identity. development. empowerment.

affirmation @ academy

Inspiring Generations
i.d.e.a2 Teachers Day Supplement 2013

After returning the starfish back to the sea, the teacher continues to walk along the beach.

At the jetty, a ship waits to take her on the next stage of her journey. The teacher gets in.
As it starts to move off from the jetty, the teacher realises that she is not alone. Many of her fellow teachers are also passengers on board the little ship. Some used to be starfish that she had picked up long ago and placed back in the sea. Before she turns in for the night, the teacher decides to take a stroll along the deck of the ship..

Begin the journey here

From the Desk of the Director-General of Education, Singapore

Teachers Day Message 2013

Dear Colleagues,
On this special day, I would like to express my appreciation to all educators for your hard work and dedication in enabling your students to learn. It is your care and deep sense of purpose that has made this possible. Certainly, this vision can only be achieved with the dedicated support of our Allied Educators and Executive and Administrative Support colleagues. My heartfelt thanks to all of you! As teachers, we shape lives through the multiple roles we play. At the heart of all the roles we play, it is our care for our students that will touch their lives and inspire them to be their best. Teaching is more than a job; it is a work of the heart, hands and mind, driven by the conviction to lead, care and inspire future generations. We have many inspiring stories to tell: stories of how we have reached out to our students to help them realise their dreams; stories about how we have made a difference to the lives of those we teach. While we live out different stories, we are connected by the unique identity that defines us, the Singapore educator. Education will continue to play an important role in our society. And we know that education is a life-long journey. The seeds we sow today may take years to bear fruit but they will contribute to the future of a nation we are all working for. For this, we must continue to win the trust and support of parents and the community, and uphold the high standards and dignity of our profession. The starfish has become symbolic of our mission; the compass, our direction. As we reaffirm our commitment to the teaching profession, let us be reminded of the Ethos of the Teaching Profession and the work we have undertaken to do in the Teachers Pledge. Thank you, colleagues, for the abiding commitment and dedication you have shown in nurturing our children. May you continue to serve with pride and dignity, and inspire many more generations to come! Lead, care and inspire for the future of the nation passes through our hands.

I wish all of you a Happy Teachers Day.

Ho Peng (Ms) Director-General of Education

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We salute you, Teachers

From the Academy of Singapore Teachers

Dear Teachers,
In this special Teachers Day supplement for i.d.e.a.2, we honour and celebrate our teacher heroes who have been a force for Inspiring Generations over the years. From the fifties, when chalk and blackboards were the norm, to our current era of whiteboard and ICT, the bedrock of the Singapore education system has been dedicated and mission-driven teachers. We have had quality teachers who have contributed to the first-rate instruction and the holistic care of our students. Undeniably, generations of our teachers have played a significant role in strengthening our education system. Our teachers not only impact students as caring and positive role models, but are also an inspiration to their peers, parents, the community and our nation at large. As a profession, teaching is a vocation that is respected for the role it plays in the journey of each childs life. Many of our educators go beyond the call of duty to provide guidance and care for students of all backgrounds. I am sure that many of us have met colleagues and peers in the service who have been a personal inspiration to us as teachers. In this special issue, journey with us to meet a group of educators whose commitment have influenced generations of students and teachers! From a caring teacher who buys breakfast for her students to another educator grappling with the challenge of helping students with special needs, we feature stories of teachers and educators who have stayed true to their calling. These are stories of people, who as pioneers of the heart have grown in their identity as teachers, as evidenced by their words and actions. Knowing that the future of our nation passes through our hands, may I encourage all of you, in the true spirit and calling of our fraternity, to continue to inspire generations.

May I wish all our teachers a Happy Teachers Day.

