Professional DevelopmentWorkshops 2013MDIS-STU Study GrantApplication Opens

A publication of the Singapore Teachers' UnionMICA (P) 029/01/2012

Term 4 / 2012

STU’s position on D graders ineligible for recent Salary Revisions p5p5

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Who we are: We are the voice of teachers. We represent the collective opinions affecting your interests and the teaching profession.

STU Benefits:The U Card: Enjoy STU and NTUC Benefits - your passport to a whole array of rebates, discounts and privileges. We provide sponsorships for UniSIM Programmes and Study Grants for MDIS Courses We provide a group insurance plan tailor-made for you, and many more!

What we do: We represent you in work related issues. We conduct professional development workshops and forums, eg. Kagan Workshops and Beginning Teaches’ Forum.

What is

About?

How to Join STU? The one-off entrance fee is S$25. For teachers who join within six months of their first posting from NIE, the one-off entrance fee is S$10. The monthly Union subscription is S$9. The one-off entrance fee and monthly subscription will be deducted from your salary upon your check-off authorisation. Please visit our website at www.stu.org.sg and download the following application forms and send the completed forms to 583 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218197. STU Membership Application Form Check-off Authorisation Form for deduction of entrance fee and Union subscriptions. For enquiries, please contact STU at 6299 3936.

Membership Recruitment Promotion:$10 Popular Bookstore Voucher, and$20 discount voucher for STU Professional Courses for all new sign-up members.

the mentor 4 InDUSTRIAl RelATIOnS

Members need to know:

holidays. As such, HODs are not required to cover their duties during their absence in the holidays.

MOE has advised Principals and Vice Principals to stagger their leave such that at least one of them is present at all times.

Concerns about employment terms/school matters/grading/transfers.

Members who have concerns about their employment terms and conditions and other issues are most welcome to approach the union’s industrial relations team for clarification and advice on a confidential basis.

1. Mr Jagindar Singh jsingh@stu.org.sg 6299 39362. Mr Sanjeev Kumar Tiwari sanjeev@stu.org.sg 6299 3936

In your email please state your name, NRIC number and contact number. Non-members can also contact them but have to apply for membership first before receiving advice. Representation requires 6 months membership. Please go to our website www.stu.org.sg to download the application form or visit STU at 583 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218197.

No-Pay Leave (NPL) has effects on school holidays, bonuses and allowances

Members should note that for teachers who have taken No-Pay Leave (NPL), their paid school holidays would be pro-rated according to their active service period.

Teachers enjoy paid school holidays based on their active service period in school. Hence, if a teacher works the whole year, he/she will enjoy the full year’s school holidays while a teacher who was on No-Pay Leave will have their school holidays pro-rated accordingly.

For example, officers who were on NPL for half a year, their paid school holidays will be pro-rated according to the number of days that the officer is active in service. This is to maintain parity, especially to officers who have worked for the entire calendar year.

No-Pay Leave also affects the bonus and allowances payable. The rationale for the pro-ration of bonus and allowances is the same as that of the paid school holidays.

HOD’s having to cover duties during school vacation for Principals and Vice Principals

Ministry of Education (MOE) has clarified with the union that either the Principal or Vice Principal should be present during the school

Term 4 5 InDUSTRIAl RelATIOnS

hile we applaud the recent salary revisions by MOE, we have concerns over the D graders policy that is set by the Public Service Division (PSD)which applies across the Civil Service including MOE.

Members have approached the union expressing their unhappiness and the pain of being denied the salary revisions over and above the loss of bonuses and promotion opportunities.

The policy is inequitable and punitive as it is a measure at a single point of time. STU had raised the matter with MOE

STU’s position on D graders being ineligible for recent Salary Revisions

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and shared our views. Being a PSD policy, STU has written to the Permanent Secretary, Ms Yong Ying I on that matter and proposed a review of the policy. Below are excerpts of the letter that was sent stating our view.

"A salary benchmarking exercise is commonly done to address the lag in salaries for a particular job scope in comparison to the broader labour market...

There can be instances of officers who had been contributing and performing (i.e. C- grade and above) for many years before and for some reasons inadvertently being given a D grade for the year concerned...

We strongly believe that D graders should not be entirely denied of a market salary adjustment that they are deserving of and should be eligible for some adjustment. We had highlighted the above matter to MOE in our regular meetings where we understand this is a Civil Service wide policy. In view of the above background and reasons, we urge PSD to review this policy.”

PSD has acknowledged the letter. STU is monitoring the matter closely and we hope that there will be a positive outcome.

