looked like they were tourists visiting Singapore.

A McDonalds staff member immediately came to their assistance. He approached a group of 2 students who had their notes and textbooks sprawled over a four-seater table and told them to leave (politely of course). The students eventually did but I wondered if the women would develop an image of Singaporean students as being not-so-considerate.

The first thing that came to my mind was: what a bunch of airheads. Dinner-time. Saturday evening. McDonalds in City Hall. Studying whilst occupying seats meant to accommodate twice the number of people. You'll never get away with that.

However, I suddenly remembered a blog entry that I wrote in September (10 places to study other than at home) and it killed me to realize, that by listing fast-food restaurants as one of the alternate places to study, I was, to a tiny extent, actually propagating such inconsiderate behavior. Damn! And all I wanted to do was provide a list of alternative places to study for students who don't have a conducive home environment.

Lesson learnt: if you are one of those students who like to study in such places, be sure to exercise some discretion. While it is important to study hard for exams, it is also equally important to exercise basic social graces.

And if I were to add another suggestion, paying for membership to use the community center study rooms will actually be cheaper than buying multiple drinks in fast-food restaurants over the long haul.

Answers to the suitcase problem

If you are on a boat and toss a suitcase overboard, will the water level rise or fall?

Normally, we wouldn't be interested in the rise or fall of the water level in a body of water large enough to permit boating. In fact, tossing a suitcase out of a boat is not going to change the water level perceptibly. The question is whether it changes the level in principle.

We can try and imagine the problem. Anytime you throw weight out of a floating boat, the boat gets lighter and rises. However, that's not what this question asks. It asks whether the water level rises or falls.

If the suitcase were to be magically removed or evaporated into thin air, the answer becomes more straightforward because the boat would simply be lighter and float higher. This makes the water level decrease.

However in this question, the suitcase is tossed out of the boat, and into the water. This begs us to question further. What if the suitcase sinks? What if the suitcase floats? Will the answer be the same for both cases?

In the case of the suitcase sinking, pretend you throw a heavy suitcase overboard, having first secured it to the boat with fishing line. The boat briefly rises, then the line draws taut as the suitcase sinks as far as the line permits. This makes the boat dragged down by the weight of the suitcase. The displacement of the boat plus suitcase is identical to what it was originally. If you snip the fishing line, the suitcase will sink to the bottom while the boat's hull rises upward. This decreases the volume displaced and hence lowers the water level.

In the case of the suitcase floating, we would be more interested in the weight displaced. In school, we learnt about Archimedes principle, which states that the upthrust acting on an object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced. If I have a 5kg beach ball floating in a bathtub, the beach ball displaces 5kg of water. Similarly, if I have five 1kg beach balls floating in the same body of water, the total weight of water displaced is still 5kg. This means that the volume displaced is also the same. Hence, if the suitcase floats the water level will remain the same.

Conclusion: tossing a suitcase off a boat makes no difference in water level if the suitcase floats. If the suitcase sinks, the water level falls.

Trivia: Rise or fall?

Here's our trivia for the month of October.

If you are on a boat and toss a suitcase overboard, will the water level rise or fall?

Getting started is always the hardest

The hardest part of studying for exams is getting started itself. Once you get started and develope a rythm, studying becomes less painful.

It is one of the laws of the universe. Newton's first law tells us that things in motion tend to stay in motion, and things at rest tend to remain at rest.

The more we procrastinate and avoid doing the unpleasant stuff, we are actually setting ourselves up for failure. But once we get through the starting phase and make studying habitual, it doesn't become so hard to study.

Just like riding a bike, starting a business, swimming, or training for a marathon, the hardest part is actually getting started itself.

Children's Day

I miss my primary school days when life was simple and plain fun. I miss all the recess times when we would run to the school field to play football during that short 30 min break. Who cares if our white school shoes got caked in mud. Mum would wash it for us anyway. I miss the happiness that erupted whenever the fire-drill bell rang. It means 20 mins of official goofing off! I miss the chit-chat with friends on the school-bus ride home. The school bus was also a place where students waged their pocket money on the buying and trading of dragon ball cards. I miss the days when school ended at 1. This would be followed by an afternoon nap in the comfort of home. I miss all the excursions during after-exam periods. The post-examination period when teachers were busy marking scripts was the best time to go to school.

Here's wishing all children a happy children's day! Enjoy your childhood years and don't be in such a hurry to grow up so fast. Study hard and play hard.

For the P6 students, all the best in the upcoming PSLE exams!

