Nurture...be a teacher...if only it's as simple as it sounds.

Really dread tutoring the weekday student...it's as though I'm a primary school student sick of attending tuition sessions...real pathetic isn't it? Really not much of a choice cos it's my own fault for agreeing to take up this assignment when my friend from NTU asked me. Now, just hoping that someone else who has better time management and experience can take over this assignment...

Today, the mum interrupted the tuition session cos she was unhappy with the way I conducted the tuition session. She claimed that I should not be basing the tuition session on the assessment books which she got for her child. I should be revising the year's work with her child instead. Hello...in the first place, during the 1st 2 sessions of tuition, the mother asked me to use the assessment books and not to get her child anymore. Think now she ‘ganjiong’ already, scared no time to cover everything before the exams, which is pretty understandable but at least give me some due respect as her child's tutor and tell me nicely mah...what “are u going to continue to just give her work to do from the assessment books? If these 2 maths assessment books are not bought by me, how are u going to teach?”

No problem, I can find my resources, afterall im still in NIE with a bevy of trainees...can always consult them if necessary. I told the mum that I've been giving her child work because although the school has finished teaching the maths syllabus, but I do not know if her child knows how to do the sums of the topics taught in the second semester. I have to assign her some work in order to mark and assess to understand if her child grasp the topic's main idea. At the end of the discussion, the mother simply took the 2 assessment books away without letting me go through the wrong answers which her child did for the previous work assigned...Fine...it's her child's loss, not mine. I can only do that much, if the child or even her refuse to cooperate, even if I were the top, the best tutor in Singapore, I won't be able to help her child improve in Maths or Chinese results. I can only say that I've tried my best.

Lessons learnt:

* Don't take up tuition assignments when you think that you can still squeeze in time in a hectically packed schedule

* Stay true to yourself and be answerable to the way you teach. At least when faced with a “confrontation” by the parent, you can still defend your case.

* Help the child as much as you possibly can, when all else fails, give an encouraging smile. Although the child may not show any response to your encouragement or smile, at least you don't make the child feel intimidated or fearful that him/her has failed in reaching your expectations. Acknowledge the child's efforts to try despite the pressurizing schedule in school and involvement in co-curricula activities.

Finally! My NTU friend managed to find someone to take over me for this assignment! So relieved!