Teaching's a Family Affair for These TN Award Winners
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Mdm Ng works closely with a team of teacher-authors to bring to life the characters in her books.
Is it still possible to get kids to chuck aside their Playstations and lose themselves in the magic of a good book?
J.K. Rowling, for one, has done it with her enthralling stories of wizards and wands. In a similar vein, Mdm Ng Tai Cheen is winning over students at Anglo Chinese School (Junior) to the joys of Chinese Language. But instead of giants and gargoyles, Mdm Ng seeks to enchant with tales she has penned of the birds and the beasts from our very own Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park.
Ms Jeyalaxmy Ayaduray, who teaches English Language at Deyi Secondary School, may not have written any books. But with nearly two decades of classroom experience, Ms Jeya has no lack of stories to share and her words continue to ring in her students' minds long after they have graduated.
Mdm Ng and Ms Jeya are both recipients of this year's Fellow of Teachers Network (TN) Awards, which honours educators who have made significant contributions toward the professional development of their fellow teachers. They may not appear to have much in common. But for the two veteran teachers, the call of the classroom is one that runs in the family: through her father in Mdm Ng's case and via an older sister for Ms Jeya.
Sibling shows the way
As a teenager, Ms Jeya would often learn about the ins and outs of life as a teacher from conversations with her sister. But it was not merely talk, as her sister's dedication was literally brought home before Ms Jeya's eyes. To prepare her students for the PSLE, Ms Jeya's sister would invite boys from Perak House, a children's home, over on weekends to coach them personally and motivate them.
After signing up for a career in teaching, Ms Jeya continues to practice what her sister preached. "We both believe in the importance of inculcating a love for the language," she declares, adding that individual motivation is what really matters in learning.
Ms Jeyalaxmy is at the forefront of developing students as well as teachers through the Teachers Network.
"Having taught in neighbourhood schools, I'm conscious of the importance of emboldening the spirits of my students by giving them positive strokes," she states. "These students respond to you by putting in extra effort so as not to disappoint you."
Indeed, the ethic of putting in effort stays with her students long after they graduate. In fact, one of Ms Jeya's students, who had graduated 17 years ago, persevered in tracking his teacher down to find out where she is now. "He wanted his wife and young children to meet his teacher then. That affirmation was really a heart-warming experience for me."
Ms Jeya's firm belief in bringing out the best in each individual also extends to her colleagues in the Teachers Network, whom she serves as a facilitator in the Teacher Renewal Retreat, helping fellow teachers rediscover their own special gifts that can make a difference in the lives of their students.
From basketball to books
Mdm Ng was inspired by her father, a Mathematics teacher who later became a Principal, to join the teaching profession. Yet, their preferred ways of reaching out to students could not be more different. While Mdm Ng does so through books, her father leveraged on sports.
An irresistible combination of bright colours, cute illustrations and an engaging storyline - which student can resist picking up a book to read?
"Basketball cemented the relationship between my father and his students," she recalls. "Through coaching and playing with them, he was able to teach them. They looked up to him as a mentor."
Recounting her father's stories of school life, she continued, "Teaching then was more chalk-and-talk with basic teaching aids. The teacher was the one controlling the momentum of the classroom. Today, the students have greater scope to influence the tempo or the pace of their learning through the use of innovative activities and modern technological games."
Novel is how you could describe Mdm Ng's solution for teaching Chinese Language to a cohort more accustomed to reading and speaking in English. "As a teacher-author, I strive to write books that students will enjoy reading," she explains. "Children adore animals, such as 'Ah Meng' (the Singapore Zoo's famous late orang-utan), elephants and giraffes."
"Books based on these beloved characters make them want to read," adds Mdm Ng. "It's a much more effective way to impart the Chinese language compared to using verbal instructions."
Through her books and persistent efforts to polish what she calls the raw diamonds amongst her pupils, Mdm Ng has watched with pride as her charges took to the subject like ducks to water and won one competition after another both in Singapore and abroad.
Working together with primary school HODs to develop new resource packages for schools.
Other teachers too have benefited from Mdm Ng's experience through sharing sessions organised by theTeachers Network. Indeed, both she and Ms Jeya find the camaraderie of their colleagues akin to that of a second family.
It works both ways, as Mdm Ng declares herself energised by how receptive young teachers are to new approaches. "I do wish that more young people will take up teaching as a career so as to carry on the good work done at TN and the schools," she states, beaming the kindly smile that continues to win over countless pupils.