SHOULD PARENTS MAKE CAREER CHOICES FOR THEIR CHILDREN?

In Nigeria it is a common practice for parents to choose careers for their children. This arrangement often have a long term implication for both parties. Currently, I have a student that I mentor one-on-one. She is in senior school 1 (SS 1) in a private school. Right from the onset she has made her career choice known. She wanted to become a lawyer, since she hates the sciences. But her decision did not go down well with her father. The father wanted her to study medicine. As for the mother, she sits on the fence. Right now I wait to see whose decision gains supremacy.

THE IMPLICATION

Choosing a career should never be a battle-field matter. Obviously, when parents impose careers on their children, poor performance is often the result. The heart and mind of the child is far removed from the career. Hence, the child puts in little effort. In some cases, this may not be intentional as the student grapples with seemingly difficult subjects. In the end, they fail their courses.

PARENTS TAKE NOTE

IT is not fair, or wise to impose career on your child. If you really want your child in a particular field, then start early to groom him  along this line while he is still young. This way you prepare his  mind to accept it naturally. Also, observe your child very well because at this level they begin to exhibit certain traits that you can horn to your advantage.

QUESTION FOR READERS

1.       Should parents choose careers for their children?

2.       How did you choose your own career?

11 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY

Most of us often forget things easily. You place your keys here, and in the next moment you can’t seem to find it . what about appointments you forget to meet? Well, this article will focus on how you can enhance long-term memory.

1.       Focus attention on the materials you are studying. Increased attention and focus enhance retention, you move from short-term memory into long-term memory. Study in a place free from distractions such as television, music and other diversions.

2.       Avoid cramming, establish regular study sessions. Bjork (2001), helps us to understand that studying materials over a number of sessions gives you the time you need to adequately process the information. Research shows that students who study regularly remember the material far better than those who do all of their study in one marathon session.

3.       Organize the information you are studying: Researchers have discovered that information is organized in memory in related clusters. Therefore, try grouping similar concepts and terms together, or make an outline of notes and textbook readings to help group related concepts.

4.       Use mnemonic devices to remember information: A mnemonic is simply a way to remember information. For instance, you might associate a term you need to remember with a common item that you are very familiar with such as a rhyme, song or joke to help remember a specific segment of information.

5.       Always rehearse the information you are studying: for example when you read the definition of a key term, study the definition of that term and then read a more detailed description of what that term means. This way recalling the information is much easier.

6.       Try to picture concepts to improve memory and recall:  While you read, pay attention to the photographs, charts and other graphics in your textbook.

7.       Compare new information to things you already know: this it becomes easier to recall

8.       Teach new concepts to another person: the more you teach others the more you get to know it. If you teach ten persons the new concept, you will know it ten times more than others.

9.       Pay more attention to difficult information: slow down while you read so the information will sink into your brain.

10.   Vary your study routine: study in different locations and times. If you always study in the evening, try to do it in the morning sometimes

11.   Get some sleep: it helps to improve recall. Always rest well each night. Better still you could take a nap after reading.

IS A TEACHER BORN OR MADE?

Not everyone can teach or impart knowledge. Teaching is an art. To excel, the classroom teacher should possess relevant skills necessary in facilitating learning and influence behaviours of his students. Generally, humans are complex beings, and no two humans behaves exactly the same way. Theories that apply to one many not necessarily apply to the other. This is the challenge the classroom teacher faces everyday. Granted, there are some teachers who know the art of teaching excellently without going through the formal training process of his profession.

I know of a teacher in Brother Pius School who is highly valued because of his art of teaching. He studied Business Administration in the University. He is loved by all including his pupils. Also, he is well paid. There are so many examples of teachers in this category. However, this is not to say that trained  teachers perform poorly in class. Indeed, such training can help to horn their skills for effective performance.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Some teachers are born while others are made. If you hold a contrary opinion, be free to offer your comment.

SOME COMPLAINTS STUDENTS HAVE AGAINST TEACHERS

Teaching is an art. Not everyone is cut out in this area. Been able to impart knowledge in the way and manner that generate desirable response from students is an amazing skill. However, in spite of some teachers best effort students feel less satisfied with their  teaching. The following are prominent complaints students have against teachers:

1.       The teacher is too harsh: a lot of students mistake a teacher’s discipline and insistence on good moral behavior to harshness. They hate teachers that flog or melts out punishment on students. A word of advice for the teacher: if at all you have to instill discipline, do so with love. Avoid projecting an image of harshness. In fact, draw close to your students.

2.       The class is boring: some students dislike teachers whose class is not very motivating or rather dry. Also, when the teacher’s voice is low or inaudible, students tend to strain their ears to listen. This way discouragement soon makes them to tune out from the teaching, before long they are overtaken by sleep.

3.       The teacher is inconsistent: some students do not understand their teacher. When they are punished, they feel the teacher hates them. When they perform poorly in test, they blame the teacher.

QUESTION FOR READERS

1.       How do you bridge the gap between the teacher and the students?

WHY STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN EXTERNAL EXAMS DROPS EVERY YEAR

It is quite alarming how students keep performing very poorly at examinations. The situation has remained virtually the same from year to year. Identifying the major cause is a positive step in the right direction. The following are the prominent reasons:

1.       Poor study habits: it is sad to observe that most students basically lack reading culture. Instead they spend their valuable time on valueless activities. Some watch season films  and movies late into the night. These individuals make last minute preparation for their examination.

2.       Anticipated involvement in examination malpractice. A lot of students who are aware of the usual assistance during examination often do not see any reason to prepare or study. This is the trend in most schools. As a result, they are relaxed and easy-going.

3.       Poor spelling skills:  Because of the prevalent social media platforms many students stick to the use of unconventional spelling and language. Consider these examples: night is replaced with nite, your is replaced with ur, today is replaced with 2day, etc. This behavior creep in during examination. Unfortunately this is not tolerated especially in English language  where adhering to the highest linguistic standard is of great importance.