Study Room

There’s a viral Netflix TV show lately, Teach You a Lesson. It focuses on some exaggerated plots about how a teacher tackles unreasonable students and parents.

A friend recommended the show to me, saying I might resonate.

Thankfully, not really.

Culture matters. The parents and students who join us tend to share the same values and beliefs about learning. In the show, there was a parent who micromanaged a teacher, and students who bullied both classmates and teachers.

I would like to think good vibes attract good vibes. We have a good working relationship with our parents, and they entrust their children to us. I would also like to go on record to say that I have never disliked teaching any student. Some students may struggle academically, while others may be more talkative in class, but they are invariably kind and a joy to teach.

For this, I feel blessed and thankful. Teach You a Lesson may be highlighting some of the more challenging aspects of education, but I am grateful that Study Room has always felt like a family. Parents, students and teachers support one another, and that is something I never take for granted.

Question:

I feel demoralised that my child is not hitting AL1 in English even though he is putting in a lot of effort. To be fair to him, he has improved from AL4 to AL2, but his progress has plateaued. He doesn't seem to care. How do I get through to him that every mark is important?

Reply:

Congratulations that your son has improved by several grades in his English. It is not easy to see fast progress in languages because anything under the sun can be tested. Every comprehension passage and comprehension cloze is different.

This is a contrarian view. Be more positive. Celebrate the small wins. A progress of a few grades is exceptional. He is happy with it. I think that is important.

I understand that PSLE is a few months away. However, that does not mean that we do not have time to congratulate the boy on his resilience and rigour in reaching his new grades. I know PSLE is important in getting into a school of our choice, but even more importantly, the boy should have a memorable and happy childhood, thinking about how he aced his exams alongside support from his parents, not how he is constantly disappointing them regardless of how much effort he has put in.

Perhaps, he can be more driven.

However, soften the emotions. Disappointment is a strong word for someone who has improved. Remember to avoid bringing your own emotions into the picture. The key is always what is most optimal for the child.

Work with him to target the goal of AL1, but remember that rest is important too. Just like in sports, if we were to exercise around the clock, we would get injured too.

Your child is in a good state. Cherish that, and build happy memories and a strong bond with him in achieving excellence. Good luck.

Did you know the meaning of ceasefire?

Donald Trump went viral last week when he shared his views on what a ceasefire means. The episode sparked debate over how diplomatic language is interpreted, and how powerful states often shape the terms of global relations. In this case, even the definition of stopping armed conflict became a matter of discussion.

Food for thought for your GP essays: who gets to define the language of international affairs, and how does that influence the way conflicts are understood around the world?

Catch ‘s show on every Monday at 2.15pm as we unpack vocabulary that is useful for your daily life, current affairs awareness, and school essays.

Last night, I met a new friend who had recently started a tuition centre too, and we started talking about work. He asked about our students. I explained that, as Study Room's location does not have much foot traffic (we are not in a mall and are located in the middle of an ageing estate), we rely a lot on word of mouth, and we are very lucky to have many students who travel for us.

While we are near Braddell MRT, many of our students are from all across the island, ranging from Sengkang/Punggol and Yishun to Clementi and even as far as Pasir Ris. Some of these word-of-mouth referrals come from students who graduated eons ago, and the new student's parent will tell us about them, triggering fond memories.

For this week's gratitude post, we have to dedicate it to you.

Study Room quietly celebrated 12 years of classes this year, an entire zodiac cycle! Over the years, we have seen centres come and go. We would not have survived this competitive industry if YOU had not supported us and believed in us.

We thank you for that and promise to continue working hard to build on that trust.

Don’t come for classes this weekend! 😃

Have a good break and see you after you have recharged.

Studying for your O Levels or A Levels?

You know you should be locking in, but panic hasn't hit you yet.

Many years ago, Wei was exactly the same.

He got away with it.

You may not.

Read on to find out why.

Do you think a C student can become an A student? Is it a fantasy?

Learning is a marathon. We need to get the student to get his act together, finally understand the mechanics, become familiar with the question types, and become so good at the subject that he is able to explain the concept to others.

There are some parents who may not understand how complicated the process is, and leave after a term if they do not see results immediately. Fortunately, these are outliers. We usually get very understanding parents.

There is a student who joined us in Primary 5. Due to a weak foundation, and the steep learning curve in Primary 5, she did not do too well. Her mother trusted the process and we thank her for that trust.

Earlier this term, she did a test and achieved her highest score in the last two years, improving from an AL6 to an AL3.

The fight is not over, but it was a great boost of confidence for the student. By not giving up, she finally understood the concepts and answering techniques that had been holding her back. The marks improved only after the understanding improved.

What she experienced is not unusual.

The same thing happens with the jump from Secondary 4 to JC. I remember how a couple of students were panicking too much in J1 and much of J2, only to eventually get an A in their final examinations.

Academic progress is often like that. Sometimes, it feels like the student is making no progress at all. Then one day, things finally click, just like that.

What we are grateful for is the resilience of such students, and their trust in us to guide them through their ups and downs. It is our privilege too.

Thank you for the trust.

My JC students, once they hit 18 years old, love to brag about finally being able to drink. Of course, in moderation, it is sometimes seen as a rite of passage. Other times, it is simply a phase they eventually outgrow before becoming old like us and realising that health is more important. 😂

Did you know that Donald Trump, despite constantly attending social events and state banquets, does not drink alcohol at all? Even when he raised a toast with Xi Jinping in Beijing in 2026, reports said it was done out of formality and diplomacy, not because he drinks.

