Month: January 2020

Question from a 15 year-old: My mother is panicking with this Wuhan virus outbreak. She doesn’t allow me to go out with my friends now and I feel like a prisoner at home. She is always like this. She doesn’t allow me to go to school by myself and drives me everywhere. She checks my phone and won’t even let me pack my own bag for camping trips as she said I would “definitely mess up.” Going berserk soon. Answer: Hey kid, 1. Reassure your mother She is not wrong to be concerned about the Wuhan virus. Take the necessary precautions such as washing your hands. You could invite your friends over and persuade your mother to let you go to less congested areas. 2. I empathise that your mother is panicky. What you can do: – always reassure her with actions. Show how responsible you are. When you are out, take photos and send her to show her where you are, update her constantly. When you are with your mother (for instance during dinner), avoid using your phone. Your mum is also yearning for some love from you and these actions will ease her anxieties too and help you get more freedom in the long run. To the mother, if you are reading this: 1. I totally understand why you are panicking about the Wuhan virus. Every mother is concerned about her child’s welfare. 2. It is okay to love and care for your son. You are a darling to want to fetch your son everywhere. It is understandable you want to check on his phone usage because they are at an impressionable age. That said, your job is not just to love and care for your son. Your job is not just to tend to his every need but more importantly, make sure he can be self-sufficient. You can’t be packing his bag when he is in NS. You can’t be packing his luggage when he is on his honeymoon trip. (If you are thinking of going along with him, please do not.) When he outlives you, do you want him to be able to fend for himself or be helpless? It’s difficult to let go and you mean well. You are afraid you would be deemed “useless” if he doesn’t need you anymore. Remember: you are his mum, not his helper. It’s not easy but for the good of your relation, you must let go too. #thurswithwei

Posted on by Wallace

Question from a 15 year-old: My mother is panicking with this Wuhan virus outbreak. She doesn’t allow me to go out with my friends now and I feel like a prisoner at home. She is always like this. She doesn’t allow me to go to school by myself and drives me everywhere. She checks my[…]

There is too much fake news on the Wuhan virus. We do not need to spread panic further. Here’s a simple guide on how to spot fake news. Ministry of Education, Singapore Ministry of Health, Singapore

Posted on by Wallace

There is too much fake news on the Wuhan virus. We do not need to spread panic further. Here’s a simple guide on how to spot fake news. Ministry of Education, Singapore Ministry of Health, Singapore from Study Room https://ift.tt/38YnE8b

*Wuhan coronavirus advisory* In light of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, Study Room is stepping up measures to ensure the health and well-being of our students and staff. Students who have traveled to China will be granted a compulsory 14 day Leave of Absence starting from the day after their arrival in Singapore, and will be given a refund for the lessons. None of our teachers had been to China during this period. We will be taking the temperature of all who enter our premises and ask if they have been to China in the last 14 days. If anyone displays flu-like symptoms, cough, shortness of breath and/or fever, he/she will be asked to leave. Parents and caregivers are also advised not to wait around in the premises. Please continue to take precautions and practice good personal hygiene during this critical period. Measures recommended include washing hands frequently with soap, visiting a doctor when sick and only going to school after recovery, as well as wearing a surgical mask if you have a cough or runny nose to prevent infecting others. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have further queries. Warm regards, Wallace and Wei

Posted on by Wallace

*Wuhan coronavirus advisory* In light of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, Study Room is stepping up measures to ensure the health and well-being of our students and staff. Students who have traveled to China will be granted a compulsory 14 day Leave of Absence starting from the day after their arrival in Singapore, and will be[…]

My teenage son doesn’t like going for Chinese New Year gatherings. We get into fights with him and is embarrassed if we can’t force him to go for such meet-ups with relatives. What should I do? Answer: This is a tricky situation. I understand many parents see this as a tradition and as “good Chinese”, we have to fulfill our visiting duties. Let me be the devil’s advocate here. Do not blame him just yet. Ask these few questions. 1) Who are the relatives you are visiting? – If it’s someone you meet often, and you are paying respects to, you can explain to him that traditions aside, this relative has been kind to your family and it’s only right to pay due respects. Logical reasoning would be more effective than forcing someone against his will. – If you only meet the relative once a year, blame yourself first. If the relative is that important, why do you only meet him once a year and not more often? Despite being related by blood, the child would deem the relative as a stranger. Who likes to spend his valuable public holidays/weekends visiting strangers? 2) Is the relative obnoxious? Truth be told, everyone has his fair share of obnoxious relatives. Did the relative say something nasty to him before or probe into his private life unnecessarily? I know of people who believe in following traditions blindly. Simply because they are traditions. Always remember, traditions are created by men. They can be changed. I am not siding with your son, but I am asking you to also look at his perspective. I also understand the merits of teaching respect. Perhaps, you could reach a compromise. Instead of staying at the relative’s house for 10 hours, indulging yourself in mahjong while your son is bored stiff in a stuffy house (yes, please put yourself in his shoes too.), visit for an hour or two. If you need to play mahjong, allow him to leave after an hour. Everyone’s needs are equally important in a family. Let me know what you think. Have a Happy Chinese New Year for those who celebrate it. For our non-Chinese friends, happy long weekend! ☺ #thurswithwei

Posted on by Wallace

My teenage son doesn’t like going for Chinese New Year gatherings. We get into fights with him and is embarrassed if we can’t force him to go for such meet-ups with relatives. What should I do? Answer: This is a tricky situation. I understand many parents see this as a tradition and as “good Chinese”,[…]