Curve of Forgetting

For many school-going students, it's the time of the year again when exams are just around the corner. Orchard Road gets less crowded while McDonalds observes increases in beverage sales!

We try and review one whole year's worth of academic workload in the hope that we can recall them and apply them cometh the hour.

Hopefully, while it's not too late, I'd like to share with you a little something called the Curve of Forgetting.

The Curve of Forgetting describes how we retain or get rid of information that we take in. It's based on a one-hour lecture.

Day 1
At the beginning of the lecture, you go in knowing nothing, or 0%, (where the curve starts at the baseline). At the end of the lecture you know 100% of what you know, however well you know it (where the curve rises to its highest point).

Day 2
If you have done nothing with the information you learned in that lecture, didn't think about it again, read it again, etc. you will have lost 50%-80% of what you learned. Our brains are constantly recording information on a temporary basis: scraps of conversation heard on the sidewalk, what the person in front of you is wearing. Because the information isn't necessary, and it doesn't come up again, our brains dump it all off, along with what was learned in the lecture that you actually do want to hold on to!

Day 7 onwards
By Day 7, we remember even less, and by Day 30, we retain about 2%-3% of the original hour! This nicely coincides with midterm exams, and may account for feeling as if you've never seen this before in your life when you're studying for exams - you may need to actually re-learn it from scratch.

Changing the shape of the curve
You can change the shape of the curve! When you are exposed to the same information repeatedly, it takes less and less time to "activate" the information in your long term memory and it becomes easier for you to retrieve the information when you need it.

Here's the formula and the case for making time to review material: Within 24 hours of getting the information - spend 10 minutes reviewing and you will raise the curve almost to 100% again. A week later (Day 7), it only takes 5 minutes to "reactivate" the same material, and again raise the curve. By Day 30, your brain will only need 2-4 minutes to give you the feedback, "Yes, I know that..."

Often students feel they can't possibly make time for a review session every day in their schedules - they have trouble keeping up as it is. However, this review is an excellent investment of time. If you don't review, you will need to spend 40-50 minutes re-learning each hour of material later - do you have that kind of time? Cramming rarely stores information in your long term memory sucessfully, which makes it harder to access the material for assignments during the term and exam preparation.

Depending on the course load, the general recommendation is to spend half an hour or so every weekday, and 1.5 to 2 hours every weekend in review activity. Perhaps you only have time to review 4 or 5 days of the week, and the curve stays at about the mid range. That's OK, it's a lot better than the 2%-3% you would have retained if you hadn't reviewed at all.


Reference: http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocs/study/curve.html

10 places to study other than at home

1. You friend's home
If it's conducive, why not? It helps to study in a group too.

2. School (duh!)
Places like the school library, canteen, designated study areas, corridor benches...etc are more peaceful than other places listed here. The downside is that some students may live far away. (But hey, who says you have to be studying in your own school)

3. Community Clubs
Common benches or study rooms http://www.centralsingapore.org.sg/site/voices/voices6/page10.shtml

4. Starbucks

As what Howard Behar said, they're in the people-business serving coffee, not the coffee-business serving people.

5. Changi Airport

Remember to bring a jacket though.

6. Fastfood restaurants
Good news is that some of them are 24 hours. Bad news is that they tend to be a little noisy.

7. Void decks
Some of the newer flats in Toa Payoh for example have even roof gardens and sky gardens. No air-con though.

8. National Library Building

Study room at level 5

9. Parks

Can be quite quiet but you're subjected to the elements of the weather.

10. Just don't study
Ha ha! Kidding!

Must teachers be good students?

Must good teachers have been good students? Can a teacher who was always an A student understand a student who has never gotten better than a C?

Studies have shown that there is little relationship between course grades and teaching performance.

Not every good student goes on to become a good teacher because as a teacher, knowledge alone is not enough. While being knowledgeable allows one to achieve good grades in school, teaching requires a further aspect of actually imparting that knowledge.

Two different teachers may be able to solve the same maths problem. But the difference is not whether which teacher can solve the question faster, but which teacher can deliver the solution with clarity, while ensuring that his/her students understand the relevant content.

However, achieving a certain level of knowledge proficiency is still without a doubt, an essential pre-requisite for all teachers.

But being sufficiently articulate, and able to communicate effectively are more important tools for effective teaching.

Happy Teachers' Day

To all the teachers/tutors who made a difference in our lives at one point or another, thank you for being our continuous source of wisdom and knowledge! Have a Happy Teachers' Day.

Teachers' Day - the moment of truth

This Tuesday is Teachers' Day and it a special day for all teachers and tutors.