S. Manogaran Executive Director Academy of Singapore Teachers Ministry of Education

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Featuring stories and reflections by

Elkan Lim Wong Choo Lat Mohamad Faisal Jamain Royston Tan Marlene Ang Joseph Ang Maheswari Mohanavelu

Chen Ziyang Chong Hwei Hwei Haryati Binte Hassan Ann Ang Tham Kin Loong Felicia Eng

MTT Irene Tan MTT Phil McConnell

Lafrieda Nasir

Acknowledgements
The Publications and Ethos Teams would like to thank all colleagues who have contributed their stories and reflections (published at www. ethos.moe.gov.sg and sent to moe_ethos_teaching@moe.edu.sg )

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Mary leaned forward and said with a huge smile, Yes, its been

make a difference. And I do in my pupils lives. One

my dream to

at a time.

from One Starfish at a Time Mohamad Faisal Jamain, Teacher, St Anthonys Primary School

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One Starfish at a time

Mohamad Faisal Jamain, Teacher, St Anthonys Primary School
a year ago, I attended a dinner event. It was a dinner that saw nearly 1,000 school staff members from the six Christian Brothers Schools (CBS) in Singapore come together to celebrate Teachers Day. Besides the ubiquitous lucky draw, the main highlight of the event was the Lasallian Long Service Award. As I looked at the queue of teachers who were receiving their respective awards, I suddenly remembered a conversation I had with an old friend. Given what I hear these days, my friend had said, If someone can stay in the teaching profession for just 5 years, they should already be presented with the Long Service Award. In response to that remark, I merely grinned and chuckled. I was, after all, still a new teacher: new to the profession, new to its challenges. Who knew how long I would stay in the job? Mrs Mary Koh 50 years of Lasallian teaching service, the emcee announced over the speakers.

About

50 years of continuous teaching service? Wow.

To say that everyone in the ballroom was amazed was an understatement. It would not be too much of a stretch to say that many were half-expecting a lady, with a cane in hand, to totter to the stage. They could not be more wrong. A small figure came hurrying to the front, cane-less, and a robust voice rang out across the ballroom, as clear as day. Yes, yes, yes! Mary here! Aiyoh So chuan to walk all the way up to the stage. At this point, the entire ballroom immediately burst into fits of laughter. Everyone promptly got onto their feet and delivered a thunderous applause. Mary was visibly embarrassed from all the screams and cheers that she was receiving. She blushed as she shook the hand of the guest-of-honour. Then she comically raised both hands and declared, Okay, thats it! Bye, bye! I can throw in the towel now! The audience howled with laughter.

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When I had the opportunity to talk to Mary

a year later, she told me more about her journey as a teacher. I have been an Anthonian all my life, actually, she said, As a fulltime teacher, I have never taught in any other school. Just St. Anthonys. What keeps you going? I asked. Teaching is tiring work, I tell you. But when I see my pupils improve over the year, I feel really happy. Just that? A sense of satisfaction to keep you going for more than 50 years? If I stayed at home, Mary continued with a chuckle, Id be bored. My old man will drive me up the wall. Anyway, I know I am blessed. Because every day, I am living my dreams. Living your dreams? Every day? Mary leaned forward and said with a huge smile, Yes, its been my dream to make a difference. And I do in my pupils lives. One at a time.

Most of us have a dream of some description. Deposited somewhere deep within us is a sealed envelope marked Open to make dreams come true. Often, we dream of a future where we achieve something or get to do certain things if given the time, the courage and perhaps the money. Prior to meeting Mary, if someone boldly proclaimed that he was living his dream every day, the sceptic in me would most probably laugh it off with an ironic inyour-dreams sentiment.

The thing is dreams need not be big or lofty or ground-breaking. They just need to be enormously important to us.
So dreams, it seems, do come true. For Mary, every day, one step at a time.

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Teaching with a Heart

One day, my ex-student came to visit and gave me an invitation card to attend her Registry Of Marriages ceremony. She insisted that I attend it. Yes, I attended it, but what was so touching was that she insisted that I be seated at the table where the solemnization took place. Her parents and parents-in-law were there. Rightfully her parents were to be seated at that table with the groom and bride. At first I refused to be seated at the solemnization table but her parents insisted. What the parents said to me, made me cry. The parents told me that I was the one who had made a great difference in the lives of the family because the girl's behavior became exemplary. She changed from a girl whom they could not manage to one who became very responsible they recognized the fact that as parents they had failed to change her ways and I had Teaching is really about making a positive difference in the student's life. succeeded. I cried. They all cried. I signed, as one of the witnesses on her marriage certificate. That is the reason why I keep coming back, even after I have retired for eight years now.

This is what education is about. It is from the heart!

