Is exams a fair way to assess a student's capabilities?

1) Cheating

Nowadays, with all the technological innovations, cheating is kinda common... I'm pretty sure they're gonna develop 'Cheating Apps' soon...

Here's 50 ways of using technology to cheat:

http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/09/50-ways-technology-can-help-you-cheat/

2) You may fall sick, get hit by a car, suffer from emotional stress (someone close to you die) during exams...

And consequently, you waste a full year or semester!

3) Luck!

In my college for lab exams, students need to choose from a lot of questions... Obviously, if you're lucky enough you'll get a pretty easy question!

4) Do college authorities have anything to say about you passing or not?

Currently, I heard that someone occupying a rather important place at the college told a student: "Your Degree is in my hand!" 

It's like if they like they'll make you pass, otherwise, you're fcked!

5) Due to the exams pressure, do students really learn something at school or they just study to pass the exams? 

The Learning Process

There're many psychological definitions, flowcharts and diagrams to illustrate The Learning Process.

But for me, learning is the fact of increasing our knowledge coupled with applying whatever we've learnt in real-life situations.

How many times have you tried really hard to remember some complex mathematical formulae just to use it on the day of exam and forget all about it afterwards?

Studying just for the sake to clear out your exams ain't call studying... well, not that exams aren't important! But my point is, learning should be a fun, creative and innovative activity... Not the thought of being stuck in a classroom and checking your watch every 5 minutes wondering when the lectures would get over!

"Grades do not measure intelligence & age doesn't define maturity."

Can a teacher call a student stupid?

Defn of stupid: Lack of intelligence, understanding, slow to learn…

Does that mean if we suck at Math, we’re stupid?

Definitely NO!!!

A small anecdote: My maths teacher would often refer us as being stupid/retarded cos we’re not understandin any shit he is explainin! He would even say, I quote, “You need to be clever to do Maths, which you are not!”

Soo, can a teacher call a student “stupid”?

A teacher, by no means, should call a student stupid or retarded! A teacher’s job is to explain you when you don’t understand something, and not the opposite! As one of my teacher said: “A teacher is a guide, someone to make a difference! Someone who should treat the students the same way he treats his own child…”

Teachers should have good pedagogical skills:

Effective teachers use an array of teaching strategies because there is no single, universal approach that suits all situations. 

Different strategies used in different combinations with different groupings of students will improve learning outcomes. 

Some strategies are better suited to teaching certain skills and fields of knowledge than are others. Some strategies are better suited to certain student backgrounds, learning styles and abilities. (Souce: http://the-teacher.wikispaces.com/Pedagogy+-+Teaching+and+Learning+Strategies)

Besides, intelligence has to do with your capability to learn new things & think intuitively, creatively. I really think that being street smart is far more important than being book smart! Book smart will get you through your calculus class, but it will not get you through life! Math is just a learned skill, you just need to study them enough until eventually you can just memorize most of the information!

Personally, I think that street smart and common sense skills are much more important than something in a book… :)

You can also check out: What defines a good teacher? 

What defines a good teacher?

1. A good teacher is always here when we need him! (Doesn’t mean we can call him at any oddly hours though :P)

2. He will incessantly explain anything we’ve not understood until we finally get it… For example as soon as we’d tell our computing teacher that we’ve not understood something, he’d try explaining it in as different ways possible for us to finally grasp it!

3. Furthermore, a good teacher will never spoon-feed his students but would rather give ‘em more stuffs to do on their own!

4. A good teacher will also boost out general knowledge with great historians, great quotes to motivate us and relate us small stories or anecdotes related to ‘em! He will explain everythin as simply as possible but not any simpler…

5. Moreover, he will encourage us at every step and try to give personal attention to each and every student instead of sayin: “If your friends have been able to do it, then why not you?”

6. A good teacher doesn’t pinpoint anybody in the middle of the class if he’s doing something stupid; he’ll just say: “Over there, shut up!” But if things are more serious, he might talk to that student privately after the class, or if in extreme cases, he might ask the student to get his ass outta the class!!!

7. My french teacher used to organise debates, elocution contests, group presentations to make things funnier :D N I really love him for that! While other langauage teachers would just make the class even more boring by constantly doin the same stuff over n over again...

8. In addition, a good teacher should be kinda strict! If someone ain’t interested in whatsoever is going on in the class or hasn’t been doin his homeworks continuously since a long time, then he may send the student home instead of him sittin there every week wastin his parents’ money!

9. Most importantly, there should be both a serious and pleasant atmosphere during the class! The teachers should crake jokes time to time during the class to lighten the mood!

10. Finally… This one apply to tuition teachers! Some teachers are money-minded in the sense that they would give tuitions to students with whom they work at school! Seriously, is there some kinda difference in whatever he’d taught at school and what he’s teaching in tui? If there is, then whyyy??

Well, these are some characteristics, that according to ME, a good teacher possesses! In a nutshell, I would like to thank alllllllll my teachers, both at school and tui, for making me what I am today! I’ve been able to get excellent grades just cos of u great ppl! I love you soo much <3