Showing posts with label Study skills. Show all posts

21 March 2013

MENTORS IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS MUST HAVE CLEAR OBJECTIVES AND DETAILED DAILY OPERATIONAL NOTES TO USE (2)

WHAT NIGERIAN SECONDARY STUDENTS NEED MOST ARE MENTORS/LIFE COACHES NOT “TEACHERS” (3)

[caption id="attachment_7512" align="aligncenter" width="593"]

MENTORS IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS MUST HAVE CLEAR OBJECTIVES AND DETAILED DAILY OPERATIONAL NOTES TO USE (2)

...break period during a seminar for mentors at Mason College.....[/caption]

NOTES COMPLETION / HAND WRITING / TEXT BOOK INTEGRITY CHECKS / OTHER ACADEMIC TOOLS CHECKS (WEDNESDAYS)

33.This is one of the most important parts of the mentoring work in the school and mentors are advised to do 3 things always before each Wednesday or the day fixed by management for any of these checks.

(a) Having a record of the maximum number of expected notebooks per student and ensuring that their students have filled and submitted the relevant form previously (subject choices available to ss1 – ss3 form). In fact the mentor should keep a copy of these forms for each of their students in their operational files.

(b) Continually encourage their wards to have tutors sign or initial their notebooks for completion throughout the week before the D-day for checking. But mentors have to watch out for possible trickery by students notebook covered with his own outer casing as evidence that his or her notes are complete.

(c) Continually remind their students about weekly checks and the need to bring all notebooks to school on D-day.

34.Marks awarded or penalties deducted shall of course be related to the actual number of completed notes submitted. Although deductions shall be related logically to those not yet submitted, gross violation of expected rules shall lead to the award of zero to the student concerned. For instance completeness amounting to 25% or more of expected notes shall be treated as gross violation.

35.Mentors are to note that they shall be expected to provide appropriate comments whenever necessary on handwriting and other integrity checks such as on the availability of textbooks or other academic tools. This can be done in line with school calendars or according to random checks on their students but promptly agreed with management. Random checks mean a deviation from the checking of notes for completion. It does not imply that students shall not be informed in advance about what mentors intend to check.

36.All checks for textbooks and other academic tools shall however be expected to take place before the mid-term examinations.

37.Mentors are to please note that some integrity checks are usually included within the calendars prepared by management for each term. They should please work with these calendars in mind except if amended by management.

38.Mentors do have a very challenging job on their hands in relation to what is called the Notebook Integrity Project (NIP). The relevant write-up which converts the project into a tool for mentors and school management is to be found in the section of Eduguide for staff members. This check has to be planned carefully as substitute work for Notes Completion checks but the focus and length of time involved are different. Mentors are therefore advised to read this write-up carefully, because it is one of the most important ever prepared on the issue of notes completion for students anywhere in the world.\

39.Mentors are to note from the NIP that students who have spent more than one year in the school are expected to combine notes of the years gone by with those of their current classes in such a way that all notes of JS 1 – 3 or SS 1 – SS3 classes are bunched together.

NOVEL SUMMARY SCHEME / ORAL ENGLISH / PUBLIC SPEAKING (THURSDAYS)

40.Each student is basically expected to have a wide vocabulary of English words, understand lots of idiomatic expressions and ultimately be in good position to express himself/herself appropriately. It does not matter whether the school is in the private or public domain. In Mason College students are usually launched into orbit by being asked to give words of exhortation at the daily school assembly .

41.For this purpose also, there are write-ups to support mentors. There are write-ups covering public speaking, vocabulary improvement, spellings, idiomatic expressions,famous quotations etc in the students and staff sections of Eduguide. There are also library-related guidelines, and write-up related to modern retrieval and research methods to boost preparation of students and staff for this purpose. Even where public speeches are not required there are also write-ups on the techniques of writing reports which mentors can read and interpret or convert to acceptable levels of understanding for their wards.

42.The Academic Group shall determine the fortnight cycles or turnovers to be used for the Novel Summary Scheme. These shall be done through the calendars usually prepared at the beginning of each term. The operation of this scheme cannot be successful without keeping to the rules guiding the use of the school libraries (at school location as well as at Bookends).