I also think of it as a day of truth. As a teacher/tutor, you can always tell if you are doing a good job on teachers' day.

Having tutored students for a couple of years, the most memorable Teachers' Day I've personally experienced was in 2007. Then, I was a volunteer teacher in Singapore Prisons and taught O Level mathematics to a class of 11 inmates every Saturday. Not only was it an eye-opening experience, but also an interesting one because it was a tuition experience outside of the ordinary. Many of the inmates in my class were in their 30s (10 years older than I was) and one inmate was 43 years old. Despite their age (some of them hadn't touched a textbook for 10 years), they were all very keen to learn - something I wished my conventional tuition students could replicate. On Teachers' Day, I received a beautifully-drawn Teachers' Day card and a letter, written and signed by all 11 of them. Here are some pictures. The artistic talent of some of the inmates sometimes astounds you.

The six months that I spent teaching there was a very fulfilling experience.

Unless you've been a teacher/tutor before, no words can describe the appreciation and the sense of fulfillment you get when your students remember you on teachers' day.

You savour the moment as you tell yourself "that's what makes it all worth it".

I'm not blowing my own trumpet. But I believe that if your students care enough to remember you on teachers' day, it definitely means something.

Conversely, if your students ignored any form of your existence on teachers' day, it is also something worth reflecting upon.

Just Me

Just Me

From the time I was little, I knew I was great
‘cause the people would tell me, “you’ll make it – just wait.”
But they never did tell me how great I would be
If I ever played someone who was greater than me.

When I’m in the back yard, I’m king with the ball.
To swish all those baskets is no sweat at all.
But all of a sudden there’s a man in my face
Who doesn’t seem to realize that I’m king of this place.

So the pressure gets to me; I rush with the ball.
My passes to teammates could go through the wall.
My jumpers not falling, my dribbles not sure.
My hand is not steady, my eye is not pure.

The fault is my teammates – they don’t understand.
The fault is my coaches – what a terrible plan.
The fault is the call by that blind referee.
But the fault is not mine; I’m the greatest, you see.

Then finally it hit me when I started to see
That the face in the mirror looked exactly like me.
It wasn’t my teammates who were dropping the ball,
And it wasn’t my coach shooting bricks at the wall.

That face in the mirror that was always so great
Had some room for improvement instead of just hate.
So I stopped blaming others and I started to grow.
My play got much better and it started to show.

And all of my teammates didn’t seem quite so bad.
I learned to depend on the good friends I had.
Now I like myself better since I started to see
That I was lousy being great – I’m much better being me.

Author: Tom Krause

Multiple Choice Questions. Easier or harder?

Which paper is easier? Multiple choice or open-ended?

Many students are less likely to study as hard if they know that a test is multiple choice.

One's ability to provide a correct answer is significantly increased when given a choice. In an exam of 100 MCQs, any candidate without prior knowledge on the tested subject can answer "C" for every question and would still score 25 marks give or take. This is assuming that the answers are equally distributed.

But multiple choice tests can be made to be very difficult as well. Sometimes, they can be harder than open-ended questions. In open-ended questions, candidates can demonstrate their reasoning for a chosen answer. So even if their answer is not coherent with the examiner's, they can be given marks for the understanding of the subject matter they have demonstrated.

The allocation of marks is also different for multiple choice and open-ended tests. For multiple choice tests, every question, difficult or easy, is worth the same mark. This is not the same for open-ended tests, where difficult questions are usually allocated more marks. Therefore, if you spend twenty minutes in a test solving an 8-mark question, you'll get the full 8 marks if you answer it correctly in an open-ended test. If the same question were to come out in a multiple choice test, you'll only score 1 mark, identical in value to any other easy question.

Now suppose you made a careless mistake in your working and it gives you an erroneous final answer. In the MCQ test, you will get zero marks, for the simple reason that the answer is wrong. In the open-ended test however, you might still get 6 marks or 5 marks for demonstrating understanding of the subject matter.

My conclusion is that multiple choice tests can sometimes look deceivingly easy and sometimes it can be mentally tiring trying to decipher the correct answer.

Answers to number of pupils question

Why tutoring P6 maths is harder than sec 1

Mr Tan gave sweets to every pupil in his class. If he gave each pupil 11 sweets, he would have 7 sweets left. If he gave 6 sweets to each pupil, he would have 192 sweets left. How many pupils were there in Mr Tan's class? (Stay tuned for answers)

If this question came out in a sec 1 paper, then most tutors will have no problem teaching their students how to solve it. Let x be the total number of pupils in Mr Tan's class. Form a simple algebraic equation. And solve for x.

