One of the most important aspects of being a teacher at W@W is learning how to communicate with the parents of your students. Parents do not sit in with their children during lessons, and as such, they need to know what is going on in class to better support their child at home. With additional guidance and support from their parents, students will be able to succeed much faster than if they went about studying for English by themselves. It is of paramount importance that teachers at W@W learn how to give constructive feedback and tips to parents.
1. Highlight Issues Which are Important in the Long Run
At times, W@W teachers may notice patterns in their students’ behaviour which are not picked up by their teachers at school. One of these habits involves having messy handwriting, which could lead to detrimental consequences in the long term – many examiners will not bother figuring out what the student is writing if their handwriting is terrible, which would lead them to lose marks in exams. As a W@W teacher, one of our responsibilities is to highlight such issues to the parents, even when the schoolteachers have not made a fuss about them. With reminders to change for the better and some encouragement (and, in extreme cases, the issuance of penmanship paper), students will be able to improve their penmanship for the better.
2. Explain to Parents the Language and Procedures Taking Place During Class
There are many new terms inside the W@W materials given to your students in class which may sound like an alien language to parents seeing these terms for the first time! (The term “QSP” comes to mind.) Parents who want to support their child in their revision will need to know what these terms mean so they can revise together with their child before upcoming examinations. As a W@W teacher, it is important that you explain these terms to the parents so they can help in their child’s learning journey. Furthermore, if parents are unsure as to the approach in W@W (the approach is called Storybanking, which involves building a “bank” of stories and characters and varying them based on the context of a new question), it is up to you to explain to them the pedagogy and the methods W@W uses to help their child succeed. After all, parents just want to know that the lessons they take with you are for the benefit of their child and their academics.
3. Give Suggestions to Improve Along with the Feedback About Your Students
As a W@W teacher, you should not give your feedback about how the student is like and leave it at that. It is important to give tips on how the student can change for the better, and how the parents can support their child at home. Parents may be frustrated as they would not know how to change their child’s behaviour – at times, it takes a concerted effort between teacher and student to improve someone or change their ways. As such, W@W teachers need to work together with parents to come up with solutions. For example, if the child needs to improve their attitude in class, W@W teachers could talk to his/her parents and see what would motivate them to come for class and have a positive attitude. Encouraging the child in front of their peers is another way to make them feel as if they are appreciated, and this can be supplemented with encouragement from their parents. After all, both the W@W teacher and the parent want to act in the child’s best interests, and by working together and communicating, they can do exactly that.
Remember – as a parent, you will no doubt want to know what is happening in class. Parents want to know that what you are doing is helping their children score well and improve themselves, and that the lessons are benefitting their children. Good communication is thus essential to ensure that parents know what is going on and how to help you as a teacher support their children at home. A little bit more revision during the week or reminders of what to prepare before lessons at W@W will go a long way in helping you as a teacher achieve your objectives.
Attain Stellar Results With W@W!
English is a compulsory subject which all students must undertake. However, mastering the English language is not something which happens overnight – it takes consistent practice and effort to learn the nuances of the language. Students must read more and practice writing to gradually improve. Cramming for a language subject nearer to the exams is an impossible feat. After all, Rome was not built in a day! Attaining such a skill will have positive implications for not only your child’s education in school, but also employment prospects in future.
At WRITERS@WORK, we are committed to providing the smoothest learning experience for your child sitting for their English exams. With our carefully curated methods of teaching your child how to write well, your child will learn how to present their thoughts and arguments in a coherent and concise manner. W@W reinforces your child’s language skills and provides a strong foundation for their academic success, keeping up with all aspects of their progress both inside and outside of the classroom to nurture them holistically. For more information about how W@W makes a difference, feel free to explore our website and watch our YouTube videos!
If you are interested in our primary English tuition and secondary English tuition in Singapore, WRITERS@WORK has expanded to 9 convenient locations. To find the nearest location that suits your needs, please explore our options. If you have any inquiries regarding our range of programs or class schedules, please feel free to contact WRITERS@WORK!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
1. What Do You Learn in English Writing Class?
Firstly, W@W teaches students how to break down the question to understand what is being asked of the student. Learning what the question wants is just as important as learning how to answer it. Next, students will learn how to use the Plot Curve to craft logical and coherent plots, and interesting, well-developed characters, all the while learning key phrases which broaden their vocabulary. Students will use ideas from all the lessons taught at W@W in the exam.
2. How Can I Improve My Child’s Creative Writing Skills?
Reading model compositions is one way to improve a child’s creative writing skills. After all, children cannot write about what they do not know. By reading how good essays are written and attempting to imitate them, children will pick up sentence mechanics and vocabulary they can use in their own exams. Reading more will also give students ideas about the various contexts they can write an essay about as they will be able to broaden their horizon of experiences.
3. Why is It Important to Take Writing Classes?
Writing is the most difficult literacy skill to be taught because it is a combination of many different skills. Students need to be logical and creative when writing to create a coherent plot while remembering how to use the correct sentence mechanics. Additionally, a wide range of vocabulary suited to the context must be used to create the correct imagery and tone.
4. What Age Do Kids Start Creative Writing?
Children may begin creative writing in primary school. In Singapore, children are required to do Situational Writing and Composition for their PSLE exams, which take place in Primary 6. Children may begin with simple prompts and first learn how to craft basic sentences, then move on to telling a story with a coherent plot which has a source of tension and then a resolution.