43.The objective of the scheme is to get each student show in the first week of each cycle that he or she actually collected a novel for reading. By the end of the fortnight or even before its end the student must write at least a half page summary of the novel based on certain guidelines of the Novel Summary which were divided into types A, B or C (these shall be specified in future posts)

44.Students shall be expected to seek audience with English Language/Literature tutors to have the type of summary chosen. It is important therefore that mentors and English Language tutors get to know the summary types and activities listed as types A,B and C. These are to be found under the students’ section of the Eduguide.

45. In the second week of the cycle mentors shall ensure that the students have their summaries marked by English Language/Literature tutors.They should also have these scores transferred for their working papers.

46.Mentors are also expected to ensure that their wards prepare well for periods of exhortation during daily school assemblies. It is expected that the Vice-Principal Admin shall comment on student’s performance daily on public exhortations and mentors linked to such students shall be named, praised or called to order for their students' oral deliveries.

47.Students who submit their summaries early are to be encouraged to read more novels for pleasure by mentors, the Academic Group and librarians. Students shall be encouraged with bonus marks where considered necessary by their mentors. Where a student fast-tracks or fast-forward all his/her possible submission dates for a term such student shall definitely be given bonus marks by the mentor in charge.

48.It is to be noted that senior students usually prefer novels from Bookends at 5^th Avenue and that there are approved library rules for the operation and management of this. Mentors shall please ensure that they are aware of these rules.

49.Penalties for late submission or non-submission shall be the same as for assignments.

BEHAVIORAL CHECKS (FRIDAYS)

50.The areas of focus for behavioral checks are:

(a)Regularity (b) Punctuality (c) Appearance (d) Participation in Break Activities

(e) Oral English Expressions (Or use of Pidgin English).

51.Mentors have limited work or decisions to make on these. Most of the statistics in this section shall normally be extracted from Students Admin Records or from scores provided by Admin officials in charge of break periods. Mentors however might disagree with certain scores provided under Appearance and Oral English Expressions and discuss their opinions with the Vice Principal Admin before modifying the scores provided. If ,however, the Admin Department insists on its scores mentors must refrain from.

52..Each of the factors under behavioral checks has a maximum score of 20 and mentors have the simplest job of just adding each score to get the behavioral score for the week.

53.In addition to this, they shall be expected to speak to students on regularity and punctuality as guidance counselors for these two shall always attract the attention and punishment by Management each week.

54.A student who makes an overall pass grade on behavior but failed woefully on punctuality should have the matter either attended to publicly at the assembly or by the Director at 5^th Avenue. The job of the mentors shall therefore be to ultimately reduce the numbers of wards who might become caught in the vicious web of not being punctual to school always.

MATHS / ENGLISH CLINIC STUDY / EXAMINATION / JAMB TECHNIQUES AND SEMINARS / MOTIVATIONAL DISCUSSIONS & FINISHING TECHNIQUES / NOTAZINE WORK / GP EXERCISES.

55.Write-ups on these are being posted on our websites for use of mentors.

CLASSROOM TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR MENTORS / STAFF FOR USE OR FOR REFERENCE

56.Mentors are advised to read or get to know how to use the following tools for their work in the school. They must always remember that the time fixed for checks are usually late in the day and are not the best of time for effective brain or memory work by them or their students. It is also important that clinics and checks are held / conducted in an atmosphere of friendliness that shall make students thankful for what our mentors specifically and the schools generally are doing for them

a.Director’s Overall Review Questions Covering Academic Related as Non- Academic modes in

the school.

b.Students Projects – Summary of how to conduct researches.

c. Review Tests for Red Note Scheme Part 1 and 2.

d. The Notebook integrity Project.

e. Students’ Attitude Checklist.

f. Students’ Problem Inventory for SS 1-3 classes.

g. How to conduct research work for Students' Projects (SS1 –SS3 only).

h. Techniques of Writing.