However, the question becomes a little trickier if it came out in a P6 exam. This is because primary school students are not taught the basics of algebraic manipulation. Sure, they can add, subtract, multiply and divide simple algebra, but that's about it. They do not learn, for example, how to assign a variable, form an algebraic equation and finally, manipulate the equation to solve for the unknown.

How then can primary school students solve such a question? The answer (as inefficient as it may seem), by drawing models or trial & error. And this is where inexperienced tutors can stumble. They can solve it in 2 minutes by using algebra. But when it comes to drawing models and trial & error, coming up with a solution and being articulate enough for the student to understand is another problem in itself. As a tutor, you curse your luck and you wonder how come our education system is so rigid.

Some tutors then make the mistake of teaching their students algebraic manipulation, and instructing them to use that method for future questions. School teachers will then feedback to students (or worse still, parents) that the tutor's methods are inappropriate. That doesn't do a lot of good for your reputation if you're the tutor.

I've tutored P6 maths for several years and when I encounter such problems, I teach them two ways to solve the problem. The first method is ALWAYS by models or trial & error. And this is the method that they must know. The second optional method would be via algebraic manipulation.

At the end of the day, I feel that there is no shortcut. If they must learn how to solve questions by models or trial & error, then it is your job as a tutor to teach them. It is part of the whole learning process. Students need to know both the hard way and the easy way to solve certain questions so as to aid in their appreciation of future topics.

Answer to July trivia: To spin or not to spin?

Because the bullets were loaded consecutively, you will also have four consecutive blank chambers. Since your friend is still alive, her chamber must have been one of those four. In the diagram on the left, that will be A, B, C or D.

A revolver works in such a way that it will rotate to the next chamber every time you squeeze the trigger.

Hence, out of the 4 possible empty chambers, 3 of them will gurantee you safety if you squeeze again without spinning. You then have a 75% chance of surviving.

If you spin again however, your chances of survival are 4 out of 6 which is 66%.

Squeezing the trigger without spinning therefore leaves you with a higher chance of survival.

Here is the link to the question in case some of you forgot.

July Trivia: To spin or not to spin?

You are playing a game of russian roullette with a friend. (Do not try this at home)

Two bullets are loaded in consecutive chambers in a six-chamber revolver.

Your friend spins the drum, holds the gun to her head and squeezes the trigger...

"Click". She's alive.

She hands you the gun. It's your turn.

You have two choices: re-spin the drum and squeeze the trigger; or squeeze the trigger without re-spinning.

Which action leaves you with a higher chance of surviving?

6 Must-do's for tutors every first lesson

It is something that every tutor has went through before. The first lesson with a new student. Whilst experienced tutors may find the first lesson easy, it can be a nightmare for first-time tutors who have never tutored before. As a greenhorn, you feel so much pressure because this is the first ever impression you're gonna make. And then there's the inevitable question of "what am I gonna do for the entire duration of the lesson?". Whether you've been a tutor for 10 weeks or 10 years, we have all felt the anxiety of delivering our first lesson before. Hence, for this week, I would like to share my 6 absolute must-do's every time I teach a new student for the first time.

1. Introduce yourself

At the risk of stating the obvious, introducing yourself is an important first-step in any tutor-student relationship (didn't I mention it's your first impression). It sets the tone and it allows the student to know who YOU are. Most students are usually apprehensive on the first lesson and I usually break the ice by telling them, that throughout the course of this tutoring journey, they can ask me absolutely anything related to maths (or whichever subject you are tutoring them). Simply presenting yourself as a source of reassurance can facilitate the future flow of important communication.

2. Request to see the student's most recent exam paper

On the first lesson, nothing is more important than estabilshing the current standard of the student. What are his/her strengths and weaknesses? Which area does he/she need more help on? Taking a look at the student's most recent exam paper provides answers to these questions.

3. Check the textbook the student uses

Two schools may teach the same subject using different textbooks. Know which one your student is using. This allows you to take a look at the course content and give you an overview of what you'll need to teach him/her. Be aware, that the chronological order in which the topics are taught may not be the same as they appear in the textbook.

4. Check all the assessment books the student currently has (or does not have)

This will eliminate the unpleasant scenario when you buy an assessment book only to discover that your student already has it. You need to give the student practice questions and this will more often than not come from assessment books. I used to tutor maths at the P6 level and there is one assessment book that I absolutely swear by.

The book is filled with hundreds of questions per topic which are catered to varying levels of difficulty. I always insist that each of my students use it, and I would buy it for them if they do not have it. By checking the range of assessment books the student currently owns, you can decide if they are sufficient for practice, or if you need to buy more (remember to get the parents to reimburse you).