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Month Day/Date/Time Workshop Title Presenter

jAN Fri, 18 [2pm - 5pm] Understanding EPMS and my Professional Journey in Schools Ms Koh Sauk Keow

Thur, 24 [2pm - 5pm] Managing Editorial and Production Tasks for School Publications Mr Christopher Yaw

Feb

Fri, 1 [2pm - 5pm] Dynamic Teaching Mr Charles Barton

Mon, 18 [2pm - 5pm] Developing Effective Reading Strategies for Comprehension Dr Cheah Yin Mee

Tue, 26 [9am - 4.30pm] The Educational Uses of Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) Mr Dennis Sale

Thur, 28 [9am - 4.30pm] Oral Skills Teaching Development Mr Charles Barton

MAR

Fri, 1 [9am - 4.30pm] Designing Effective Assessments Mr See Teck Meng

Mon, 18 - Tue, 19 [9am - 5pm]

Cooperative Learning: Kagan Structures for Active Engagement (Primary and Secondary) Kagan Cooperative

TrainersWed, 20 - Thur, 21 [9am - 5pm] Character Development In Every Lesson Through Kagan Structures

Mon, 18 [9am - 4.30pm] Module PS101: The Theory, Nature and Practice of a Community of Inquiry

Associate Professor Philip Cam

Tues, 19 [9am - 4.30pm] Module PS102: The Nature of Concepts and Philosophical Questions

Wed, 20 [9am - 12pm] Module PS103: The Use and Development of Stimulus Materials for P4C

Wed, 20 [1pm - 4pm] Module PS104: Micro-teaching and Tutorials

Thur, 21 [9am - 12.30pm] Module PS105: Introduction to Basic Concepts in Eastern Philosophical Traditions

Dr Teoh Chin Leong, Haji Maarof Salleh &

Dr S. Thinnappan

Mon, 18 [9am - 12.30pm] Learning of Mathematics and Remediation can be fun - Fractions

Dr Lionel Mendoza

Tue, 19 [9am - 12pm] Fun with Mathematics: Some Ideas for Teachers that do not require additional class time

Tue, 19 [1.30pm - 4.30pm] Reading Mathematics Word Problems: A Workshop for P1 and P2 Teachers

Wed, 20 [9am - 5pm] Diagnosing and Remediating Mathematics Problems using Written Assessment and Interviewing in Primary Schools

Thur, 21 [9am - 5pm] Developing Thinking and Creativity in Primary School Mathematics without needing additional class time

Fri, 22 [9am - 12.30pm] Learning of Mathematics and Remediation can be fun - Place Value

PROfeSSIOnAl WORkSHOPS 2013

Singapore Teachers' Union PROfeSSIOnAl DevelOPMenT WORkSHOPS 2013

Term 4 7 PROfeSSIOnAl WORkSHOPS 2013

Month Day/Date/Time Workshop Title Presenter

MAR

Fri, 22 [1.30pm - 5pm] From Classroom Question to Classroom/School Research

Dr Lionel MendozaSat, 23 [9am - 11.30am] Fun with Mathematics: Hands-on Activities for Parents to use with their children

Sat, 23 [1.30pm - 4pm] Reading Mathematics Word Problems: A Workshop for Parents of P1 and P2 Children

APR

Wed, 3 [9am - 4.30pm] The Creative Teaching Framework: The Science and Art of Creative Teaching Mr Dennis Sale

Thur, 4 - Fri, 5 [9am - 4pm] Workshop on Social Media for Educators Mr Ong Chee Ming

Mon, 8 [2pm - 5pm] Narratives vs Recounts: How to Write a Better Story Dr Cheah Yin Mee

Wed, 10 [2pm - 5pm] Dynamic Teaching Mr Charles Barton

Tue, 16 - Wed, 17 [9am - 4.30pm] The Use of Solution Focused Brief Therapy Mr David Blakely

Fri, 26 [9am - 4.30pm] Designing Effective Assessments Mr See Teck Meng

MAy Tue, 7 [2pm - 5pm] Developing Effective Reading Strategies For Comprehension Dr Cheah Yin Mee

jUL

Tue, 9 [2pm - 5pm] Narratives vs Recounts: How to write a better story Dr Cheah Yin Mee

Fri, 12 [2pm - 5pm] Understanding EPMS and my Professional Journey in Schools Ms Koh Sauk Keow

Wed, 17 [2pm - 5pm] Games for Language Teaching Mr George Jacobs

Fri, 26 [9am - 4.30pm] Designing Effective Assessments Mr See Teck Meng

AUg Wed, 7 [9am – 4.30pm] Designing a Thinking Curriculum Mr Dennis Sale

Thur, 15 - Fri, 16 [9am - 4.30pm] The Use of Solution Focused Brief Therapy Mr David Blakely

