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Whether
you are a parent, student or a teacher, if you have a question
related to any problem related to education, ask
Mr
Steven Rudolph.
Just fill out this form to ask a question.
Q: I can not concentrate in my studies. My IQ level too
is not up to the mark. How can I overcome these problems?
Vinay Kumar
Faridabad
A: Dear Vinay, First
of all it is not correct to say your IQ Level is not good.
Please remember that there are 8 types of intelligence -
linguistic, logical, bodily, musical, visual, interpersonal,
intrapersonal and naturalistic. Different people have
strengths in different types of intelligence. Unfortunately,
school mostly focuses on linguistic and logical
intelligence. So it's important to understand your
intelligence type and to develop that on your own. You can
visit our website
www.jiva.com for tips on how to find out your
intelligence type and how to strengthen it.
Regarding concentration, remember my Law of Learning, "Get
into the Learning Zone". This means, whenever it is time to
study, make sure you are in the right frame of mind. If you
are too sleepy, too stressed, overly energetic, etc., it
will be hard to study and to remember. Pick the right times
to study, when you are most alert. This varies for different
people. Some people are more alert in the early morning,
some in the late afternoon. Fix the place you study, and
ensure it's at a place that has no distractions (TVs,
computers, etc.). Also, remember my Same Time, Same Place
rule, i.e., study at the same times every day, in the same
place, sitting the same way. Believe it or not, your body,
not just your brain, helps in remembering, and when it gets
into a habit like this, you will see how much more you are
able to learn.
Give these tips a try and let us know how you make out!
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Q: I am
a 12 year old
girl. I am average in studies. I want to improve my
concentration level and get good marks in the exams. I am
unable to recall things taught in the classroom, back
at home, due to lack of concentration. This also makes me
tense during the exam time. I feel worried over the fact that
I
may not be able to give proper answers to the questions
asked.
Kindly suggest to me a solution to the above problem. Please
reply at the earliest. I am waiting for your reply.
Kanika
Bangalore
A: Hi Kanika, Thanks
for your mail. Here are some quick suggestions to your
memory and concentration problems:
-
Remember my 24 hour rule.
Whenever you learn something new, be sure to revise it again
within 24 hours. You will then remember it for a longer
time.
-
Remember my 3 times a day
rule. Don't study something for long periods of time. Study
it for shorter amounts of time, but more frequently, e.g.,
once in the morning for 20 minutes, once in the afternoon
for 20 minutes, and once in the evening for 20 minutes.
-
Be sure to start studying
for your exam well in advance. It's important to be relaxed
when you take an exam. If you are nervous or stressed out,
you run the risk of forgetting during exam time. One of the
best ways to stay relaxed is to be well-prepared. Most
people wait until the last minute to start studying for
their tests. At that point, the brain is not prepared to
absorb all of that information. It then goes into stress
mode, where it becomes extremely hard to learn because the
stress hormone cortisol is pumping through your body (cortisol
slows down the thinking and remembering part of your brain).
So try these things out and
let me know how they work!
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Q: Hi Steve, I have attended one of your workshops in
Delhi and my son is studying in nursery. I want suggestion
abt my son problem. He is good in all the activities but the
problem is that he is not extrovert and independently not
participate in the activities and very difficult to adjust
in groups. He has shy nature also and introvert child. I
want that my child should be extrovert. How I will change my
child's behaviors otherwise he is very intelligent and catch
the things very frequently and his observation skills are
also good. Kindly suggest me.
Sunita Bajaja
New Delhi
A: Hello Sunita, The
first thing you must realise is that your son doesn't have a
problem. By nature, some people are more introverted and
more extroverted, and it is a myth that being more
extroverted makes one happier or more successful. Here's how
I look at the two.
Think of Introvert/Extrovert as a ratio, for example 80/20,
where a person with a more introverted nature tends
to spend 80% of his time alone and 20% with others. This
basically means that when the person gets 80% of his time
alone, he feels his batteries are charged. However, he will
also feel a need to be with others 20% of the time to get
the rest of his charge. If he spends 100% of his time alone,
he will feel 20% less charged. If he spends 50% of his time
alone, he will feel an energy deficit of 30%. According to
scientists, the natural ratio of each person is genetic and
fixed, and that ratio differs from person to person (10/90,
30/70, 50/50, 12/88, etc. The challenge is for people to
determine their natural ratio, and ensure they get their
'daily introvert/extrovert diet'.
