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31-05-12: What should I teach at the Assessment
I receive a surprising number of queries regarding the above. Those who are about to undergo their assessment are often very worried about what subject is appropriate or whether it has to be related to their own subjects.
A Blue Tutors article written by Blue Tutors.
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30-05-12: Exam Boards are too Commercial
Is it right that exam boards are run as businesses? Making money from endorsements of particular text books, and from courses run by examiners for teachers to attend? Some people think not. They think the commercialisation of examinations damages their integrity.
A Tuition News article written by Blue Tutors.
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29-05-12: Sunny Oxford and Cambridge
Pete's blog: So we distributed our flyers in Cambridge on Thursday and then in Oxford yesterday...
A Blog article written by Blue Tutors.
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28-05-12: SPAG test row
Teachers and ministers are once again at loggerheads over a plan to introduce SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) to the SATs testing that already takes place. Costing millions to administrate, teachers argue that the money would be far better spent elsewhere and that teachers should be left to assess the SPAG capabilities of their pupils without government interference.
A Tuition News article written by Blue Tutors.
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25-05-12: You can only do so much!
What do you do when a student just seems to lack commitment? When you have tried everything and, after a brief response, seems not to care about their results quite as much as you do.
A Blue Tutors article written by Blue Tutors.
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24-05-12: If A levels are failing our university new starters, can tuition bridge the gap?
After writing several articles reporting on studies which recognise a decline in standards in A level examinations and a corresponding lack of educational provision at A level for the further study of certain subjects at University level, I have to ask myself whether this is a gap that can be bridged by tutors.
A Blue Tutors article written by Blue Tutors.
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23-05-12: Science A Levels Examine a ‘Worrying’ Amount of Maths.
Another day and another article about how A levels fail to prepare students for university life. This time it’s the Sciences which are feeling the force of public inquiry. In a report published on 27th April 2012, Judith Burns, Education reporter for the BBC, writes on the recent Score report which states that little of the Maths required for further study of the subjects is covered in A level courses and examinations.
A Tuition News article written by Blue Tutors.
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22-05-12: Busy May?
Pete's blog 22-5-12: At this time of year, so many people say to me that we ‘must be so busy at the moment’...
A Blog article written by Blue Tutors.
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21-05-12: Exams easier now than 10 years ago.
A report on the BBC Education website yesterday (01/05/2012) states that a review of Biology, Chemistry and Geography examination papers has shown a decline in standards required;
A Tuition News article written by Blue Tutors.
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19-05-12: Model Answer, History of Art AS
I had a look at the mark scheme for AS Level art history, and compiled the following essay question and answer. Consider it like an advertisement for my services. Judge for yourselves.
An Article by a Tutor written by Jessica King.
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18-05-12: Why isn’t my student improving?
It can be the case occasionally that a student simply stops improving. This has happened with one of mine recently, a boy who had progressed leaps and bounds in the first few months of coming to me. It has been very sad to witness and especially now in the run up to exams when he has finally started to realise that he ought to have worked much harder for the last few months. So, what to do?
A Blue Tutors article written by Blue Tutors.
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17-05-12: My Student goes AWOL
Yesterday I came home from the library especially to teach one of my students who had booked in for a 2 hour lesson now that his exam is fast approaching. As the appointed hour came and went I glanced down the road to see if he was on his way...he wasn’t.
A Blue Tutors article written by Blue Tutors.
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16-05-12: Poor showing for State Schools in Grayling’s College
The TES reports today that Grayling’s New College has offered places to 91 students for a September start, only 22% of which will be from state schools. From an application pool of 350 the 91 students were chosen and offered places because of their potential to achieve 3 As at A level or at least AAB.
A Tuition News article written by Blue Tutors.
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15-05-12: Flyering for New Tutors
One of my tasks this week was to sort out the flyering that we do every year in Oxford and Cambridge...
A Blog article written by Blue Tutors.
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14-05-12: Affluence a Factor in 11+
In an article today on the BBC News Education pages, Hannah Richardson reports that Buckinghamshire Council has apparently caused outrage in advising a school not to use the 11+ exam as a means of ensuring a ‘broad spread of abilities’ is admitted.
A Tuition News article written by Blue Tutors.
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12-05-12: The past is a foreign country - you need a qualified tour guide
Use of historical example, English Civil War, to illustrate the complexity of the relationship between State and People, and nobility and clergy, in this period of dramatic change.
An Article by a Tutor written by Jessica King.
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10-05-12: Oral Exams - English Oral Exams - English
I have this week taught my first lesson on an Oral examination in English. Being quite a practised public speaker I brought what I had been taught to bear and it seemed to work quite well.
A Blue Tutors article written by Blue Tutors.
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08-05-12: When Tutors Go Bad
Pete's blog 8-5-12: It’s been another week of annoying admin tasks for a lot of the time...
A Blog article written by Blue Tutors.
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07-05-12: Teaching to the Test
Laura Klein, a teacher from the Bronx, regrets the fact that her students are led to focus so much on standard tests in the school year that this becomes their only motivation for learning.
A Tuition News article written by Blue Tutors.
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05-05-12: ATS School of Thought in Translation
Translators are (not) traitors as said by many some would-be specialists.
An Article by a Tutor written by Muhammad Taghian.
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04-05-12: Last Minute Tutor
We are almost half way through April, with some students having exams in less then a month and we are still getting many requests on a daily basis for pre-exam tutoring.
A Blue Tutors article written by Blue Tutors.
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03-05-12: Ethical Tutoring
Today I have been advising a tutor who has a problem student. Although this issue doesn’t come up often, it is frequent enough to merit an article. This student wishes her tutor to do all her reading for a particular subject and provide typed up notes with salient points, counter arguments etc - basically she wishes the tutor to do all her work for her.
A Blue Tutors article written by Blue Tutors.
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01-05-12: Special Tutoring Skills
Children with special tutoring requirements are often the ones who suffer at school, not from a want of intelligence but from a lack of ability to respond in the same way to a teaching style which is directed at the majority, as indeed it must be.
A Tuition News article written by Blue Tutors.
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01-05-12: My Working Hours
Pete's blog 1-5-12: I made a resolution last week to try and keep my work between 9 and 5...
A Blog article written by Blue Tutors.