Negative effects of grades on students and pressure on staff can be immense; sometimes, we place too much emphasis on grades achieved and this can be to the detriment of young people. HLN Tutors focuses on learning, not grades. Normally, one would consider having A’s as the epitome of success, but this is not true. Do the letters in the report card solely define a student’s intellect? No! When the emphasis is solely on grades and not distance travelled and noticeable improvements, this discourages students.
HNL Tutors values both grades and overall improvement.
We look at value-added, not just grades. Our teaching is tailored to ensure students get good grades and develop positive attitude to work to succeed. HNL Tutors, teach young people to understand the concept and apply it. Only then do we look at exam questions and how they should be answered. We teach young people how to learn and become confident learners. The tutors guide students through the learning process and track the learning experience.
Small group tuition – negative effects of grades on students
The small student-to-tutor ratio has shown great improvements in students’ learning. HNL Tutors allows a maximum of 4 students for academic tuition. This is a good number of students per tutor. Tutors can keep track of each student’s learning. If a student has challenges, the tutor can help him or her comfortably. While we focus on learning, not grades, we also acknowledge that grades are good learning indicators. However, we want your children to become more confident. We want them to have fun while learning. We don’t want them to become fixated with grades but to develop and become proficient learners.
Asking questions
HNL Tutors allow students to ask follow-up questions lessons during and after lessons. We want them to do this for the sake of learning and not grades. We embrace distance travelled and have strategies that will allow children to become independent learners, achieve higher grades and value learning.
Strategies to shift culture away from grades
Adjusting our language
When a student is not motivated to complete an assignment, we don’t use threats or phrases like, “You must do it because your grade…!” We use words of encouragement such as, “You did really well with simplifying that part and I’m looking forward to seeing you proceed to the next step.” Does this kind language work all the time? Of course not. However, the gradual use of mindful language has greatly improved students’ motivation to learn. When interacting with parents, it is never all about grades. We talk about a child’s ability in demonstrating skills rather than grades. As a parent, you will be informed of the grades, as well as recommendations on areas that need improvements.