--Wong Choo Lat, Adjunct Teacher,

Ang Mo Kio Primary School

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Always, Teach with our Hearts

Elkan Lim, HOD (Character and Citizenship Education), Marymount Convent School

remember thinking to myself when I was a student,

I would not ever want to be a teacher!

But today I am part of the fraternity. When I reflect on my experience in school, one person who has influenced me to join the fraternity comes to mind - Miss Foo Check Siew. was the typical neighbourhood kid who managed to just make it into Victoria School. To me, doing well in my studies was a challenge, with so many intellectual friends around me. I struggled with many subjects, especially English and Geography when I was in Secondary 3. In fact, I thought I would never pass my exams. That was when Miss Foo, my form teacher, came into my life. She was also my English and Geography teacher. After just one semester, she realised that my standard of English was really not up to the mark. She met up with my mother to talk about how I could improve. In order to do better, I asked her if I could submit more essays to her so that I could improve. As teachers, we know all too well, the stress that is involved in marking but she gladly agreed. Eventually I improved and obtained a grade of B3 for English.

During my preliminary examinations, my class monitor and I discovered that our reference atlases had been stolen just before our Geography paper. To someone who had never passed a Geography exam before and had just mustered the determination to attempt it, this was not an encouraging sign. Things got worse when we were taken to task for having left our atlases at home. Few were willing to believe our claims that they had been stolen. Fortunately, Miss Foo trusted us and loaned us atlases for our examination, and I managed to pass my exam for the first time. As for the culprits who stole the books, they were eventually caught by the Discipline Master and we were vindicated. Looking back, it was the faith that Miss Foo showed in me that day which gave me the determination to pass the examination.

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After teaching for more than 10 years, I

joined MOE Schools Division in 2011. That was when I decided to search for Miss Foo. I was delighted to find her still teaching but now in Zhonghua Secondary School. Without any hesitation, I wrote her an email to thank her for having taught me. As a teacher now, I see the importance of trust in the teacher-student relationship. Being impartial and understanding is crucial, regardless of which child you are teaching. And when we teach, we must remember that

Children dont care how much you know until they know how much you care. Always, teach with our

hearts.

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A Blessing and an Inspiration

Royston Tan, Curriculum Planning Officer, Curriculum Planning & Development Division (Humanities Branch)
" i 1A2, I'm Hamimah, your civics tutor ... and my name is unique, it can be spelled backwards and forwards!" Though it has been 18 years,

I can still hear the warmth, lilt and cheerfulness in my teachers voice as she greeted her form class for the first time.
Ms Hamimah Abu is a name that resonates with many ex-students of Nan Yang Junior College as well as some of us who have taken up teaching as a career. For those of us who were her former students, we are trying our best to follow in her footsteps. Her thoughtful ways, her love and care for her students touched many of us. Though a petite lady (a very petite lady at that) she was truly a blessing so full of energy, concern and care for her charges.

Literature class with her was always charged with energy and fun. I remember reading Hamlet, the Tempest and the Duchess of Malfi as drama texts for our A levels. She was able to inspire in us a great love for the subject. I remember how my classmates, Kenneth and Kenny, were granted the creative license to act out scenes from the Tempest (their acting left us speechless, it was that good) and how Fay-Ann playacted the tree from Waiting for Godot, holding three leaves as a prop. At the centre of it all was Ms Hamimah, a teacher who blew the dust off archaic tomes and brought life to all the "thees" and "thous" in the script. Her passion for the subject was immeasurable, as was her wit at making us ponder and think of Literature as life itself. I owe much to Ms Hamimah for developing my love and appreciation for Literature. At the beginning of the year, she gave each of us a little notebook as a reflection journal to document our life in JC. It was meant for us to rant in, to express our fears, hopes and dreams.

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Royston (first row, seated, extreme right) and his classmates with Ms Hamimah Ms Hamimah read each entry with care. One would have thought a teacher would be endlessly bogged down by marking and administrative duties, but not Ms Hamimah. She penned down her responses patiently in our journals short snippets, often encouraging, at times admonishing and cajoling to help us see new perspectives. My gratitude to her can never be repaidshe made a boy grow up quickly in the two years that she was my teacher. Being a "problem kid" in school, I remember how she was always a ray of sunshine, who continued to

have faith
in me. Once I got into a scrap with the school authorities, and in my little notebook, I had written some very angry and immature words. She wrote in response to that tirade: "If I ever lose my faith in you, there'd be nothing left for me to do". I can clearly remember the sadness I felt at disappointing her. I still have that little notebook - it lies in my drawer, a vivid reminder of the time spent under the care of a teacher who took tremendous effort to mentor and befriend her charges.

