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How Cuemath Insulated its Students from the Pandemic Led Set Back to Learning
Jan 20, 23
Cuemath's 7 Point Formula for Flowering Intelligence and How Cuemath Teachers Help Students Succeed!
Jul 2, 211 min read
| Attributes | Approach in school or in a large class of homogenous students | The Cuemath approach | Shortcomings in school and how the Cuemath ecosystem helps the kid |
| Minimum dependence on teacher, higher self reliance | The method is broadcast teaching which is instruction centric spelling out the steps to be followed to solve a problem. Seeking adherence to a set methodology to solve a problem. The methodology is explained on a blackboard. This approach seeks conformity to a process. There is no understanding the WHY behind the WHAT | The focus is on Cueing, asking questions one on one, giving hints and helping the child to think independently to develop problem solving abilities. Cues take the place of instructions. This approach needs exertion of the brain by the student; this also requires of the teacher to split up the problem into simple steps, Cue the student on each step and then put together the several pieces of answers to demonstrate the right answer. Exhorts the student to rely on self help. | Cueing is not possible in a large class. Not every child can be cued in a class of many children. Each student requires a different level of Cueing; ranging from extensive Cueing to being given short hints. Cuemath teachers specialise in this art. They encourage students to help themselves and do not give away answers. |
| Immersive learning minimises attention deficit | A teacher cannot detect attention deficit in each child in a large class. Children by natute are distracted and inattentive; because they are curious and creative, their mind wanders, forced attention is something they do not enjoy. Students with attention deficit will suffer, in a large class this is very likely to happen. | Learning by doing ensures involvement and focus. Every difficulty of the kid is detected and addressed, attention deficit is minimal because of voluntary involvement and immersion. A child learns better being hands on all the time. A bit of a distraction time is allowed in one to one interactions. Attention deficit is dealt with by the teacher much better in a one on one class. | In a one on one class, distractions are lesser. Short spans of attention deficit are tolerated. Work is also designed in a way to break monotony. The child is always working on appropriate material and not something that suits all. |
| Deep understanding helps in foundation building | It is easy to ask kids to memorise to make up for deficiencies in undetstanding. Generally, deep understanding is not tested in the absence of tools and time constraints. Arriving at the answer is taken to be understanding. Starting point for every student is the same irrespective of their background and understanding level. | Emphasis is on thinking, more than memorising. The Why behind the What is explained with the help of aids. Understanding is checked at each stage with appropriate drills and resources. Time spent now in understanding will free the child of later struggle and save time. | Cuemath design has checkpoints to detect lack of understanding. Patience and commitment of a skilled teacher will help detect lags to be addressed. She has access to resources to address learning lags. The first job of a Cuemath teacher is to detect learning lags to be addressed. |
| Each kid needs to get the time she needs | A teacher is governed by a time frame for completing topics. This hardly gives allowance for mistakes and self paced learning. There is no luxury of leisurely indulgence in a regimented approacgh. Faster students cannot be kept waiting for slower ones. Class cannot be slowed down to help students who need it. | The child has to do as much, not constrained by time, as enough for a teacher to get assurance that deep learning is complete. Mistakes are encouraged. The child sets her pace, there are no compulsions of a timeframe that deny the luxury of sufficient immersion. | A child learns at its pace. The absence of time pressure allows a child to be immersive and learn in a non pressured eco system sans comparison and peer pressures. A reward system after each milestone goes a long way in building enthusiasm. |
| Encouraging conformity kills creativity | Teacher generally appreciates kids who heed instructions, they receive the accolades. This approach discourages questioning, builds diffidence. Learning plan and design are straitjacket, often suggesting one right approach. | A kid is encouraged to question, find different ways to solve a problem. Focus is on perseverance than ability to solve quickly. A lot of open ended questions are solved, inviting students to think differently. A child is encouraged to substantiate its conclusions in open eded problems. | Many open ended questions invite and encourage thinking in different ways. This helps the childs self esteem and confidence. The level of interaction is much higher, reasoning problems do not seek answer on a paper, stress on verbal explanations and arguments to support solutions are confidence boosting and nurture creativity. |
| One size fits all approach is not suitable | The child who needs more immersion is underserved. A child who cannot digest is force fed. Such students develop bigger lags if time is not devoted to their needs. The teacher has no plan for providing help to those who need it as she works on a standard plan. | Teacher designs a learning plan suitable for every child, recognising the childs strengrths and weaknesses, discusses the plan with the parent. A chiild completes the work of its grade with ease if teacher takes care to address all lags first. The package of engagement for each child should be and is different. No two students of the same grade may have the same starting point. A teacher is trained to use resources in the system to test conceptual understanding before proceeding further. | Cuemath has vast resources for each topic that helps the teacher make the child prepare for the level of difficulty at her grade, by addressing lags if any. It is not one standard chapter in a standard book for a topic. Every topic is linear and the Cuemath teacher knows where to get the student started (given vast resources) to complete it up to the required level of the childs grade. Textbooks are replaced by numerouds graded worksheets topic wise. |
| Flowering of Intelligence with right approach, tools! | Marks, Comparative performance, prejudged levels as yardsticks etc are governing metrics. | Focus is on the flowering of intelligence in the course of an enjoyable and engaging learning process. Many Cuemath students get far ahead of their grade whilst starting behind their grade. Just as well begun is half done, A Cuemath teacher knows where and how to begin. | The focus is on what really counts, what matters for every child. Recognising the special need for each kid. Absence of time pressure, absence of comparisons, absence of metrics by marks etc provide for holistic immersion and the flowering of intelligence. |
At Cuemath, we train teachers to help students cultivate these qualities; we continuously review and monitor their classes to check if the recommended best practices are followed and share feedback, so that, in course of time, they come to embrace these qualities, become great teachers. Anyone who wants to be a part of a movement, to change the way children learn Math and coding across the world can become a Cuemath teacher.
At Cuemath we have a community of talented teachers who are applying the best practices focused on research to give your child sound fundamentals in computer science, critical reasoning, and artistic problem-solving abilities. Cuemath provides live 1:1 Live Online Math classes. Book a demo and get in touch with our academic counsellor to get the best course for your child.
-By Ramesh Bharathi
Ramesh heads the training vertical of Cuemath. He has over 40 years experience in senior positions in leading industries such as Airlines, Investment Banking, Print media and Education. He is a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Financial analyst and has also taught in ICFAI Business school, a leading Management Institution in India.
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