(I know this may seem like a universal question but I feel like the Japanese education system and focus on passing tests vs. actually learning is a huge factor in what I’m about to ask so please bear with)
I’ve been tutoring this child in English since he was in preschool and I was a university student. There was a hiatus when I left my hometown but his parents begged me to start again online so here we are. He’s 10 now.
I’ve been noticing an increasing tendency to lie about literally EVERYTHING; I ask him to write down word definitions and he lies about it. He’s looking stuff up on his iPad in the middle of a test despite me repeatedly saying not to. He’ll refuse to write an essay and then when I ask him to read what he’s written, he pretends (badly) to read when really he’s making stuff up on the fly.
I have a strong feeling that this behavior is the result of pressure from his parents (they have him in 3 cram schools and make him study constantly), and an obsession with getting the right answer even if he doesn’t know WHY it’s the correct answer. I’ve tried talking to the parents but I don’t think I’m getting through to them.
Has anyone else experienced this teaching in Japan?? How did you deal with it, and if you spoke with the parents, how did you convey your concerns?
by lyft-girlie