So, my first suggestion for you is this: try to determine
how much time your son needs to be alone vs. how much time
he needs being with others. Provide him with the sufficient
time for him to be by himself. Then need to ensure he is
sufficiently "hungry" when he socialises. Otherwise, he will
feel turned off by those group interactions. As he gets
older, he will learn to regulate his own social activities
in order to keep his balance, knowing when he should spend
time alone, and when he should spend time with others. It is
important that you don't label your son as an introvert
negatively. Instead, simply try to find out his ratio, and
help him find his balance.
At the same time, keep in mind that socialising well
requires good socialisation skills. And these skills must be
learned. It is likely that people who are extroverted will
have better socialisation skills than their introverted
peers--but that is simply because they spend more time
socialising. At the same time, this does not mean that an
introvert can't have good socialisation skills. Such skills
include asking probing questions to others, taking interest
in what they have to say and offering them help. As your son
is in nursery class, he's probably too young to be focusing
explicitly on these skills. However you may wish to
encourage him to share his things with other children and to
help others when they are in need. Be sure to praise him
when he does so.
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Q: Dear Steve, How should I maintain a correct balance of
discipline and friendliness in the classroom?
Nisha, Teacher, Varanasi
A: Dear Nisha, In my
Laws of Learning, I have three special laws for parents and
teachers. One of them is "Encourage Self-Discipline". The
first thing you need to do with your students is establish
the rules of your classroom. Its best to do this at the
beginning of the year in the first class itself. Start by
talking about the goals of your classroom--what you want to
achieve with your students. Then explain to them that in
order for everyone to succeed in the class, that it is
important for there to be certain rules. You can have a
brief discussion about the need for rules, asking them
questions like "What would happen if there were no rules in
classrooms, sports, games, etc.?" Then invite them to
participate in making some rules for the class. You can of
course contribute some of your own in case they miss out on
any points.
After you've made your rules, make a single fair copy, and
paste the classroom rules at the front of the room. Then in
the future, if someone breaks a rule, you don't need to get
worked up about it. Simply remind them of the rules "they
created"! Because the rules were made by them, they will
feel greater ownership in them, and they will respond more
quickly in correcting their own behavior. Other things you
can do: a) let them decide the punishments or rewards if
rules are followed or broken (of course with your
discretion), and b) leave space on the rules charge to add
new rules as the year progresses. Also don't be afraid to go
back and amend rules as circumstances dictate.
When you have a classroom policy like this, it objectively
clarifies the boundaries for the learners. This makes it
easier for everyone to get on with the enjoyment and fun of
learning.
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Q: Dear Steve, I m
teaching Computers in an engineering college. My students
from a nearby villages don't understand things as they are
below average students from an arts background. What should
I do?
Harsha Batra,
Faridabad
A: Hi Harsha, Follow
my Law of Learning that says, "Make Meaning". The problem
might very well be that the students don't see the reason
why they are learning programming. If they are from
villages, you need to customize your lessons and use
language, terms and examples that relate to village life.
For instance, if you are discussing variables, you can
explain that a "Sarpanch" is a variable that gets occupied
by different people. Or that certain crops are variables (as
they rotate in the fields). If you ask them to program
something, give them a project that connects to rural needs.
For instance, have them make a program for voting,
micro-finance, calculating profit based on crop sales, etc.
Somehow, I feel that it is less of a problem of
intelligence, and more of an issue related to relevance. It
is probable that the textbook you are studying from was
written for students from the city, and that in addition to
the language, the concepts are alien to them. When you help
them "Make Meaning", you will see how quickly they catch on,
and I guarantee that they will surprise you with what they
can do! You can also get some of Jiva's computer textbooks
for all kinds of creative ideas. For more details,
call 0129-4294888.
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