Happy New Tutor

Tuition starts again today after the new year break. Seriously, it got pretty dry teaching the siblings after these few months. It was quite exhausting to teach for four hours straight too. The elder sis is progressing well but the younger brother is just not serious with his work and has a weak foundation accumulated from last year.

There is a lesson in psychology that proposed a correlation between a teacher's expectations of a student and their subsequent improvement in grades. When some teachers were made to believe that some random students were going to 'blossom', these students indeed improved more substantially than other students.

This could be due to the change in perception of the teacher, who will call on the selected students more frequently, expect answers of a higher standard, give more feedback and encouragement and criticise less in contrast with the other students.

It seems I am already biased with my two students, considering I only give homework to the boy. But it's all for his good, ya? I already have the perception innate and it is very difficult to avoid it even if I do make a conscious effort. It is like you say you are not racist but you will still walk away and avoid a group of malay boys...

Come to think of it, the boy must really hate me. For two hours a week he is stuck with a skinny and geeky teacher who speaks boring math in a high pitched voice whom he can easily crush to death with his own weight. (The siblings are a little to the plump side.)

As with the new year tradition, I expected their mother to give me an angbao and she really did. I was opening it in the bus home and was expecting something like $4. And what a pleasant surprise I got! I discovered a few red notes inside.. all five of them crisp and new. The auntie gave me a $50 angbao!

Guess it does urge me to teach harder. Must help them improve their grades and be a happy new tutor!