That is what we call a teetotaler.

When writing personal recounts after someone recovering from alcoholism, or an argumentative essay about vices, you can use this word, teetotaler, to describe someone who completely avoids alcohol.

We share vocabulary every Monday on Capital 958 DJ 淑君 Shu Jun’s Mediacorp CAPITAL 958 城市频道 show at 2.15pm.

We don’t discriminate when we accept students. It doesn’t make sense to only accept students who are already doing well. The whole point is to help students work toward whatever goals they are aiming for.

I’m most concerned about my graduating students because they are preparing for their national exams, especially the Primary 6 students. Many of them are not yet mature enough to take ownership of their schoolwork.

There’s one student who is academically weak and not very motivated. His parent works long hours, so when I asked him what he usually did at home after school, he honestly replied, “Play phone games.”

Slowly but surely, he went from failing almost every worksheet to consistently doing his homework and even performing better than some of his classmates. I found this especially heartening because he receives very little parental support at home.

I praised him delicately, telling him to keep it up because there’s still over 100 days to turn the tide to his favor.

Sometimes, some educators may quickly judge students who are weaker academically. But very often, it is these so-called weaker students who surprise us the most. They often have the most heart and the greatest potential to shine.

Have you ever wanted to spend more time with your children, only to be met with resistance and growing conflict at home?

You are not alone.

When it suddenly dawns on you that you need to study harder, or that you haven’t been doing well because you were reading mindlessly without truly understanding.

What’s the one word that describes that moment?

Epiphany.

Today, we discussed this word on Capital 958 DJ 淑君 Shu Jun’s Mediacorp CAPITAL 958 城市频道 show, where we unpack a new word every Monday at 2.15pm.

You can also use “epiphany” in your personal recount writing when describing a character’s moment of reflection or sudden realization.

Sometimes, a single moment of clarity can change everything.

Hating your job comes from not having the right people around you.

When you have a community, the drive comes naturally.

Share with someone who needs to hear this.

The other day, a new enquiry came in.

The parent kept complaining about his Secondary 1 child who was weak in Science.

“I am so disappointed in him,” he repeated over and over again.

Yet when I asked whether the child was studying hard, he could not answer.
When I asked whether there could be learning difficulties, he dismissed it immediately.

“He is just disappointing.”

That line stayed with me.

I wondered how he would feel if his own parents had spoken about him that way growing up.

Or maybe they did, and this is the only way he knew to parent

And maybe that is how these cycles continue.

Panicking about Sec 4 Biology after WA2?

Help is here. DM us.

Singapore’s use of caning in schools recently drew international attention. Last Sunday, we wrote in Zaobao about why the issue is far more nuanced than many overseas reports suggest, and how Singapore views discipline, authority, and student welfare differently.

You know how we can decode Chinese words from different parts and strokes?
You can do something similar in English too by learning word roots.

In conjunction with Mother’s Day, we shared words related to the Latin root mater (“mother”) today on Capital 958 DJ 淑君 Shu Jun’s show on Mediacorp CAPITAL 958 城市频道 at 2:15pm.

Learn more vocabulary with us every Monday at the same time.

It’s Mother’s Day, a commercial day where we are exploited to make money from us. 😏

But let them exploit us.

And let them exploit us on a daily basis.

Besides the commercial Mother’s Day, spend time with them as often as you can.

If you buy her a cake to celebrate her on Mother’s Day, buy her a cake whenever she has a craving.

If you meet her for a meal for Mother’s Day, meet her for a meal every week.

If you thank her on Mother’s Day, thank her every day.

We sometimes don’t deserve our mothers.

So many mothers quit their jobs when we are young to look after us.

So many mothers take on two roles: the day job at the office, and the night job of revising our work with us.

So many mothers bear the brunt of our awful teenage years when we turn rebellious.

Thus, when we are able to, treat her like a queen regardless of whether the mercenary and capitalistic businesses tell us to.

It should be Mother’s Day every day.

You don’t spiral because you played Roblox.
You spiral because your brain thinks one mistake means total failure.

Has your teacher ever asked you to use “笔墨所无法形容的” in your essays? When she did, did you ever wonder what the English equivalent is?

“Words ink cannot describe”?

No, that’s not it.

It’s ineffable. Try using this in your next personal recount.

We share vocabulary on Capital 958 DJ 淑君 Shu Jun’s Mediacorp CAPITAL 958 城市频道 show every Monday at 2:15 PM. Stay tuned.

It takes a village to raise a child.

Yet, on this rainy long weekend, while some people may be off on a short getaway or curled up taking a nap, I saw a man wait patiently after a student’s lesson. He was the uncle, and he was there simply to support.

Usually, it is the mother who liaises with me on tuition matters, while the father handles the logistics. But once in a blue moon, it is an aunt or uncle who steps in with the communication, the transport, and even the counselling.

We are always grateful for any help with these children, and even more so when we meet family members who generously give their time and energy to support their growth.

It takes a village to raise a child, and if the village is standing with us, we have no excuse not to do our best. Children with such kind families, remember to be thankful too.

Checking your boy’s messages won’t build trust.
It will teach him to hide better.

If you want a real relationship, start listening.