Kiran Meena is the Co-Founder & Head of Content at SchoolMyKids.com. She is responsible for all day-to-day activities and handling the content of the platform. Previously Kiran has worked as Assistant professor of Botany at Hansraj College and Shivaji College, Delhi University. She is a BSc Hons graduate from Hindu College and an MSc Department of Botany from Delhi University. A mother of two adorable kids, Kiran enjoys classical Dance and Art & Craft. She has a senior diploma degree (4 years) in kathak. She also likes making Tanjore, Gold, and Clay & Ceramic Paintings.
Each human being, each student is unique and so is their method and pace of learning. Not all students grasp concepts well in the school classrooms. The reasons could vary from capability of the subject teacher and time spent on a particular topic, on one hand, and on the other, focus of our own children. They could just be idling away, daydreaming or just too bored and sleepy. So, to tackle the backlog or complete the assignments, parents do feel the need to take some external help.
Now, let us consider the case of a committed student! Even with the best of knowledge, being disciplined with regularity of attendance, concentrating in class, and submission of homework, the pain of not having scored well in exam is something a sensitive and bright student never forgets. Hence, it is a valid case for some extra assistance and guidance from tutors to provide justice to the brainy and hard-working ones.
Although some may criticise and denounce the trend of sending children to tuitions – they may attribute it as luxury and parents not doing their parental duties well, many parents believe that tuitions are a significant part of students’ overall academic growth and development. Many parents say that instead of gallivanting around, the routine of tuitions instil a disciplined practice where the students learn to manage timings, keep a tab of what needs to be achieved, importance of completion of work, and get healthy opportunities to socialize.
The parents acknowledge that the tutors are skilled and with years of experience, they have sharpened their teaching methodologies. They are also well conversant with the syllabi and the trends that examinations follow. Some of the more up-to-date tutors, are even personally acquainted with the examiners, understand the mindsets and compulsions of academia, and help students attain the skills to attempt any challenge that is served to them.
In a tuition scenario, the stress is low, students can pose questions, and they have complete attention of the tutor. It is a potent mix to hone your skills, strengthen the subjects you are already good at, and of course, understand the concepts of the difficult subjects that you were averting so far.
Yes, if you were going to the tuitions only to complete the homework and be up to date with the syllabi, then it makes sense to cover your weaker subjects first. In the paucity of time, you may handle your stronger subject homework yourself. The same concept is also applicable during examinations, especially in the junior classes. As your aim is to pass all the exams, to move on to the next grade, you may demand your tutor to prepare you for weaker subjects first. This routine is not as useless as it may seem. The discipline of attending to all your subjects, even the weaker ones, gives you a firm foundation. Over the years, students learn to understand what the lapses are, what they need to overcome, and use that new life strategy to overcome any subject matter in future.
Gone are the days when children who went to tuitions were seen as poor in studies. In my experience, for the last 2-3 decades, children with capabilities and promising academic futures line up for tuitions for all rounded growth and excellence. In other words, while they may work on their weaker subjects, the need to excel and build a niche in that one particular subject that may build a career for them, is very high.
Besides the conflict between strong and weak subjects, the evolved folks today attempt to master the process of learning – conceptualizing, memorizing, writing, illustrating, analysing, and finally concluding. The learners here gain mastery on a process that can be then applied to any subject and comes extremely handy in senior level academics and later in professional life. To immerse the children in this kind of learning, the parents themselves, have to be evolved enough to foresee and invest in a method and a tutor that would decimate the gap between strong and weak subjects.
Certain parents shared that the students are mostly explained a concept in school through its straightforward definitions. The questions that follow also operate on the direct application of the ‘readymade’ formula. Even the best of the students fails to apply the conceptual idea into a practical situation.
For instance, let us consider the question: “Highlight any three hydraulic structures as part of water management programmes initiated in ancient India along with the period when they were built.”
The students were most likely taught
- “What are hydraulic structures?” as a stand-alone topic. Along with it,
- “Names of some hydraulic structures.” And
- “What is water management?” again, as a separate sub topic.
For the student to correctly respond to the main abovementioned question, s/he should have the capability to connect part no. 1 of the question with part no. 3. How do these hydraulic structures lead to water management? Because each hydraulic structure caters to a different water management challenge! And then remember the structures around the country that resolve the given water management issue. Oomph!
So, the correct answer is
- Sophisticated hydraulic structures like dams build of stone rubble, reservoirs of lakes, embankments and canals for irrigation were built in various regions of the country.
(i) A sophisticated water harvesting system channelling the flood water of river Ganga was built at Sringaverapura near Allahabad in the first century B.C.
(ii) Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh, Bennur in Karnataka, Kolhapur in Maharashtra, and Kalinga in Odisha have evidence of irrigation structures.
(iii) In the 11th century, Bhopal Lake, one of the largest artificial lakes of its time was built.
(iv) The tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi was constructed by Iltutmish in the 14th century to supply water to the Siri Fort Area.
A skilled tutor who gets the opportunity to focus on developing concepts and to superimpose them on any given situation for attaining solutions, opens an entire range of lateral thinking for their students, to ensure their professional development and success.
Nowadays, the students and their parents are on the same page when it comes to the requirements and the rigour for academic excellence. They acknowledge that while the weaker subjects have to be managed for basic minimum grades, the stronger subject must be mastered…exceled in! It is akin to choosing your battles. It is a ‘minimization of effort’ and ‘maximization of result’ strategy.