SeP

Wed, 4 [9am - 4.30pm] Designing Effective Assessments Mr See Teck Meng

NOV Mon, 18 [9am - 4.30pm] Conscious Classroom Management

Mr Rick Smith Wed, 20 - Thur, 21 [9am - 5pm] Rebels with Applause

Please log on to www.stu.org.sg for more details of the workshops as well as to download the application forms. For more enquiries, please contact Professional Development & Student Outreach Department at 6299 3936 or

email to programmes@stu.org.sg.

the mentor 8

Mon, 18 - Tue, 19 Mar 2013, 9am - 5pm (For: All Teachers)CooPerATiVe leArning: KAgAn STrUCTUreS For ACTiVe engAgeMenTEngage students, raise test scores, and boost academic achievement with Kagan Structures! You’ll learn simple, research-based instructional strategies that make learning more exciting and engaging. You’ll use Kagan Structures in every lesson, creating greater engagement, deeper understanding of the content, improved retention and greater liking for learning.

STRUCTUReS FOR SUCCeSS™• Put the best research into practice in your classroom• Use cutting-edge structures that promote success• Boost your students’ achievement through practical, classroom-

proven structures• Make learning more fun for everyone

IMPROVe yOUR CLASS CLIMATe• Create a caring, cooperative classroom through energizing

classbuilding activities• Have fun with your students with indoor and outdoor cooperative

sports and games• Promote full-class cooperation with scoring and recognition

systems

MANAge yOUR CLASS FOR SUCCeSS• Make your room run smoothly, and your teaching day go easier

with ‘Hot Tips’• Engage students and avoid classroom disruptions• Turn around your difficult students• Go home with more energy after each day• Reduce discipline problems

bUILD yOUR STUDeNTS’ SOCIAL SkILLS• Teach your students the skills they really need to succeed in

school and throughout their lives• Promote caring, kindness, empathy, respect, and responsibility

without separate lessons

FORM SUCCeSSFUL LeARNINg TeAMS• Create and manage teams in your class where Together Everyone

Achieves More• Learn a better approach than simple group work• Transform your lessons into engaging, interactive learning events

that guarantee success

SUPeRCHARge LeARNINg• Motivate your students to learn even the boring stuff, with

structures that work• Watch your students delve deeper into the curriculum than you

ever thought possible• Enhance your students’ mastery and achievement

MAke PROjeCTS COOPeRATIVe• Turn group projects into cooperative projects• Hold all students accountable

Wed, 20 - Thur, 21 Mar 2013, 9am - 5pm (For: All Teachers)CHArACTer deVeloPMenT in eVery leSSon THroUgH KAgAn STrUCTUreSCome learn how to foster emotional intelligence and character virtues in every lesson – with no special planning or preparation, and with no special materials or curriculum! How? In this fast moving, hands-on workshop you will learn simple instructional strategies – Kagan Structures – that create the climate for emotional and character development, while you teach your regular curriculum. The virtues are acquired as students interact over their academic content. They learn responsibility, respect, diversity skills, and conflict resolution skills while mastering their academic content.

PROMOTe CORe CHARACTeR VIRTUeS• Explore 15 core character virtues• Model the virtues through simple structures• Create the climate in which virtues are a virtue• Structure class meetings for citizenship and responsibility• Promote ethical, moral reflection• Integrate character development throughout your curriculum

DISCOVeR CHARACTeR DeVeLOPMeNT & eMOTIONAL INTeLLIgeNCeS LINkS• Learn why EQ and CD are inseparable• Create the climate for emotional and character development• Integrate EQ and CD throughout your curriculum• Promote EQ through CD, and vice versa

LeARN kAgAN STRUCTUReS FOR CHARACTeR DeVeLOPMeNT• Play Choices™ game for good judgment• Demonstrate honesty, courage, integrity, and respect through

Debate• Build respect and citizenship with Team Statements• Encourage courtesy and respect with Gambit Chips• Develop fairness in decision making with Sum-the-Ranks

INCReASe eMPATHy• Understand the emotions of others with Paraphrase Passport• Have students learn to care by caring • Generate empathy with Pairs Check• Develop empathy through academic curriculum• Create “foil” friends to decode body language• Learn how bullies misread facial clues

ReLeASe THe POWeR OF kAgAN STRUCTUReS FOR VIRTUeS• Teach self-knowledge through Corners, Timed Pair Share, and

Agreement Circles• Teach honesty, courage, integrity, and respect through Agree-

Disagree Line-Ups• Teach students to think before they act with Spin-N-Think

CReATe A COOPeRATIVe, CARINg CLASS• Turn your classroom into a place everyone wants to be–including

you• Improve your students’ liking for school, class, and each other with

Classbuilding activities such as Stroll Pair Share • Build caring teams with Three-Step-Interview and Jot Thoughts• Teach your students to care• Structure so students practice virtues every day

kAGAn Workshops

Fees for 2-day workshops:STU Members : $250.00Non-Members : $320.00

For enquiries, please contact STU via 6299 3936 or programmes@stu.org.sg

Venue: The Grassroots’ Club, 190 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, Singapore 568046

