Katherine Diligence

I remember Katherine vividly at grade 4, having a low self esteem and having a lack of confidence in Math. That was also my first opportunity to teach international students then. She was also shy. She would not even say she didn’t understand a single thing unless I asked her or found out myself by observation. The change took place gradually for her. First, she was more confident in Math. Later, she became more certain of what her goals were and what she wanted to achieve. Everything changed the moment she entered high school. There was a new round of challenges again. She wavered again and even panicked during important tests. Then she made a major decision to drop Additional Math. Certainly, as her mentor, I was disappointed but I saw her struggles and felt that it was making her lose confidence too. Yes, she made the choice for herself. Noone pressured her. She knew what she wanted to achieve. When it came to IGCSE, she put in so much hard work, more than what I would see in a typical student. The next 2 years after IGCSE were the toughest in the IB diploma programme. She was even more independent and would tell me clearly how she felt about each topic and each subject. I would then specially curate worksheets for her to drill and practise on her weaknesses. Our classes evolved as it was a more targeted approach. Diligence is definitely her strength. Having taught her for 9 years, she is an exemplary testimony on how diligence can help you achieve your goals and targets and whatever you wish for. Well, she achieved her target score of 42 in the end. What do you want to achieve for yourself ? Work hard for it!