End-of-Class Reflection: The Two Biggest Geometry Struggles Students Faced ...

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End-of-Class Reflection: The Two Biggest Geometry Struggles Students Faced — and How They Overcame Them
  
Tr. Wenlong and I (Tr. Jeremiah) just ended the first period of the June Holiday class with our students—an intensive week where we covered a brand-new topic – Geometry, including staying back after class to work through students’ doubts.
Through this full experience, we’ve seen firsthand the common struggles students face with Geometry. We’d like to share what we observed, what worked for students, and hopefully, this will help other S1 students as they enter Semester 2. Below are a few snippets from class and feedback we’ve received.
  

   
   
In Semester 1, Secondary 1 students mainly focus on Algebra. But once Semester 2 begins, the curriculum shifts gears. Geometry takes centre stage.
   
  
Why is this important?
Geometry accounts for a large portion in both S1 End-of-Year as well as future major exams. Below are the data we have collected from the recent years:

Exam	Percentage
S1 End-of-Year	35%
O-Level A-Math	43.85%

Students who don’t build a strong foundation now will not only feel overwhelmed later but also struggle to keep up when more advanced concepts are introduced. That’s why this June Holiday, we focused on helping students set a strong base—both for the End-of-Year exam and for deeper Geometry topics.

  

The Two Biggest Problems Every Student Faces in Geometry

All students face these two common problems when they first encounter Geometry.

  

1. "I memorised everything… but I still don’t know what to do."

This is the most common struggle. Students remember the theorems but can’t apply them when the question format changes.

  

2. "I had the right idea, but I lost marks."

Many students lose marks because they fail to write full proofs. Geometry requires students to justify each step logically. But most students either skip steps or don’t know what counts as a valid proof. As a result, they lose marks even when their thinking is correct.

  

How Students Solved These Problems

Our Geometry holiday classes focused on practical strategies students could apply immediately to improve both understanding and workings.

Problem 1: Memorised but Can’t Apply

Solution: Students learned to build problem-solving models.

These are structured summaries showing:

-  What key clues to look out for in the question

-  What steps to take

-  What to take note of while solving

This gave them a clear, repeatable method to tackle unfamiliar questions confidently.

Problem 2: Missing or Incomplete Proofs

Solution: We emphasized the importance of writing full, clear proofs in every geometry question. Students learned how to:

-  State each step with the correct mathematical reason

-  Link steps logically

-  Avoid skipping details that cost marks

By practicing this consistently, students gained confidence in writing proofs that examiners can follow—and score well on.

By practicing with the right habits, students saw immediate improvements—not just in accuracy, but in scoring full marks.

      

More Than Just Content—They Trained the Way They Learn
Our June Holiday classes weren’t just about Geometry knowledge. They were about building the right learning habits that students can carry into Semester 2 and beyond.

What they focused on:
- How to write clean, complete workings
- How to organize a proper correction book
- How to reflect on mistakes and avoid repeating them


Upcoming Classes
We still have 2 more upcoming June Holiday Classes—and we’re open to opening more sessions if there’s demand.
If interested, do join our S1 Math Study Group to schedule for an entrance test.