Thursday, October 27, 2011

My Exams! and all the grumblings

I totally hate Exams period (full stop)

With a 4 year gap in between two kids, with one kid who needs alot of pushing; with one girl neglected. Exam period and still alot of homework!! What the ?!?! Shouldn't it be time for revisions? And I'm one old menopause woman so mad with a kid who dilly dallies, who gives you untidy work, who gives you stupid careless mistake work. I mean REAL careless mistake hor! And then I don't have much time for her to do MY WORK. All the time rushing to complete her school homework amidst her and my tight daily schedule/shuttling between classes. Mind you, I don't sign her up for every class in the world. I may be kiasu (scared of losing out) but I still believe in giving my child a fair share of play and work. And substantial amount of classes for her weaker subjects.
And I have one man in the house who don't understand why the wife keeps screaming; scolding; banging the table when I'm erupting. Who thinks that "look! I didn' t have to study so hard and where am I today. So let her be".
When mummies meet we talk about the treacherous education system we have here. How we'd lose out if we don't work on par with the peers. Unfortunately not everyone understands until their child reach the proper schooling age.

I thought I had some support but realise nope - I have a non-supportive mother who thinks I'm abusing her poor grandchild. Who keeps telling me that the girl is not so smart so I must face up to reality. What the ?! So I've been boasting or raising up my standards? Can somebody just go and take a look at the way my girl do her work! I don't mind geniune mistakes but careless mistakes - BIG NO NO! I cried when I saw her SA1 results, it wasn't those kind of condemn results but it wasn't justifiable for my hard work and her intelligence. And why did I cry? I felt all my effort and shouting had gone down. I want to give up, I'm really exhausted. But if I give up then she's really DEAD MEAT. Nobody to push her.

Careless mistakes
Mom kept saying everyone makes mistakes. Yes, every kid is bound to make careless mistakes. I made alot of careless mistakes too when I was schooling. But I was born at the time when kids still had time to climb trees to play; I was born to both illiterate parents. If I had been caned at; nagged at - perhaps I would be doing very well in my career and writing my thesis instead of blogging right here.
It's a matter of whether child makes minimum mistakes or tons. My girl is alot! She knows her work but like I scolded her "your eyes; brain and hand cannot co-ordinate. Your eyes see one thing; brain think another; hand write another answer!"
I just had to prove it, prove to someone. Mom had a look at her SA1 exam script and realised - oh yes! The girl is extremely careless. She knows how to work her way around the problem but dunno where she came up with a original number (eg. in problem sum you see numbers like 20, 4 more, 6. It's multiple-step and she can work but she starts with a "30". Where the heck 30 come from?!) Transferring mistake; and the main killer - untidiness! And that's the time she speaks the same voice as me. After that? She'll go back to her old school of thoughts.
She didn't realize that her granddaughter has the potential, or in her biased eyes - - - shall not say anymore. When once she was in the house and girl asked me a question, I mentioned one sentence haven't got around to guiding her how to solve the problem. She exclaimed "I know already and then started working out on her own." I pointed out to mom, "look! this is what I mean. I usually only need one explanation and she understands. In this case, she solved everything even before I could help her." Mom kept quiet and dare not mention anything about my girl being not so smart.
Please don't be mistaken, I'm not saying that my two girls are geniuses. There are many kids out there who are definitely smarter than them. But if she's kept them to the minimum of 1 -2 or no careless mistakes, that is the result that she deserves.

Everytime before any exams, I'd be screaming my head off. The screams get more aggitated and loud. Coz' I find myself repeating the same old phrase which I have been doing daily. (I'm not doing a 'last minute trying to change her 360 deg' but it definitely takes up a toll in my health having to repeat the same old thing day in day out.)
1) careless mistake!
2) you transfer wrongly!
3) you didn't read the sentence carefully. Already indicated as singular, you can write plural!
4) untidy. You can't read what you write so you add/minus wrongly, you think your mother and teacher can read your handwriting!
5) question asks for this, you answer that!
Last year, I wrote down all the rules on the whiteboard and every minute I had to repeat "what is Rule #1? when she is untidy, I'll tell her "turn around. tell me what is Rule #3"
The only time I can redeem my constant screaming is to see the results that she deserves. So that hubby won't say I've been screaming in vain.

This Exam period is really jialat! I didn't have much time to cover during the September hols. And during the 4 days PSLE Marking Day - I thought I can cover a huge amount of work. Ended up with tons of school homeworks (again!)
Then I feel so guilty ignoring lil' girl. Thank goodness she's rather independent. But still.... I would prefer my other half to support me. You know what I mean?

Running against time, haven't had much time to throw those school exam scripts at her. Siao liao lah! P3 already like this; how about next year. And she's involved in SYF next year!!

Apart from the schoolwork, I should be thankful that I don't have to do housework or cook. Wonder how I'll survive when KZ's not working for us. Have to be mentally prepared when the day comes. By then, my white hairs grows at an even faster rate. I'll need a pacemaker.

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