Things I Wish Teachers Would Understand
I have a life outside of school. I may be going through health problems or mental health issues or family troubles or financial issues. Literally, I can name so many things and of course, you won't consider it because the only thing you notice is that how I've not done my homework or how I got low grades in my exams.
Grades don't define me. Or my efforts. Or my self-worth. Just because I get high grades doesn't mean I'm more smart or disciplined. And just because I get low grades doesn't mean I'm dumb or lazy.
Mental health issues are real. Really real. And they are hard to deal with.
Learning disabilities are also real. You can't just get out of it. Working hard doesn't fix it. It's a real issue.
Being an introvert is not bad. IT IS NOT BAD. Period. I do not have to speak more in class to prove that I'm paying attention. It just means that I do not want to speak. I'm fine with being quiet.
I can forget things. I can forget that assignment that was due, I can forget to do the homework. And I can definitely forget about the test.
The things you say matters. Even if it is sarcasm. Even if it is a dismissal. Sometimes, it makes me stay up late at night. Sometimes it just stays with me throughout the day. So, yes. You should speak a bit more carefully.
Grades don't show my full effort. Sometimes, I try so hard and I still don't get it right. And when you say that I should try harder? That does shatter a small part of me, not because you told me that, it just makes me feel that I'm the one who's damn stupid and that no matter how much effort I put in the work, it doesn't matter if the grades are not there.
As a student, I will of course prefer some subjects over the others. It is not a personal attack. And it is not an invitation for you to tell me something sarcastic about it.
Calling out a student on their mistakes in front of the whole class or our juniors or seniors or any other teachers is not okay. It's embarrassing to us and makes us feel bad.
Small praise does mean something. Honestly. I remember every good thing a teacher told me because I'll be honest, most don't say very nice things.
Please don't try to force things on us. Whether it be competitions, extracurriculars or anything really. It doesn't feel good.
And if there are some students who misbehave? That doesn't mean the whole class is bad. And no, collective punishments don't help.
I also appreciate when you try. Like, really. I respect you because you teach dozens of classes a day and still show up to our classes with neutral moods. You have a lot of patience for dealing with us.
I really appreciate your stories, advice and the small tips that you give about life now and then. It helps. And yes, I do remember.
I also feel that sometimes that both our expectations come crashing down. You expect us to do good. We expect you to be supportive and passionate. And it's okay to let go of your expectations sometimes.
And I know you have stresses too. You, too, have health problems, mental health issues and family issues, financial issues. I know you have the pressure of making everyone pass through the year and delivering good grades. And I have to say, I understand you. I really do.
I'm writing this because I've had so many teachers expect so much from me. And I'll be honest, that pressure broke me. Seriously broke me. I also respect teachers a lot, but it also doesn't mean I appreciate their behaviors or actions. You make up the world that we currently live in and I say this, not just as a student but as a person.
(P.S. This has been in my drafts from a long time. This was like peak exam + pressure + stress season, so don't mind the not so small rant. And no, I don't have a personal grudge against teachers.)
Language learning is so damn attractive. Like, who wouldn't look good when they spend hours understanding a language's illogical grammar and twisted vocabulary and have mental break downs because of it?
You're not obliged to live your life fulfilling other people's dreams.
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" - Eleanor Roosevelt
If you received this you are a great mutual π« Send this to 10 of your mutuals to spread love π€π€π€
Heyyy :) thanks!
If I had to give one advice, and only one advice, to everyone going through highschool (although it also works for uni), it would be this:
Do as much past papers as you can. Lessons are not enough, practice is the key. There is generally a pattern in the exercises. That's what you should learn to identify. Learn to see, from the first glance, what they ask you in a question, even if you don't know the answer to it yet. That is more than helpful. That makes you learn your lessons better and you'll be confident in front of any exercise even if you don't really know the answers, you know the steps. You know what is asked from you. You know what to do. So practice, practice, practice.
Based on experience.
Hey dear Anon! :)
I know what you're saying because I literally passed sophomore and junior year with this method. I agree it's very beneficial and it definitely gives you more confidence in the actual exam!
Thanks for sharing :)
I've struggled with this but I'm adapting, you know? So here are some of my tips I use for this :)
If you can't understand it at once, do not think that it is hard
Many times, the topic itself if simple but the way the textbook has described it is complex so go and search for related videos and Google about it until you've got a hint about what it is.
