The objectives of the work attachment programme were to give us a taste of MOE HQ work, as well as to explore how STs could collaborate with TDD in the area of people development. In particular, we looked closely at some recent MOE initiatives. One such initiative was the Structured Mentoring Programme, where Beginning Teachers newly posted to schools go through a systematic mentoring programme with more experienced teachers. Another initiative we looked at was the School Staff Developer (SSD) prototype, where an SSD is appointed to enhance the linkage between professional development and school outcomes, so as to bring about professional growth of school staff and school improvement.

Our work attachment programme wasn’t desk-bound either. We had opportunities to visit other schools, embark on self-directed learning, and enjoy a vibrant exchange of ideas with the other STs on attachment. Personally, I took the time to learn more about MOE’s resources both online (like the e-learning portal VITAL and the Teachers’ Forum on the MOE Intranet) and offline, like the libraries and facilities available at Teachers Network and other MOE Divisions.

The daily morning pow-wow sessions were an excellent platform for exchanging ideas among the Senior Teachers.

I also learned a lot about one of an ST’s core duties - mentoring. For example, we were involved in the Beginning Teachers’ Dialogues, where I could see the different styles of induction carried out in different schools and how the Structured Mentoring Programme was being implemented. This helped me to reflect on my own practices in my school, and what I had and had not done as well for Beginning Teachers in my school.

The Dialogues were also a very open environment in which the Beginning Teachers felt comfortable enough to share honest and valuable feedback with us. This made me more aware of the importance of effective coaching and mentoring.

I enjoyed some of the most enriching moments of the programme during the pow-wow sessions that those of us at Staff Training Branch organised for ourselves every morning. We found out that the average age in our group of 10 was 49.7 years and that we had collectively put in 288 years of teaching! So we tapped on this shared resource and used the daily pow-wow sessions to share teaching methods, anecdotes, experiences and the little “wow” moments in our teaching career.

We also worked on a proposal for an ST Summit, including drawing up a tentative programme and areas of discussion. Although we could only complete the proposal during our six-week attachment, the next group of STs who will attend this attachment will continue what we have started and develop the idea further.

All in all, the work attachment at TDD was a thoroughly rejuvenating experience. It was great to get to know other teachers who also had not lost the stamina or the zeal for the profession, even though we had been teaching for most of our lives. The breadth of exposure that we enjoyed will certainly make us better STs now that we have returned to teach at our respective schools.

The warmth and hospitality of the staff at TDD, their professionalism and sincere concern that we should find the attachment beneficial and enriching, all made our stay at TDD a most memorable one. Indeed, we were rejuvenated, enthused and enriched with the amount of take-aways from this attachment. We can confidently say we have returned to our respective schools as better STs. We are also glad the ST Summit and the formation of an ST Alumni are on the drawing board.

Contributed by:
Mr Chow Chee Wing
Senior Teacher
Christ Church Secondary School

Previous MOE newsletter Contact Online articles on teacher work attachments:

• “Helping Children Cope Beyond the Classroom” (January 2005)
• “Work Attachment @ NHC” (February 2005)
• “A Taste of Corporate Communications” (February 2005)
• “Flexibility and Tenacity Essential for I&E” (March 2005)
• “My Learning Journey in Mumbai” (June 2005)
• “Behind the Scenes at Teachers Network” (July 2005)
• “TWA @ LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts” (November 2005)
• “Camp@Apple: Integrating TWA and Professional Development” (December 2005)
• “Expanding Teachers’ Horizons” (April 2006)
• “Learning Outside the School” (January 2007)
• “Classrooms of the World, Teachers of Tomorrow” (March 2007)
• “Education: The Language of Communication” (March 2007)

To learn more about the Structured Mentoring Programme, see previous MOE newsletter Contact Online articles on “Mentor Support for Beginning Teachers” (February 2006), “What Some Beginning Teachers Say” (February 2006) and “Teaching Foundations Grow Stronger” (August 2006).