5. Check which topic he/she is currently learning

I always arrange my lesson plans to go in tandem with what the school is teaching. If time allows, I will even teach one chapter in advance so that by the time the school teaches them, it is not something that they are unfamiliar with.

6. Ask the student if he finds any topic exceptionally difficult

This helps in better identifying a student's weakness. You can then cater more time teaching that topic and doing more practices.

Your Backpack for Life

On 2 June 2009, Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, gave a speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Pre-University Seminar 2009.

In his speech, entitled Your Backpack for Life, Dr Ng addressed the group of pre-university students and explained his hope for them, that after 12 years in the education system, they would take with them the four essential C's to face life's challenges.

The first C is Confidence. It is what gives you the drive to achieve your goals and must not be confused with ability. The following is an extract of his speech.

"Recently, I had a chat with Charles, one of the brothers of the famous local Charles and Keith brand that sells shoes and accessories. His story illustrated the difference and the link between confidence and ability. Charles told me that he was not academically gifted. In fact, he openly proclaimed that he did not do well for his O levels and went no further. From young, he helped out in his parents’ shop selling shoes. Charles did not have academic ability, but he did have confidence to push for ideas and believed that if he worked hard and was not afraid to try, he would succeed. His parents’ shop was one of those small shops you usually see in your typical HDB neighbourhood. But Charles believed he could build a global brand. Today, Charles and Keith have 215 shops in 23 countries worldwide with a turnover of about $98 million in 2008. Did Charles have ability? Of course, he did and that’s why he succeeded. But, and this is the essential difference, he did not allow others nor the system to define his abilities or limit what he could achieve. Charles could have succumbed to conventional definition. He could have dreamt small or adopted a defeatist attitude, but he did not. How often have you been limited by what others or you yourself think you are capable of?"

The link to Dr Ng's speech can be found here http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2009/06/02/speech-by-dr-ng-eng-hen-at-the-25.php and in it, Dr Ng elaborates on the other C's, and the rest of his speech. Although it's a speech for a pre-university seminar, much of its content is relevant to every one regardless what stage of your life you are in. It is not a long speech and it provides for good reflection.

The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch

Some of you may have heard of him, and some of you may not. I first came to know about this inspiring true-life story when a professor in school told us to watch the video as homework, and write a simple reflection on it.

Randy Pausch was a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. In Aug 2007, after a long-fought battle with pancreatic cancer, doctors told him that he only had 3 to 6 months to live. Rather than feel morose and dwell in self-pity, he decided to live each day to the fullest. He delivered a final lecture in Carnegie Mellon University on September 18 2007 entitled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. His last lecture has become a popular YouTube video with more than 9 million viewers. He even co-authored a book called The Last Lecture and it became a New York Times Bestseller.

The video is 76 minutes long but you won't regret watching every second of it. It is truly inspiring and definitely one of the must-watch YouTube videos that every one should see.

The Oyster

A meaningful poem that teaches us about overcoming life's obstacles and making the most of every experience we encounter.

The Oyster

There once was an oyster whose story I tell,

Who found that some sand had got into his shell.

It was only a grain but it gave him great pain,

For oysters have feelings although they're so plain.

Now, did he berate the harsh workings of fate

That had brought him to such a deplorable state?

Did he curse at the government, cry for election,

And claim that the sea should have given him protection?

No--He said to himself as he lay on a shell,

Since I cannot remove it, I shall try to improve it.

Now the years have rolled around,

as the years always do,

And he came to his ultimate destiny--stew.

And the small grain of sand that had bothered him so

Was a beautiful pearl all richly aglow.

Now the tale has a moral;

For isn't it grand what an oyster can do

With a morsel of sand.

What couldn't we do

If we'd only begin

With some of the things

That get under our skin.

Author: Unknown

June Trivia: Answers to the Monty Hall problem

The Monty Hall problem

"Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors. Behind one door is a car, the others, goats. You pick a door, say #1, and the host, who knows what's behind the doors, opens another door, say #3, which has a goat. He says to you: 'Do you want to pick door #2?' Is it to your advantage to switch your choice of doors?"

In response to the Monty Hall problem, Marilyn vos Savant replied, that it would always be in the best interest of the contestant to switch doors as this would yield a 2/3 chance of success whereas not changing doors would only yield a 1/3 chance of success.