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The Mother in Me
Haryati Binte Hassan, HOD (Aesthetics, Craft & Technology), Geylang Methodist School (Secondary)

Mama,

Mum, Ibu, Mak Ive heard it all in various tones and emotions.

Mother this is what I am to my students; my children. This role came about quite unexpectedly. It all started five years ago when I was greeted by my first form class. It dawned on me that I had a commitment to keep in nurturing them holistically and in preparing them for their respective futures. Coming from different family and financial backgrounds, the students in my form class had varying social, emotional and academic needs. Hence, I explored different methods of engaging them in each of these areas. By doing so, I built rapport with them and developed a sense of and developed a sense of camaraderie with the class. One of the most successful and memorable strategies that worked was my idea of preparing and having breakfast with my students. What started as a small gesture to help students who seemed lethargic due to the lack of a good breakfast turned into a class initiative where students came for breakfast to bond rather than to eat. Their sense of belonging to the class and the school also grew deeper with every class or school-based activity that we experienced together such as visiting Malaysia and Cambodia for our Community Involvement Programme (CIP).

Most importantly, the time I spent with my students changed me.

I found that if I expected them to open up to me, I would also have to take the first step to make myself more approachable to them. As someone who has always been naturally guarded, I learned to become more open to my students, and grew accustomed to demonstrating care and concern towards them. As much as they had learnt from me, they had in turn taught me to embrace differences and celebrate small successes.

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After four years, my students graduated as respectable young adults and as leaders in their own right. My journey with the students in my form class had shaped me into becoming a better teacher and person. The experience certainly helped me in performing my duties as a Head of Level where

I am now a mother to three hundred students instead of forty.

Guiding this large group of students certainly posed many challenges, but my perseverance paid off - I have seen them grow into responsible and positive members of the community. I hope to continue to contribute positively to our education system in any capacity possible. The eight years Ive spent in this career so far have been definitely most fulfilling.

Haryati with her students at Girl Guides World Thinking Day 2011.

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Coming Together
Chen Ziyang, Strategic Communications Executive, Strategic Communications and Engagement Division
When I was a trainee teacher on practicum at Tanjong Katong Girls School, my mind was fixated on lesson plans, marking and preparations for my lesson observations. What happened one Friday evening left an indelible mark on me. It was that evening that I opened the Pandoras Box of Vanessas life. It was 6pm then and I was on CCA duty. Like any responsible teacher, 6pm meant checking that students leave school for home. Half an hour later, I noticed that Vanessa, a student of mine, lingered on. I approached her to find out why. Her response took me by surprise.

The following day, my colleagues and I delved deeper to find out the reason behind Vanessas reaction. It turned out that she was fostered out at an early age but was sadly abandoned by her foster parents. She was then taken care of by her foster grandmother. Unfortunately, her grandmother was hospitalised that week and she was left on her own, with no money for food and had spent several nights hungry.

The usually soft-spoken girl shouted loudly, I dont want to go home!

Her reply was accompanied by streams of tears. I felt helpless. It was only after much coaxing by her peers that she finally went home that evening. Within days, fellow teachers, counsellors and school leaders came together to support her and ensure that her meals were taken care of. Through further home visits they understood the challenges that her caregiver was facing and found ways to work together with her to provide the emotional and financial support that Vanessa needed to see her through the difficult time. Vanessas story redefined the meaning of teaching to me. It was no longer only about lessons plans and marking; it was about how as a community we care and give to our students. As an educator, I am grateful and proud to belong to such a community.

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A Lamp for the Soul lighting the way for future generations
A teacher needs to reflect and be adaptable; to have the right set of principles and values and also be open-minded. I was once termed a fierce teacher'. I still believe I am strict and will not take any nonsense from my pupils. But I know who to be strict to, who to be gentle towards. A teacher is such a good multi-tasker. Nevermind, that we don't save lives like doctors, or fight cases like great lawyers.

