Inspiring Students and Teachers to Go Further

November 6, 2012

There are plenty of ways to get students more deeply involved in what they're learning. Mr Yap Boon Chien, Lead Teacher at Tanjong Katong Girls' School, thinks nothing of spending hours preparing for one lesson, or using himself as a subject in an experiment to ensure that students will be safe when they conduct the same experiment. Mr Gejendran V. Krishnan, Subject Head (Student Development, Normal Academic/Normal Technical) at Geylang Methodist School (Secondary), spends a lot of his time mentoring and coaching students, as well as getting them involved in community service. For their commitment, passion and dedication, Mr Yap and Mr Gejendran were recognised this year with the President's Award for Teachers

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Allied Educators Add Life Experience to Learning

December 6, 2011

They teach in class and add a dose of real-life to school, but they aren't teachers. Instead, Allied Educators such as Mr Richard Ooi, Mr Abdul Hadi Bin Baharudin and Mr Melvin Au are giving pupils the benefit of their former work experience in both the classroom as well as in shaping the character of their young charges.

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Teachers with Conviction, Creativity, and Care

November 15, 2011

Mdm Choo Pee Ling and Ms Wong Wai Sian, two recipients of this year's MOE-NCSS Outstanding SPED Award, came to the scene from quite different backgrounds. But both teachers have found their calling in special education and put in a world of effort and creativity into giving their students vital boosts in self-confidence and a leg up in life.

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Lessons for Singapore from Half a World Away

May 24, 2011

A study in cultural contrasts and fresh approaches in class facilitation were among the take-home lessons for two Master Teachers, Mdm Yau Li Heong and Mrs Lee Hwa Phaik, who spent four months in the United States through the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching.

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Uncovering Hidden Stories Through Digital Media

March 8, 2011

Through a winning short film, a trio of teachers at Xishan Primary School explore the challenges faced by today's youth and offer a glimmer of hope through a humble tool that unites two individuals.

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Circles of Learning from Teacher to Teacher

January 25, 2011

Recently, McKinsey International issued a report in which strong professional development among teachers was cited as one of a number of reasons why Singapore's education system is progressing from "great to excellent". Schoolbag finds out how this is taking place through Professional Learning Communities at Ngee Ann Secondary School.

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Learning New Tricks from Fellow Teachers

December 21, 2010

Giving lessons not just to their classes of students, two teachers have won for themselves MOE Awards for playing significant roles in the professional development of their colleagues. Meet Mr Govindarajalu Krishnamoorthy of Teck Whye Secondary and Mr Zaki Zulfakar Noordin of Si Ling Secondary School, who both lead regular workshops that equip fellow teachers with new strategies and skills to be more effective educators.

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Storybooks are the Heart of Her English Lessons

November 11, 2010

Imaginations run wild and words take on real meaning and magic in Ms Lajwani Thakurdas Melwani's English classes at White Sands Primary School. A winner of the Inspiring Teacher in English Award, Ms Melwani takes a page from stories classic and contemporary to bring the joy of learning and the delights of the English language to her pupils.

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Leading the Way towards Positive Change

August 2, 2010

Mr Samuel Lim Kok Boon has a zeal to develop the best in his students, despite their shortcomings. Yet this History teacher at Swiss Cottage Secondary School and recipient of this year's Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA) recipient says, "I'm not out to change the world. I believe in celebrating my students' successes with them. I believe in affirming them publicly and frequently," he declares.

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Caring Teacher Shows How Small Things Make a Big Difference

May 19, 2010

The belief that every child matters drives Mrs Rosiah Giri, as she blends firm discipline in the classroom with a ready ear and open heart to pupils who face problems in their personal life. It's no wonder the pupils of Da Qiao Primary School supported her entry and winning of the 2010 Caring Teacher Award.

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A Spirited Approach to Teaching Chinese

January 19, 2010

Ask Chinese Language teacher Ms Jane Si Hsiao Wei what kind of homework she gives to her students, and sometimes the answer is: go watch a movie. "When I pioneered movie appreciation as a teaching method about two or three years ago, it was very well received by the students," says this Senior Teacher at Dunman Secondary School. Besides giving students exposure to how the Chinese language is used, the task also provides fodder for synopsis writing and reflection, dramatisation and debate.

"We want to change the perception among the students that the Chinese language is difficult or boring. So we engage them in the learning process and show them that the language is relevant to their lives," Ms Si explains. Her lessons are enlivened with activities like script writing, role playing, debates and presentations, accompanied by a spirited delivery - "students respond better to an animated teacher," she says simply.

Ms Si's hard work to encourage active student-centred learning has earned her various awards and commendations, the most recent being the Excellent Service Award (Star) 2009. The national award, which is managed by 10 industry associations and SPRING Singapore, recognises individuals who have delivered outstanding service. Ms Si has also garnered awards like Most Inspiring Chinese Teacher in 2007 and WITs Project (Bronze) in 2008.

But perhaps the most inspiring acknowledgement came from one of her former students.

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Teaching's a Family Affair for These TN Award Winners

December 3, 2009

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.

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Teachers Who Give Hope and Confidence

October 2, 2009

Step into Mathematics teacher Mdm Wong Lai Fong's class at Anderson Secondary School and you'll get a lesson in both numbers and sense. For in Mdm Wong's eyes, what really adds up is not one's ability to count, but a sense of responsibility and the confidence to confront life's challenges.

It's no wonder that when she was once assigned a class notorious for their rudeness, Mdm Wong took on the double duty of teaching Maths while encouraging the unruly students to mind their manners. With patience, praise and even songs, raps and games, she succeeded in turning defiance into discipline and mischief into motivation.

