They say that there is no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher, but this only really tells part of the story. There will be many things that will influence how easily a student learns, from the time and resources available to a teacher to the focus and will of the student. As such, there can indeed be bad students, but there can also be teachers who are perceived as bad simply due to the fact that they do not have the tools to teach each individual in the most appropriate way.
The fact we are all unique is extremely important when it comes to formulating teaching methods, and yet current curriculum and indeed the current approach to class tuition does not (or is simply unable) to take this into account. However, those that are struggling in school or college may not be struggling due to the fact that they are a bad student or even due to the fact that they have a bad teacher, but simply due to the fact that the teaching techniques employed by the majority of teachers is geared towards the masses rather than the individuals.
As such, by finding tutors with a different approach to teaching, students could learn a great deal more and find that subjects that once completely baffled or even angered them suddenly become extremely simple to grasp. This could have a huge effect on a child, boosting their confidence, improving their behaviour and allowing them to feel far more comfortable getting involved in the classroom. After all, deep down almost all of us want to learn more and be intelligent, and many of those that play up in the classroom are only doing so as a defence mechanism as they are afraid of, and often sure that they will end up, failing.
For those that cannot grasp certain subjects in the generic way that they are taught in school, personal tutors could be invaluable. Not only will individuals feel far more comfortable trying if they only have one person to fail in front of, but those offering tuition will be able to tailor teaching methods far more easily if they only have one student to teach. In turn, not only could one’s school life be completely transformed through such private tuition, but one’s whole life could be too, opening up whole new doors and a great deal of potential for the future.
From those who seem to struggle across the board to those who only struggle to grasp one or two particular subjects, such one-to-one tuition will be equally as beneficial, and may allow those who constantly fail in a subject to suddenly excel.
So, whilst there may well indeed be both bad teachers and bad students, both are few and far between, and those struggling to make headway in any subject may well find that they simply need a more focussed tuition on a one-to-one basis if they wish to succeed both in the short-term and indeed moving forward into later life.
About the Author – Adam Howes is a freelance writer and blogger with a background in Educational Theatre. He regularly contributes articles to companies such as Fleet Education.