Good luck

EDUPEDIA IS WILLING TO SET UP AND MAINTAIN A SIMPLE AND WORKABLE MENTORING SCHEME FOR ANY SCHOOL AS A PREMIUM-LEVEL SERVICE

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MENTORS IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS MUST HAVE CLEAR OBJECTIVES AND DETAILED DAILY OPERATIONAL NOTES TO USE (1)

WHAT NIGERIAN SECONDARY STUDENTS NEED MOST ARE MENTORS/LIFE COACHES NOT “TEACHERS” (2)

[caption id="attachment_5935" align="aligncenter" width="495"]

...they obviously need life coaching more than their parents ever had...[/caption]

B.GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR MENTORING WORK AT MASON COLLEGE

NOTE:SOME OF THE TERMS YOU MIGHT COME ACROSS IN THIS WRITE-UP WERE INTERNALLY GENERATED AT MASON GROUP OF SCHOOLS BUT YOU MAY ASK FOR FURTHER EXPLANATION IF NEEDED

1.Mentoring work includes classroom checks or compound searches whenever necessary. In some cases it should involve home visits by mentors as authorized and previously discussed with management.

2.The bulk of mentoring work however shall consist of integrity checks of students under each mentor to ensure that he/she is participating effectively in both academic and related programs of the school. The ultimate objectives are to contribute to their education and generally improve their academic performance as shall be reflected through mid-term or terminal reports.

3.For staff members, mentoring shall be the fastest way to progress in terms of promotion and increased salaries in the school. It is not likely that a tutor who is not a mentor can progress as fast as a mentor to a management position in the school.

4.Where there are obvious cases of dramatic positive changes observed on the part of the student which are traceable or attributed to a mentor such a mentor shall be due to a bonus at the end of the term equivalent to 50% of one month salary. This is a discretionary decision which can be taken by the Director only with or without recommendations from the school’s management. It shall also be in addition to any additional payment that might be considered for mentors by management.

5.All mentors are expected to be aware of school rules for students and staff members that are available in the library. No mentor shall be allowed to punish students under them except through the Vice-Principals.

6.No mentor shall be allowed to contact parents of students under his or her care directly for any reason. Even if the parent makes the initial contact, he/she shall be directed to the Vice-Principal or the most senior staff in charge of Remedial studies. This is because mentoring is both academic and mainly remedial in nature. The work to be carried out is based on academic-related programs but the mentors’ job is mainly remedial. Every effort by the school staff need some overall coordination.

7.Any mentor found to be lacking in any respect or department of his/her job may not only be removed from mentoring job but might also have his/her overall appointment terminated especially where lack of self-motivation is found.

C. SPECIFIC GUIDELINES ON MENTORING WORK AT MASON COLLEGE (AMENDABLE FOR OTHER SCHOOLS)

8..Remedial work is divided up as follows:

a.Maths Clinic / Maths Continuous Exercises/ Maths Foundation Exercises.

b.English Clinic/English Foundation Exercises

c.Study and Examination Techniques.

d.Motivational Discussions / Notazine Work/G.P. Exercises

e.Overall Review Exercises (including Seminars).

f. Integrity Checks in the following areas

- Assignments’ checks.

- Red notes checks/Salvation lines checks.

- Notes completion/Text book checks/NP checks.

- Novel summary checks.

- Behavioral records’ checks and observations.

What mentors are expected to do under Maths Clinic, English Clinic and Study and Examination Techniques are already covered by handouts included in Eduguide. These shall be modified by announcements and meetings when necessary.

9. Motivational Discussion covers what we know in Mason College as Life 101 & Life 102. Many of the topics for these are also covered by past handouts which are also to be found in the Eduguide for students or for staff members.

10.Overall reviews are usually conducted by the Director or by any of the VPs as shall be directed.

11.What mentors are expected to do under integrity checks are stated below under the ‘scoring scheme’.There are also write-ups on Red Notes/Salvation Lines, N.I.P. Novel Summary Exercises which are also to be found in Eduguide for students or staff members.

SCORING SCHEME/ASSIGNMENTS (MONDAYS)/SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS

12.Award 50 marks for total number. of assignments given and fully submitted by students according to the school’s schedule.

13.The V.P (Academics) shall tighten things up at the gate to ensure that there are no disputes to submission dates and that no student comes to school early in the morning to conclude his/her assignment within or without the school’s compound. Any student caught by clerks or by any other staff while making effort to conclude an assignment in school shall be treated as if the assignment was not submitted as scheduled.