This commitment to success beyond schoolwork also girds Ms Sharon Ann Cardoza at Farrer Park Primary School as she reaches out to at-risk pupils. "You can't expect a child to complete homework when he's worrying about whether there will be food on the table for dinner or whether his parents are going to have another argument," she states. "Their basic needs like food, safe living conditions, and a home free of anxiety and fear must be met first."

For their outstanding commitment to shaping young lives, Mdm Wong and Ms Cardoza have been named two of the four recipients of this year's President's Award for Teachers, Singapore's highest honour for teachers.

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Lighting Up Classes with Literature and Technology

September 29, 2009

They called themselves the "Lit Laggers."

Convinced that they lacked the aptitude for Literature, one entire class in Catholic High School gave themselves this nickname, to the utter dismay of their teacher Ms Lucy Oliver Fernandez. But Ms Fernandez took on their collective wit and strove to ignite their interest in the subject, introducing afternoon study sessions and study camps.

As she shared with them in vivid detail how literature captures the eloquent truths of human life, it wasn't long before the Lit Laggers "began to identify with Literature more and more", as she says, and, to Ms Fernandez's amusement, they rechristened themselves "Lit is for the Brave!" and finally, in tandem with their growing enthusiasm, "Lit for Life!"

Mr Terry Tan at Anglo Chinese School (Primary) is also familiar with this sort of runaway passion. To make his Mathematics lessons fun and engaging, the self-taught "techie" uses computer games that he has written himself. Not content to just play along, some of his pupils asked him to teach them computer programming. One boy was so keen that when challenged with a seemingly "impossible task", he worked for two months to turn the tables on Mr Tan and come up with a problem-solving robotic mouse. "It was my turn to be amazed!" says Mr Tan.

Be it through tales or technology, Ms Fernandez and Mr Tan are teachers whose abilities to inspire and innovate have made them two of four recipients of this year's President's Award for Teachers.

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When Lessons Come to Life with Puppets

August 4, 2009

Last month, we read the story of how Amy the puppet has made Science learning a fun and vibrant experience for pupils at Casuarina Primary. Students feel less threatened around Amy and are more eager to speak up and explore new ideas. To the primary school pupils, she is a beloved friend that makes Science lessons come to life!

And if you think puppets appeal only to primary school children, think again. Even secondary school teenagers find Amy a joy! At Loyang Secondary School, the puppet is a familiar company during lessons about science concepts and theories.

Watch the video below to find out how a puppet like Amy livens up a class and hear what our teachers and students have to say about their puppet play experience.

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Getting Students Mad about Maths

May 12, 2009

You won't catch Mr Ho Yong Song going by the book in his classes. It's a habit that harks all the way back to his days as a student. "I seldom listened to what my teachers said," recalls the Mathematics teacher at Nan Chiau High School.

But before you tut-tut his classroom conduct, Mr Ho adds that this was how he ended up "learning much more than what the teachers taught" - and winning a scholarship to Canada in 1970.

After graduating with a Master's degree in mathematics, Mr Ho taught at Nan Chiau High School for more than three decades, including heading the school's Mathematics Department for several years before he retired in 2006. But even then, he couldn't ignore the call of the classroom.

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Ideas from India

April 28, 2009

For Tamil language teacher Mdm Raman Pearmavathi (known as Mrs Pannier to her colleagues and pupils at Bukit Panjang Primary School), India is a land of rich culture, aesthetics and learning. That's why in October 2007, she packed her bags and headed off to Chennai on her self-organised Professional Development Leave trip - her first learning trip since she started teaching 30 years ago.

Over three weeks, Mrs Pannier played the observer in the primary school division of five schools: Abacus Montessori School, Velammal Matriculation High School, SBOA School and Junior College, Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School and DAV Boys' Senior Secondary School. There was plenty to see, lots to learn and many ideas that she could bring home at the end of it.

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Developing an Appetite for Success

April 21, 2009

Think only Martin Yan can cook? Not quite. At Northlight School, budding culinary specialists taking courses in the Hospitality Department are cooking up a storm, particularly with the help of one of their teachers, Mr Bernard Chan.

Mr Chan was formerly involved in the restaurant business, but switched to teaching about seven years ago. He now teaches Restaurant Service and Culinary Skills at Northlight School, and puts students through their paces in the school's 'live' restaurant. Drawing a parallel between running a restaurant and managing a class, he says, "I try to provide my students with a good 'ambience' in the form of a conducive learning environment, so that they will be excited about the 'brain food' they get during the lesson and look forward to the next session."

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Making Sense of the World through Mathematics

March 24, 2009

Racking your brains over when would be the perfect time to buy a car or a HDB flat? Are you wondering who might be the best person to ask?

Well, you could try asking one of Mr Christopher Chee's students from Northlight School. In his Mathematics classes, graphs are not an indecipherable alphabet soup of Xs and Ys, but rooted in real-world examples.

For instance, Mr Chee guided his students as they pored over data of COE and HDB prices in order to examine the trend in prices. "My students really appreciated that lesson. Now they will always remember that January and February are the best months of the year to buy cars!" he says.

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Outstanding Youth In Education Award - Nominations are now open!

November 19, 2008

If you know of exceptional young teachers who have demonstrated great efforts in motivating and inspiring our youth, The National Youth Council and The Ministry of Education invites you to honour their achievement by sending in nominations for the Outstanding Youth In Education Award.

The Award gives national recognition to young teachers who are actively involved in youth development and the role they play in moulding the future of our nation. These role models are educators who personify youthful idealism, energy, enthusiasm and play a critical role in developing our youths beyond the formal curriculum.

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