This answer triggered responses from thousands of readers, nearly all arguing that both doors stand an equal chance of success. A follow-up article reaffirming her anwer intensified the debate and some even questioned the integrity of her intelligence. However, careful analysis of vos Savant's answer actually shows that her answer is indeed accurate, as many math teachers will testify because it has now become a textbook example for all math topics on probability.

As seen in the diagram, 2 out of 3 times, the contestant will win a car if he/she switches doors. This is based on the assumption of course that the host always reveals a door showing a goat.

"Two Boys" problem

"Say that a woman and a man (who are unrelated) each has two children. We know that at least one of the woman's children is a boy and that the man's oldest child is a boy. Can you explain why the chances that the woman has two boys do not equal the chances that the man has two boys?"

As for the "Two Boys" problem, vos Savant said that the odds of the woman having 2 boys were 1 out of 3 while that of the man was 1 out of 2. Once again, readers argued that the probability should be 1 out of 2 in both cases. And once again, readers were proven wrong. Here's why,

To prove her point, vos Savant started a survey, calling on women readers (with exactly two children and at least one boy) and male readers (with exactly two children - the elder a boy) to tell her the sex of both children. With almost eighteen thousand responses, the results showed 35.9% (a little over 1 in 3) with two boys.

Available Assignment: Sec 3 English Literature

Subject: Sec 3 English Literature

Area: near Jurong Point (Boon Lay MRT station)

Day: Every Saturday

Budget: $40/hr

Interested tutors please call/sms 96717745/96302516 or send an emailt to qualitytuitions@gmail.com

June Trivia: The Monty Hall Problem

In this month's June trivia, we feature the famous Monty Hall problem

"Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors. Behind one door is a car, the others, goats. You pick a door, say #1, and the host, who knows what's behind the doors, opens another door, say #3, which has a goat. He says to you: 'Do you want to pick door #2?' Is it to your advantage to switch your choice of doors?"

This problem was used in many books and movies so some of you may have seen it before. It was featured in Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" (very good book) and the movie 21.

This question was posed to Marilyn vos Savant (person with the highest IQ in the world) in her September 1990 column "Ask Marilyn", and her answer was a source of major controversy.

Similar to the Monty Hall problem, the "Two Boys" problem also generated great debate in her column

"Say that a woman and a man (who are unrelated) each has two children. We know that at least one of the woman's children is a boy and that the man's oldest child is a boy. Can you explain why the chances that the woman has two boys do not equal the chances that the man has two boys?"

Our deepest fear...

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Marianne Williamson

One of the most inspirational poems. This quote was also used in the movie Coach Carter. The film, which is based on a true story, is about a high school basketball coach who benched his undefeated team in 1999 because of poor academic results. It is one of my favourite movies. The main soundtrack of the movie is the hit song "Hope" by Twista (featuring Faith Evans). 5 stars. If you haven't watched the movie before or heard the soundtrack (what have you been doing!), I'd highly recommend it



Here is the trailer for the movie

A new tutor. How long should parents wait to see results?

You have just engaged a new tutor for your child, and you think that the worst of your worries are over. Then the results of the next immediate exam comes back to you and you see little improvement. You start to wonder if the tuition is even helping. Then you find yourself asking, should I give them more time, or should I take swift action and engage another tutor (after all the second academic semester is only 16 weeks)?

This is a debate that many parents find themselves contemplating, when examination results do not meet expectations. At the end of the day, you want to make the decision that is best for your child's academic future. On one hand, you might decide that the tuition has proven to be ineffective, and you should immediately find another tutor while you still have time. On the other hand, you might think, realistically, that success cannot be simply bought overnight, and that your child and the tutor should be given more time. 

It becomes a gamble. What if I let the tuition continue and the results do not materialise? Wouldn't it be too late then to find a new tutor? If I change my child's tutor now, how can I be sure that my child's grades will improve under the new tutor? And if it does improve, how long will that take?

Before you make any decision, here are some questions to consider:

Does the problem lie with my child or the tutor? Who should shoulder the blame for the lack of subject competency? If a child doesn't put in the effort to learn from his mistakes and improve himself, then it would not make a difference even if you employ the best tutor. 

Does my child have a slower rate of learning? Are my expectations realistic given the short period of time? Sometimes, students take time to adopt to the methods of a new tutor.

When I was in Secondary 3, I got a D7 for my Physics mid-year exam and decided to get tutoring in the subject. But even after one semester of group tuition, by a retired Physics teacher I should add, I still couldn't pass the final exam (not for the lack of trying!). It wasn't until Sec 4 that my grades gradually improved and I eventually got an A2 for the O Levels.