Our job is a powerful one. Not everyone can be a teacher, and a good one at that.

-- Chong Hwei Hwei, Teacher,

Horizon Primary School

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Never Alone
Phil McConnell, Master Teacher, English Language Institute of Singapore (ELIS)

I am quoting my former student and now my

I know that in inspiring my literature students, I am never alone.

colleague and it made me think about our motto: lead, care, inspire. Inspiration has grand associations: originally, it meant divine influence, no less, and it is still used to describe charismatic leadership on the scale of Mandela or artistic genius like Michelangelo, or the flash of lightning that leads to a brilliant discovery. But when I think about the influence that my own teachers, and my colleagues and students, have had on me, I realise that inspiration can come in other forms than lightning bolts. Like leading and caring, it can also be a process, rooted in principles and developed over time as our relationship with our students grows and deepens. As a teacher of English language and literature, I was very aware of the importance of helping students to enjoy language, even to love it. Nowadays, as a Master Teacher working with teachers, I rely on the same three principles as I did to motivate my students.

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The first of these principles is:

put the teacher at the centre of the professional learning.

This means starting where the teachers are, discovering their needs as they experience them in the context of their daily contact with students, and then focussing the professional learning on meeting those needs. The second principle is:

share a vision of what quality teaching and learning looks and feels like.
Just as a good teacher makes the learning relevant to the learner and to life beyond the classroom, so, as Master Teachers facilitating courses for teachers, we look for ways to introduce theory and research not in a dry academic way but in the light of its impact on student learning, explaining our beliefs, showing our enthusiasm, telling stories of successful implementation and modelling, rather than explaining, the strategies.

This leads to the third principle:

practise what you teach

I believe we teach best those things which we have direct experience of ourselves. My first school had a tradition of annual plays with teachers acting alongside students. As a young teacher I was persuaded to take a role, and, to my enormous surprise, and despite the terrifying nerves, once I got on stage the first night I discovered I loved acting. It was an inspiring experience which enriched my enjoyment of reading literature, not only plays, but all kinds of texts. And more than that, I found the experience transformed my whole attitude to teaching and learning as I gained a deep understanding of the collaborative effort required to put on a play and how much one learns through working with others. As a Master Teacher, practising what you teach means collaborating with the teacher to plan, to design materials and activities, to teach and, finally, to reflect on the outcomes.

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The kind of inspiration I have been describing is personal and mutual,

a gradual process in which we draw on each others experience, expertise and energy. After 40 years, I still feel excited, and, yes, even inspired, by working with teachers who love what they do.

MTT Phil mentoring a group of English teachers

I agree, we never teach alone. And I still stand by that nagging comment as teachers or Master Teachers, its less what we do ourselves that really counts, and far more what we help others to do so that they want to learn for themselves.

In our fraternity there is continuity as well as change.

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Never Alone
Ann Ang, Academy Officer, Academy of Singapore Teachers

Thank You, Teachers For remembering my name For folding my book for corrections For being taller than a tree For having voices that shine Through the storm of teenage years For embodying possibilities (beyond pimples) For nagging For smiling For asking For answering For wielding red pens with justice and righteousness For crying For throwing open doors to the world For opening windows in my mind For insisting I did it myself So today, let your students say: That each of us is an arrow into the future Inspired by your hope and belief That we rest under trees that you planted in school That your voice is a lamp for the soul That as the years pass, and students grow up, The song you began, we still sing in our hearts That some of us teach, because of you.

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The way Mdm Sharifah guided and journeyed with us in that first year was amazing. She put in place systems and structures that allowed her to monitor our teaching and marking. She was fierce and firm. There was no nonsense and she would tell us if we were not up to mark. Yet, she was fair and the rapport she had established with us made it easy to continue to work under her guidance. She was also meticulous and careful in her vetting of our exam papers. She has influenced the way I guide and mentor younger teachers under my charge now. As a Senior Teacher (Humanities), I have been very much influenced by the way I was mentored by her. We still keep in touch today.