Just met up with Caleb as I had promised him a meal if he reached his goal for Chinese. Two takeaways from the meet: 1. If you put in your heart, you can reach your goal. Kudos to Caleb for sprinting at the last lap for PSLE. 2. Being very well read, Caleb engaged me in discussions on world war, the Iranian crisis, the Hong Kong protests etc. With his critical thinking skills, he is sure to do well for secondary school. Happy to catch up with this fine young man! He even promises to help out at our annual charity Halloween party at the end of the year. ❤️❤️ Knowing these kids is the greatest joy of teaching. #studyroomfamily

Posted on by Wallace

Just met up with Caleb as I had promised him a meal if he reached his goal for Chinese. Two takeaways from the meet: 1. If you put in your heart, you can reach your goal. Kudos to Caleb for sprinting at the last lap for PSLE. 2. Being very well read, Caleb engaged me[…]

Do you know we have JC general paper classes? This is what we are doing for essays in the near term for our J2 classes. – Finish the different topics for essays such as science and technology, politics, arts and media. – Find the topics that the student is most interested and familiar with and work on expanding knowledge in that area for the A Levels. – Constantly working on outlines for essays to ensure the structure of the stories are adequate, preparing additional vocabulary and key words for student to use in the various topics and scrutinise every essay by the student. – We spot the readings for you and go through with you in class so you are always updated on the latest current affairs examples that can be used in your essays. – Read up on examiners’ reports to adhere to what is required by Cambridge. – Students are also encouraged to write to the press on topics of interest to boost their profile, shape views and increase the confidence of the child. If this is the type of help you are seeking for GP in this final crucial year, DM now or go to the contact us page on studyroom.sg. #gp #alevels

Posted on by Wallace

Do you know we have JC general paper classes? This is what we are doing for essays in the near term for our J2 classes. – Finish the different topics for essays such as science and technology, politics, arts and media. – Find the topics that the student is most interested and familiar with and[…]

I got my O Level results and I did badly. My family members (even extended ones) are scholars and they expect me to do well. Unfortunately, I didn’t and I am sure they will see me in a different light after I tell them about my results. With CNY coming, people will definitely ask me how I fare? How do I be discreet about my results to save face when they ask? Answer: I have written about the unimportance of face previously so I shan’t delve into it. (Summary: You live your own life! Who cares what others think?) My solution: 1. Get over yourself Iran might be facing a war. The world is faced with climate change. Millions of refugees are stranded and there are children dying of hunger. Your problem is really insignificant compared with those. More importantly, do better in poly, JC or ITE, whichever you choose for your next step. If you have to repeat another year, so be it. In twenty years, you will look back at it and realise it’s what you do AFTER the results that matters, not the results. If you had aced the exam and slacked after, you won’t be getting anywhere too. 2. Own it There is nothing to be ashamed of. Just tell them your grades. If they are family and friends, they will accept you for who you are. If they don’t and actually see you in a different light because of grades, you are better off without them in your life. To parents: Please do not exacerbate this situation by adding oil to fire. I know of a parent who said her son is “useless” in front of him when others asked about his results. She was probably trying to fend off questions but this does not help matters. It will only demoralize the kid further. To relatives: Just shut up. Be tactful this Chinese New Year. If you are genuinely concerned, you will be sensitive to his feelings. If you are just kaypoh, shame on you. You, kid, have to live with such a question. You can’t change others. (I guess you can give them the dagger stare) but you can change yourself. But the ultimate point is, what you score at the O’s does not matter now. How you rectify the situation later is way more important. Focus on the right question and worries. #thurswithwei #olevels #cny

Posted on by Wallace

I got my O Level results and I did badly. My family members (even extended ones) are scholars and they expect me to do well. Unfortunately, I didn’t and I am sure they will see me in a different light after I tell them about my results. With CNY coming, people will definitely ask me[…]

Was just on CNA938 @channelnewsasia to chat about Singapore’s education system, following the release of today’s O Level results. Bottom line: congrats if you did well. If you didn’t, life isn’t over. The exam doesn’t define us but our attitudes do. If we give up after one failure, we deserve to fail. If we pick ourselves up after this, it is a silver lining in disguise. It takes time to connect the dots. The results are out and everything is set in stone. Now, think about the next step, as the best is yet to come.

Posted on by Wallace

Was just on CNA938 @channelnewsasia to chat about Singapore’s education system, following the release of today’s O Level results. Bottom line: congrats if you did well. If you didn’t, life isn’t over. The exam doesn’t define us but our attitudes do. If we give up after one failure, we deserve to fail. If we pick[…]

Thanks for the wonderful first week of classes. Love seeing new faces and so grateful to have a strong team of teachers this year. We have the old guards who have been with us from the start such as Anna, Florence and Sean helming the fort. The other teachers are also gems in our eyes. These include our passionate Chinese teachers Yaxi, Yang Ping and Zm, our responsible weekday Maths teacher Lay Koon who took up Sun classes this year (thank you!), reliable Aden (our Pri school sci teacher) and the dedicated Jun who built our Secondary school science classes. All of them have already been part of us for years too. (Love how we are able to build a stable team. ?) In addition, we have Ing Eng joining our family this year, helping us further strengthen our lower-primary English classes with her 20 years of teaching experience in government and international schools. We have nothing more to ask for. Good teachers who share our vision for a better, fun and comprehensive education for students and the opportunity to know so many pupils. Thank u for being part of the Study Room family! ?❤️ #studyroomfamily #grateful

Posted on by Wallace

Thanks for the wonderful first week of classes. Love seeing new faces and so grateful to have a strong team of teachers this year. We have the old guards who have been with us from the start such as Anna, Florence and Sean helming the fort. The other teachers are also gems in our eyes.[…]