Here are two of my recommendations. Firstly, talk to your child. After all, they interact more with the tutor than you do. Ask them if they are benefiting from the current tutor. I once told my mum that my tutor was teaching me things that I already know. By the end of the month, the tutor was gone. 

Finally, don't expect overnight results. Some students just need time to grasp a better understanding of a subject. Tutors also need time to find the most efficient method in working with different students.

What finger length says about you

Here's what your finger length can say about you:

A new study finds that boys with ring fingers longer than their index fingers run faster. This phenomenon was explained by exposure to testosterone in the womb, during pregnancy.

Men (and only men) with longer ring fingers were also more likely to be physically aggressive.

Kids with longer ring fingers are likely to have higher SAT maths scores than literacy or verbal scores while children with longer index fingers are better in reading and writing, or verbal, rather than maths tests.

People with longer ring fingers (than index fingers) are also at a higher risk of osteoarthritis. 

Other research can also show a link between behaviour and personality traits and the shape of a hand. 

Such findings reinforce certain beliefs that large parts of our personalities and traits are formed when we are in the womb.

Read the full articles here:

http://www.livescience.com/health/090312-finger-length-speed.html

http://www.livescience.com/health/050203_finger_length.html

Mother's Day

Here's wishing all mothers a Happy Mother's Day. 

10 things to do after exams

1. Sleep-in!

Sleepless nights are over! Catch up on all the lost sleep!

2. Go to the cinemas

Catch up on all the movies you've missed! For all you trekkies, the latest movie is not bad! Also, look out for upcoming blockbusters like Terminator Salvation (release date 28 May 09) and Transformers 2 (24 Jun 09)

3. Buy a drink and spend 6 hours in Starbucks reading a book

My favourite drink is their Hazelnut Hot Chocolate and I recommend everyone to try it. At last we can flip open a book that is not a textbook!

4. Exercise

Play your favourite sport. Shed some of the extra weight you put on while studying in McDonalds.

5. Go for a holiday

As long as it's not cooking classes in France! Be careful not to brag about it on your blog though, times are bad.

6. Get a part-time job

Ya, this sounds like a wet blanket, but you can't possibly play 24/7. Some extra cash can come in handy. It's not gonna be easy though. Like I said before, times are bad.

7. Watch the Champions League Final

At last you can stay up at 2.30am to watch a football match! This year's final in Rome is on 28 May 09 (Singapore time). The UEFA cup final follows 2 days later.

8. Catch up with friends

Meet up for lunch with old friends whom you haven't seen in a long time.

9. Cook or bake something

At least now you have time to experiment various recipes.

10. Go shopping!

The Great Singapore Sale from 28 May 09 to 26 Jul 09. 'Nuff said!

Some exam tips

Some tips during your exam

1. Browse through the whole paper first before writing

Don't be too eager to "jump-in" and start writing.

2. Don't spend too much time on a particular question

This is especially true for MCQs where each difficult question is worth the same as each easy one. If you have difficulty recalling, move on to the easier questions first and come back again later. A good gauge of how much time to spend on a question is to check the proportion of its worth.

3. For essays/compositions, first 10 minutes are important

Choose the best essay question that you are confident in doing. You don't want to change your mind and do another question halfway into the exam. You'll also need the time for planning an essay outline.

4. Always keep track of time

Monitor your own progress and also, make sure you leave time at the end to check your work.

Transparency

In the headlines recently, Venerable Shi Ming Yi, together with one of his associates is being tried for the misappropriation of funds linked to Ren Ci hospital. This is news that one can easily read in the press.

However, what struck me most of all about this yet unconcluded saga is the apparent harmlessness which started it all. By which I mean in the actions of the Venerable. In loaning a sum of money to an associate through improper channels, he is now being tried for actions amounting to the deception of a charitable organisation. Should the prosecutors have their way, a seemingly benevolent man's name will be looked upon with some disdain always, in the view of the public.

I guess, the point I am trying to make, is that irrespective of our positions or responsibilities, and on whatever levels that we perform our activities and actions, we always need to be transparent and clear in our actions, so that should a time of accountability arise, we can always substantiate the intentions of our actions.

This need not only be subject to the purview of our financial accounts, but also in our words spoken and written and in our dealings with people we meet in everyday life. This is because we live in a society, and no man is an island; like it or not, no matter how isolated we are, we need to be accountable to the people around us. 

When a time of judgement arises, and our actions are put on trial, we can hold our heads high, with no chance of being deemed wrong or judged incorrectly.

$15 million funding for Singapore youth sports development

It is good to hear that youth sports development in Singapore will be given a $15 million funding. A good one-third of this amount will be used to develope 70 of our country's elite athletes preparing for next year's Youth Olympics Games. The remainder will be used to boost some of Singapore's long-term talent development frameworks.