She never fails to ignite the flame of passion for teaching whenever we meet.
~ Lafrieda Nasir, Senior Teacher (Humanities), St Anthony's Canossian Secondary School

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Education

is about helping pupils make connections within themselves, with the people around them and with the world. .so they

Take Flight
From Connecting with the World Felicia Eng, HOD (Mathematics), Jing Shan Primary School

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Connecting with the World

Felicia Eng, HOD (Mathematics), Jing Shan Primary School

my first years of teaching, I was assigned to teach the Primary 3 pupils. Though it was challenging, I enjoyed teaching them. There was a boy named K* who was always quiet. He kept to himself and avoided eye contact at all times. During recess, K would look at other children play and not participate. He always stood in a corner of the play area. I could never get K to speak to me. I later learnt that K was mildly autistic. In order to reach out to him, I started reading up on autism to learn some strategies on how to connect with and to manage an autistic child. I was determined to get K to speak to me.

In

In the middle of the year, I had to record the height and weight of the pupils. I made the pupils read their weights to me when they were standing on the scales. When it was Ks turn, he stepped onto the scale. I looked at him and said, K, can you tell me how heavy you are? I waited patiently. He was quiet. I prompted, You are twenty and I waited. Eight, he muttered. At that moment, I was elated. After having taught him for more than a year, I finally heard Ks voice. After that, K began to open up. In the following months, I saw him speak occasionally to his classmates, uttering a word or two in response to their questions. I was happy that he was starting to make connections with the people around him.

* Name changed for confidentiality

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K has taught me valuable lessons in life. The first lesson: Be patient. It takes time to connect with people. It takes time for people to know you, to understand your intentions as a teacher and to open up to you. The second lesson: Teaching goes beyond the classroom. A lot of time was spent reaching out to K and observing him in his natural self during recess and after school. Education is about helping pupils make connections within themselves, with the people around them and with the world.

The third lesson: It takes a village to raise a child. In my learning to manage a pupil with autism, I worked with teachers who had previous contact with him. I spent time talking to his sister and his parents to find out more about what he was like at home and how he behaved with his siblings and cousins. I worked with his family to help him open up and interact with his peers and with others; we explored how journal writing could help K express his feelings and these entries helped us to understand him. This would not have been possible if I was working alone.

I do not only teach. I learn.

As a teacher, I learn from the people around me - my superiors, my colleagues, my pupils, the parents of my pupils, and other stakeholders.

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The Track and Field is the arena in which I build up not only the physical fitness of my students, but also their

Strength of Character
To be able to take off on the track is, to many of my students,

Taking off on Lifes Journey!

~Tham Kin Loong, Subject Head (PE), Tanglin Secondary School

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Working in the Backroom

Marlene Ang, Senior Specialist (Guidance), Student Development Curriculum Division (SDCD)
years ago, I took a huge step in my career with great uncertainty: moving from the ever-meaningful job of a classroom teacher to that of being a Senior Specialist (Guidance). I have always been proud of how I could inspire my students as a classroom teacher. As the years passed, I was equally happy about how I was inspired by my students to be a better teacher. I was worried that my inspiration and motivation as an educator would be diminished without direct contact with students, but my work has proven to be exciting and meaningful.

At its broadest level, my work involves looking into the social and emotional development of our students in a complex and changing world. Together with my colleagues, I work on syllabuses on guidance such as social and emotional learning and sexuality education. My team and I also conceptualise and develop instructional materials for classroom use. Most of the teachers in our team are rather tired when they arrive at our work sessions after school. A few teachers would occasionally miss these meetings, but there was Mrs Lim who would always be present and ever willing to take on more for lesson writing. In doing so, she won my respect.

Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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One day, as I was chatting with Mrs Lim after a meeting, I asked her what kept her going. Mrs Lim looked at me and said that she had realised, through her communication with us, that we were very dedicated specialists who understood the school ground, knew the students needs well and had a heart to reach out to the schools. She went on to tell me that she believed that what I was doing would impact not only students, but also the lives of teachers who had worked closely with us too. Most importantly, Mrs Lim added that she had been reflecting on how she could impact her students and best inspire other teachers around her to do so because she had been inspired by us, the Senior Specialists. What Mrs Lim said that day struck a chord in me.

This is what I value most about my work the fact that I can inspire others and at the same time be inspired.
Thank you, Mrs Lim, for your inspirational words.