If it's complicated, divide the sentence.
When you find yourself getting completely lost in a topic while banging your head against the wall because it's so confusing.... separate each part of the sentence while you write each part as you say it out loud. It'll help you to atleast get a short idea about the subject.
Read! Read! Read!
Read it over and over again and underline the words you think are important, write them down, explain it to yourself, draw small diagrams around your notes, connect them through visual representation. The more you use different types of senses, the better you understand it.
Give yourself time.
Let yourself grasp what the whole topic is about, do not under any circumstances have a time limit for difficult topics. I took days just to understand how Javascript loops work and I'm still not fully clear about it but i can explain the general, very basic purpose of it.
Explain it to someone or yourself
The best way to learn is to teach, this actually does work. It helps you to put your understanding in words and clear any underlying questions. And lastly...
Handwritten notes!
I cannot stress this enough but things that you've written down generally stay in your memory for longer durations. I also prefer handwritten notes to digital ones cause personally it works better.
Hope this helps! :D
I can't believe I'm this close to my exams. Literally a week and gosh, it's gonna be a hectic month. My highschool party got over yesterday so I literally didn't study anything. Now, the main question is... How in the world am i gonna use these precious days to get the best possible result?
I don't wanna get burned out like I had last year in the middle of the exam month so I'll be taking consistent breaks. From Friday, I'll be studying Arabic because that's my first exam so exactly 3 days to prepare for it. Then I just have... Like 4 more days... I gotta fit in Business studies, Economics, Accountancy and Computer Applications in it... I can't revise fully, I'll just revise the things I haven't in awhile.
I haven't been studying a lot this year but I still feel confident enough so... I guess it is what it is...
Today I:
Did Accounts 1 hr+
Did some business studies revision.
When you're studying, most of you will probably focus more on the input. You'll take in loads of information. And i mean loads and loads of information. But do you still wonder, why am I not getting the grades for the amount of input I put in? Like, you study alot only to get mediocre grades?
Well, let me break it down...
Input is important but... output is more important.
Input is absorbing information. Committing it to memory. Remembering facts. It's a mental activity.
Output is how you communicate or display information.
Let's be honest, the teacher correcting your paper doesn't care if you studied the whole year or the whole night. They just care about finishing their task and whether you've answered the questions correctly. So, the way you communicate it is important.
When you study, give more focus on the output. If you're input is "x" amount of effort then your concentration and effort on output should be "2x".
How do you do that?
Well, after studying, spend a good amount of time recalling the information by giving the processed information back. Whether you do it by saying it aloud or writing it down or both. I prefer to say it aloud, write it down and then say it again and again. The main thing is...
What you learnt must be communicated.
It doesn't have to be through teaching. There are multiple ways. Notes. Drawing. Visuals. Mind maps. Audio recordings. Anything that works for you!
Written notes is probably the best because at the end of the day you are going to write the exam, even if you know the whole damn textbook, what you write in your exam is the only thing that counts.
So, here's the secret (which isn't a secret anymore) i use:- When you finish a topic:
Write the key words.
Say it out loud multiple times until you remember them.
Close the notes and recall. Aloud.
Repeat step 2 & 3 about 4-5 times.
Bonus: you can write the points without looking this time.
Basically... Write it. Say it. Recall it. Repeat it.
The first 2 steps are the means of inputs. You're getting information in.
The next three are outputs. You're getting the information out. See the emphasis on how you recall it aloud? It needs your 100% attention for you to remember the points. And when you repeat it, it's literally for you to process it. To let it sink in. You're less likely to forget it sooner too.
Remember. X input needs 2x output.
Whatever the output is. It needs to be multiplied.
Hope this helps! :D
Friendly Advice
Decide your major early. And don't tell anyone about it. At least not your teachers or people who will change your mind. It's application week here, and I was close to banging my head against the wall. It's not supposed to be difficult until you make it difficult. So, do what you wanna do. You do know it. You just need to shut off the noise that keeps telling you what you "have" to do.
I'm tired. Gosh. I've been waking up at 6:45 am and then returning home at 5:00 in the evening, it's so exhausting... Anyway, today I:
Completed one lesson in economics
Did some accounts sums and revised concepts
Did my computer homework (50%)
Got an English and Arabic test tomorrow. Yay T-T
|| Isabelle || INFP-T || Study tips || Self improvement || Books ||
293 posts