It is very encouraging to see that we are taking the long-term approach and investing in our own youth. As a Singaporean, I am glad to see that the $15 million in funding will be used in boosting local sports at the grassroots level, instead of scouting for foreign talent. Perhaps we can look forward to a day when an Olympic gold medal can be won by a Singaporean born and bred.

That being said, don't expect Singapore's international sporting success to be an overnight affair. Building a successful system of youth development programmes, frameworks and culture will certainly take time, effort and a lot more money.

Here's a link to the Straits Times article on 13 April 09 http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_362992.html

The importance of Add Maths

In today's entry, I would like to emphasize the importance of Add Maths. If you are in your streaming year (sec 2) and considering whether to take up Add Maths, this post is for you. If you are a current Add Maths student, hopefully this post will serve as an impetus for you to do well in the subject. Personally, I feel that Add Maths is a very important subject and here are some reasons why:

1. Add Maths is a definite must if you wanna go into science stream. As long as you intend to take mathematics at the A Level, it is important to have prior knowledge on the subject. E Maths alone is not enough.

2. Add Maths gives you the foundation for many post secondary courses. Even if you go to polytechnic, many of the diploma courses will require you to have at least a decent foundation in mathematics. Most engineering courses and even business courses will require that of you.

3. Even if you don't take it now, somehow, it'll come back to haunt you. For e.g. when I was doing my first three months in JC, students who took maths but had no prior Add Maths background had to come back to school every Saturday for extra lessons. In a sense, there's no escaping it, unless your future academic pursuits are totally non-maths related.

Dr Allan Ooi's suicide note

Many people must have heard about the suicide case of Capt (Dr) Allan Ooi. It is very sad that a bright and promising young man would choose to end his life at the age of 27 because of his unhappiness. Here is an excerpt of his last email before he died. The issues raised here are believed by many to be the main reasons of his suicide.

"My job was terrible - no joy, no satisfaction, 10-14 hours a day of nothing. A prison. One of my own forging, perhaps, by signing a contract with the SAF at the age of 18. Youth was not an excuse, yes, but I refused to accept being deceived into believing things about the nature of my employment that were simply untrue. 12 years of bonded service became potentially 15 or 16, became unbreakable, became stifling to the point of utter hopelessness. How can a bond be unbreakable? How can it be extended at will by an administration, simply by passing a paper? And how can the people subject to this bond not even question it, but instead sit in silent resentment and ultimate dissatisfaction? I was angry, so angry, which stemmed ultimately from a sense of waste and imprisionment so profound that I had no choice but to leave it entirely. To the people within this system, please change it to better benefit yourselves and future generations, instead of creating a self-perpetuating cycle of at best, painful obligation, and at worst, utter dispair.

That was certainly the main cause of my severing of ties. However, it is not the only one. 

I can happily say that I have led a full life, despite it ending at the age of 27. I have many friends, some true friends among whom I value very highly (if you are reading this, you know who you are). Thank you for your love, trust and friendship. Especially those who sought to contact me after I left, long after even, you are truly special people"

It is not very difficult to read the full copy of the email, you can just google it. For me, I first came to know about it through a hardcopy that was circulating around during accounting class. So it's kinda spreading like wildfire.

I would like to end off with a note of advice for those of you out there who are enlisting soon and for those of you contemplating a career in the military. In addition to your normal national service training, you will definitely be exposed to at least a dozen recruitment talks on joining the military service. The compensation and benefits may look attractive, but make sure you know what you are getting yourself into before signing that contract. It's not always all about the money. I'm not saying that taking up a career in the military is bad. But what I'm saying is that you should be 100% certain that the chosen career path is definitely something that you want to do.

Celebrate Earth Hour

Earth Hour 2009 will be observed tomorrow in Singapore from 8.30pm to 9.30pm. Everybody is encouraged to turn off your lights just for one hour, and you can encourage your friends to do so as well. Even companies like Starbucks (my second home!) will be switching off a section of their lights in their cafes.

Earth Hour 2009 aims to reach more than 1 billion people in more than 1000 cities around the world, inviting communities, business and governments to switch off lights for 1 hour and send a powerful global message that we need to take action on climate change. So if you're reading this, it doesn't matter what country you are from, invite your friends and family to participate!

Here's the link to the Earth Hour homepage: http://www.earthhour.org/home/

There's also a blog on Earth Hour Singapore as well: http://earthhoursingapore.blogspot.com/