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My Primary 3 form teacher would always provide opportunities for us to take up leadership roles in little ways. Her humorous character made her lessons engaging.
The fact that someone has trusted you with their loved ones and you have had a hand at watching them grow and develop each day, . adding new ideas for learning, has indeed been challenging and gratifying.
~ Maheswari Mohanavelu, Teacher, Yio Chu Kang Primary School

I was motivated to learn as she believed in us.

~ Joseph Ang Chay Hee, Senior Teacher, Xingnan Primary School

Laughter filled our daily lessons.

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Full Circle
Irene Tan, Master Teacher, Academy of Singapore Teachers

and a teacher,

As a student, a member of the alumni,

I have had a lifelong connection with Jurong Secondary School (JSS).

I have been personally inspired by my teachers and students, and many others whom I have met in the school community. When I was a student at JSS, science lessons were one of my favourite periods, especially those that were conducted outside the classroom. Our Biology teacher brought us to the zoo to learn about animals and their natural habitat. We were encouraged to sketch the animals and I enjoyed drawing a lot. That left a lasting impression on me. As a Head of Department for Science in JSS then, I encouraged my teachers to go on learning journeys to translate the real world into their classroom, in ways that are meaningful and enriching. As a Master Teacher for Chemistry, I now organise learning journeys for teachers to inspire them to bring students to learn science in the real world. Two teachers I fondly remember are my Chemistry teacher, Mdm Tai Yu Kun and my English teacher, Miss Chan Lai Peng. Mdm Tai taught Chemistry with great passion. Even without the use of ICT, she

brought the lessons to life with interesting laboratory

sessions that helped confirm the theories we learned. As we were in a Chinese stream school, Mdm Tai went the extra mile to translate Chinese keywords in Chemistry into English. She told us that learning English was the key to successful learning in the future. This was long before all subjects were taught in English. Her constant reminders and encouragement spurred me to learn everything twice so that I could go on to study at junior college and later at university.

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Miss Chans lessons were a total joy to be in. She was funny and animated. Though most of us were not doing well at English, she was patient and constantly gave us tips to improve our language skills. She challenged us to improve our spoken English even though we could not string a complete error-free sentence. The most memorable event for me was when she selected me to represent the class for an oratorical contest in Secondary 4. She selected a rather long passage for me and I had to memorise the two-page essay and repeat it to her every day during recess for more than a month. I won the oratorical contest eventually due to her guidance and patience. Subsequently, I was selected to be the emcee for my schools Speech Day and it was a first for a student from the Chinese stream. Things came full circle for me when I was posted to JSS. A distinct event that I remember from my first years as a teacher was the annual basketball games at Gay World Stadium. The stadium no longer exists, but I fondly remember how we teachers and students cheered in support of our school till we were hoarse! I also remember working with colleagues and students to organise musicals for performance. From Fiddler on the Roof to West Side Story, the hard work paid off when we came together successfully in a combined effort. Through these shared experiences in sports and musical productions, I realised that education is not simply about what happens in the classroom, but how the school is united through a sense of community.

One of the most special groups of people that makes up the JSS community is the alumni.
Among the large pool of ex-students, many came back to serve their alma mater, truly exemplifying the school values of Loyalty, Industry, Sincerity and Love. As a teacher, I appreciate the strong relationships that I had with my students and am proud to say that Jurong Secondary is indeed unique in its school spirit, with an almost kampong feel as everyone is part of a warm and supportive family. Much work has been done in building a strong, close-knit community in JSS. It is my hope that there will always be a bridge between past and present, between inspiration and action and that our students will continue to be inspired by their seniors, teachers and alumni.

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Every Teacher has a Story

The teacher stopped momentarily to look up at the clear, night sky full of bright stars.

She recalled the many faces of students she had taught, as well as colleagues with whom she had worked with. It seemed a long time ago that she had first started on her quest of returning starfish that she found on the beach.
She looked over the railings of the ship and saw her reflection in the water.

What is yours?
Across the calm sea, trailed lovely starfish, all the way to the horizon a new day was about to dawn.

Thank you for Inspiring Generations. Happy Teachers Day!

Pen down your story. Tell a friend. Publish at our Ethos website www.ethos.moe.gov.sg Or email us at moe_ethos_teaching@moe.edu.sg

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