Research at Neofuture
How Does One Make a Top Student?
--Insights into “Improving the Quality of Education
While Easing the Burden on Students” Part III
It is a wonderful dream of all parents to have top students in their families, but the growth of top students is not a simple proposition, many ideas about which need to be improved. In particular, we need to figure out the relationship among students’ interest, enthusiasm and heavy burden of studies, as well as the scientific nature of learning.
It is claimed that students “spend weekends and holidays all in reading and attending extra classes, so bear a heavy burden.” This is a one-sided statement. What are they reading? What extra classes do they take? These need to be clarified. It is improper to generalize about weekends and holidays during which they cannot read or do exercises.
Some students are literary enthusiasts, who like reading literary fiction and can spend a whole day in a library; some are fascinated by mathematics and other sciences, fond of listening to lectures on competitions, and immersed in doing exercises alone; some are little inventors, who rack their brains to create little inventions and never give up in the face of failure.
Not only is a sightseeing tour together on weekends called rest, but some people also enjoy reading in a library on Sunday. If you had asked Einstein whether he liked to play ball games or solve scientific problems on Sunday, he would certainly have answered, “I prefer settling scientific problems in the library or conducting scientific experiments in the laboratory.” They regard science as their life, have an interest in it, and find enjoyment in spending a whole day reading and writing alone in tranquility, so how can it be a heavy burden?
On weekends and during summer and winter vacations in the USA, libraries are not only open to the public in communities, but also offer tutoring classes besides books for readers to borrow and read. It is fairly common for students to spend their whole day there, borrowing and reading books for free, or attending classes on the basis of payment. Gymnasiums are also open in the communities, where an assortment of sports activities is available in the basketball court, tennis court, table tennis room, swimming pool, Zumba dance studio and so on. Students can register their membership to take part in the activities for free, or pay extra fees to be tutored by relevant teachers to polish their skills. Additionally, there are outdoor parks and a variety of sports facilities, providing soccer, boating, and many other recreational activities. Special music schools for communities, set up by the music schools of the local universities, provide chances for students to receive vocal training and learn various musical instruments such as piano and violin. You can also find multifarious tutoring courses in the communities, whose content covers languages, contest coaching, computer, and the SAT and SSAT exam preparation. There are also family trips and group trips to be chosen from. In sum, students are free to choose and participate freely in their favorite activities.
It is often the case that the academic gap between students begins to widen when they attend high school. Many reasons can account for this phenomenon, including students’ physical and psychological conditions, as well as family conditions or the surrounding environment.
During high school, many students embark on receiving Gifted & Talented Education such as AP, SAT, and contest preparation courses, following their families’ arrangements, combined with their own situations. It is quite normal for them to take advanced courses or even Post AP courses during their time at school, apart from the regular high school courses. School districts stipulate that schools are not allowed to reject students’ proposal of learning a certain type of course (on the premise that students are verified to be fully capable of learning it). Famous high schools of mathematics and science, represented by the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and Stuyvesant High School of Science in New York, are also key high schools or special high schools recognized by the government. Every day after students finish their courses for the day, they dive into the school’s lab or library for hours, or even all night long, during which they contemplate what they have learned in class and spark ideas in a universe of new knowledge and ability. Among them, the outstanding students got extremely high or full marks in the SAT exam, a ticket to prestigious colleges in the US. Moreover, they not only studied the content that is supposed to be taught in AP courses, such as the preliminary knowledge of calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, computer, and college-level physics and chemistry, but also participated in various contests in mathematics and science. They also took research-oriented courses on mathematics and science at famous universities such as Columbia University and Princeton University near their schools, and participated in many studies on the topics they were interested in.
Such students are not rare. When they were in their fourth year of high school, they were admitted to the desired universities (they would not choose any university unless it is world-famous such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, and so on), while what they learned and studied in their fourth year of high school is completely college-level content. At university, basically, one-half, or one-third of the undergraduate courses were already completed in high school, and the related credits can be transferred into college credits. These high schools have mature teaching goals, lesson plans, curricula, and qualified teachers. There are plenty of courses for students to take each year.
As the grades advance, the training students receive becomes even more specialized. Schools encourage students to join various departments of the communities for in-depth study and engagement in the activities, and never advise or interfere with the decisions of students and parents. School districts’ education leadership makes every effort to create a whole range of opportunities and conditions for students to learn, experience, and have fun. Some school districts have a dedicated office called the Gifted & Talented Education Office. If a particularly outstanding student has a special need that his school failed to address, this office will step in to help coordinate. Sometimes even if the school district failed to provide the education they need; Town Hall or municipal government will take over the matter, and coordinate with schools outside the town or universities within the area so that these schools can provide the educational resources the students need. Providing such conditions for residents is usually what government leaders promise in their campaigns.
Therefore, for honor students in middle school to become top students, their study at school, and the way they spend their holidays, should be colorful. The uniform study from Monday to Friday and the independent study during the holidays jointly compose their growth path. This is a characteristic of a learning society and a symbol of a highly civilized society. Ordinary people, with their backpacks on, take the initiative to study in their favorite places after school, after work, on weekends, and during holidays, indulging themselves in the field of knowledge...what a touching scene! This is the foundation of social stability and a mark of social progress.
Stress and burden are relative. For the same weight, some people feel heavy, but some don't. What really weighs here is interests and hobbies. Some students are just keen on solving math problems and do it day and night. Why not simply let them do it, isn't that great? It is his interest, where he finds passion, so he will not feel tired. What else do you think makes a mathematician? Or, to put it another way, without the advert love for math or the devotion to solving mathematical problems, can one be a real mathematician?
In terms of study, we don't advocate that parents push their children too hard because it doesn’t work if the kids do not have a bent. If the children have a bent, then proper guidance from parents is crucial and will be effective. Most children are fun-loving and don't really understand the importance of learning. If parents can lead and guide them properly meanwhile creating favorable conditions and enabling environments for them, plus their own interests in learning, they can be trained into talents. In this regard, parents should learn how to scientifically guide their children at all ages according to which physical and psychological stage their kids are in. They need to consult experienced education advisors, and receive professional training in this field, after which they can help their children develop an interest in learning more reasonably and scientifically, choose suitable majors, further enhance their specialty, and many other aspects.
To become a talent, no matter what the industry, one must undergo an arduous process and exert oneself to a maximum extent. And to become Top Students, students must go through a difficult process of growing up. It is unwise to force a child's talent or take an opportunistic attitude.
Some teachers like to introduce so-called learning shortcuts and techniques to students; we don't encourage that, nor do we encourage students to do so, although it is found in some students. In terms of study, the basics cannot be stressed more. In any subject, a solid foundation is paramount. Only by making progress step by step, can the process be sustainable. A building built on a sandy beach is doomed to fall; a skyscraper without limits is only possible when the foundation of the building is consolidated. In this sense, learning a few lessons cannot ensure a high score in the AP exams, and it’s simply unrealistic to get 1550+ or a full 1,600 points through listening to several SAT summary courses. This is a basic point that both parents and students need to know.
Therefore, we understand that parents hold high hopes for their children; we also understand the students' eagerness to leap up academically with a big stride. But we must follow the scientific nature of learning.
Now we are clear that if students are interested and enthusiastic in learning, it cannot be called burdensome, but just what every one of our parents is looking forward to. As educators, we must tell our students: "Learning is hard", "Nothing can be gained without giving", and "A person must go through innumerable hardships to become a talent". Our education aims to cultivate this interest, stimulate this passion, encourage this enthusiasm, and promote scientific learning. Let's work together to make every honor student a top student!