14.50% of the available score for prompt submission shall be lost for late submission prorated over the number of assignments or subjects involved.

15.The whole of the 50% score shall be lost if submission takes place more than 24 hours after the expected hour/date of submission.

MARKING OF ASSIGNMENTS

16.This is the second stage for scoring of assignments. The total maximum score for converted scores of all assignments shall also be 50%. This shall be by prorating the total score over the number of subjects/assignments given. Example: if only two assignments are given each subject shall have a maximum of 25marks. So a student with 60% score in one subject will have ⁶⁰/₁₀₀ × 25 = 15marks for the actual assignment in that particular subject.

17.For assignments not submitted at all the student shall obviously lose the maximum score available not only for submission but also for marking.

PERSONAL STUDY TABLES/REVISIONS/RED NOTES/SALVATION LINES/SALVATION QUESTIONS (TUESDAYS)

18.The historical links to the Red Book of the era of Chairman Mao in China was explained to mentors.

19.As graduates of higher institutions it was to be assumed that mentors were themselves conversant with how to prepare revision notes.

20.There is a write-up on Red Notes for reference by mentors under Eduguide for students. Mentors are also to note that the preparation of Red Notes have links to write-ups in preparation of personal study time tables as well as study and exam techniques.

21.In fact Red Notes shall be prepared vis-à-vis students’ personal study time tables.

22.Mentors are however, to assist students decide or organize their reading hours at home remembering that each student shall essentially be required to spend 2 hours of study each day on three major activities which are Assignments, Red Notes and Novel Summary Scheme. A fourth dimension can be hand writing sessions for those identified as needing them. For this purpose mentors must obtain and sign the Daily Diary of their students. They are to note that the students’ Daily Diary is directly linked to the students’ personal time table on a daily basis.

23.Where student have incomplete notes they are to regard the completion of their assignments and notes most important during private studies each day.

24.Mentors have been warned that students have many tricks up their sleeves when it comes to preparation of Red Notes as well as in completion of assignments. Specific examples of what have been done in the past and what can be done by students were enumerated to mentors. Many times students tend to forget that these Red Notes are meant to be used to support themselves and not school management when exams are near.

25.Red Notes are not to be confused with Salvation Lines and Salvation Questions. Mentors are to read the write-up on these three under Eduguide for the benefit of their students. They are all students’ tools to be prepared at the appropriate time or on relevant days as evidence of what they do when they are away from school.

26.In preparing their Red Notes any deviation from the personal study time tables agreed with the school shall lead to at least 25 marks being deducted for each occurrence.

27.Any gross violation such as complete deviation from and disregard for agreed study time tables shall also lead to a loss of at least 50 marks and appropriate comment made in the space provided in the mentors working papers.

28.Non-submission of Red Notes on an appointed date on the school calendar shall lead to 100 marks loss. There is no prorated loss as the Red Notes for all subjects are expected to be within inside one book. Even students’ salvation lines are expected to be at the back of their Red Notes. Writing of salvation lines from salvation questions is usually relevant a few weeks to mid-term and terminal examinations.

29.Mentors and management are to agree on the actual week salvation Lines shall be substituted for Red Notes as the focus of their checks. These shall be communicated to students in advance. Students shall also need to be regularly reminded about Salvation Lines.

30.Salvation Lines not drawn in accordance with the handout by the school need to be discouraged. Salvation Lines without collections of questions from the school’s Question Bank or from publications based on actual examinations from WAEC, NECO, JAMB or State Examination Board are also to be discouraged. Students should have evidence from Question Bank Records to show to the person in charge of statistics or mentors that past questions have been used in drawing up their Salvation Lines. They can also be tested to relate their actual Salvation Lines to actual questions used.

31.Students shall be given at least a week’s notice for checking of salvation lines. And the volume of what is written shall not cover more than 100 lines for each subject extracted from their notes, textbooks in order of importance.

32.The scoring/penalty system for Salvation Lines shall be the same as for Red Notes.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

EDUPEDIA IS WILLING TO SET UP AND MAINTAIN A SIMPLE AND WORKABLE MENTORING SCHEME FOR ANY SCHOOL AS A PREMIUM-LEVEL SERVICE