Fees for 4-day workshops:(Special Package Fee for 2 Workshops)

STU Members : $450.00Non-Members : $570.00

kAGAn WORkSHOPS 2013

Term 4 9 MOvIe ScReenInG / bTf 2012

STU Movie Screening is back!We are proud to present “Life of Pi”, directed by Ang Lee, on the big screen. Book your tickets early with STU at special price of $4.50 only!

Limited seats are available. Please download the booking form from the STU website to book the tickets.

Date : Thursday, 29 November 2012 Time : 7.00pm (tentative) - exact timing to be confirmed nearer to dateVenue : Shaw Theatre, Bugis JunctionPrice : $4.50 only (maximum 5 tickets per member)

105 Beginning Teachers including NIE trainees attended the STU’s Beginning Teachers’ Forum to pick up teaching tips and useful information from STU Youth activists and union leaders.

Participants got to learn about the benefits of being a union member and the hot topic that was brought up during the forum was the issue of clearing the probation and appraisal for the beginning teachers, followed by a Question and Answer session which discussed on the probation and appraisal issues and how STU would be able to represent members.

STU beginning Teachers’ Forum 8 September 2012

the mentor 10 bOOk RevIeW

Philip cam’s TeAcHInG eTHIcS In ScHOOlS: A new Approach to Moral educationThrust of the bookMany teachers in Singapore schools (both primary and secondary) will find this excellent book not only useful but also highly entertaining and enlightening highlighting a fresh approach to teaching moral education. In particular, teachers trained to teach Philosophy for Children (P4C) will enjoy this book even more as it projects the big picture for them on the relationship between moral education and ethics and collaborative ethical inquiry, which is also the thrust of P4C. The language used is clear, precise and concise, and moral and ethical concepts are explained in easy-to-understand, everyday English.

The controversy Over Teaching ethics in Some State Schools in new South WalesFor the Australian education community, this volume is a timely publication. For Singapore readers to appreciate this point, it is relevant to know that the book comes out at a time when there has been a major controversy over the place and role of ethics in government schools, especially in the state of New South Wales (NSW), following the publication of a trial course that was approved by the NSW Education Department, developed by the St James

Ethics Centre and written by Philip Cam. The specific issue was whether ethics can be taught without bringing in religion. The strong objection to ethics teaching in state schools came from faith-based schools where religion is taught. It is a conflict between what Shanahan has called in an article in The Australian (1 May 2010) “a tussle between the religion lobby and the secularists”. Most of the Christian religious groups opposed the trial course, although it was claimed by the St James Ethics Centre that developed the syllabus that the “secular ethics course was never meant to replace religion, merely to cater to the children who have opted out of religion altogether” (Shanahan, p2). In Western Australia, there can be a different perspective – "I believe work on ethics must start much earlier than university … Work on ethics needs to start in schools – and the earlier the better.” (Millett, 2002).

It is important to note that Teaching Ethics In Schools has this as its subtitle "A new approach to moral education", which promotes a fresh approach to moral education. As stressed in the book blurb, "Far from prescribing a rigid set of mandated values, codes of conduct, behaviour management plans, or religious instruction, Philip Cam skilfully presents ethical thinking and reasoning as a dynamic and essential aspect of school life".

Structure of the bookThe book is divided into two sections – Part One and Part Two - preceded by a very useful introduction for the school teacher. Teachers trained in Philosophy for Children will find the introduction particularly relevant to their work.

[Published by the Australian Council for Educational Research, Victoria, Australia, 2012]

Term 4 11

The introduction focuses on the problem of moral education, the need for philosophy, developing good moral judgments and on to the core of the argument, which is teaching ethics through collaborative inquiry. The author explains:

Since ethics is a branch of philosophy, the key to success in teaching it is to engage students philosophically, which involves reasoned inquiry into issues and ideas. It may be as elementary as learning to distinguish between moral and non-moral uses of a word such as ‘good’, or as advanced as determining whether the consequences of a given action are more (or less) morally significant than the intention with which a person acted. At any level, there is a vital difference between teaching ethics through inquiry and teaching it didactically. The latter gives students much to learn but little to reflect upon. The former shifts the emphasis from telling students what they should think about moral matters to helping them to think morally.(p7)

In Part One, the first two chapters draw on philosophy and the theoretical aspects of moral education in succinct terms to support teachers in their conceptual understanding of the issues. Chapter 1 ends by stating that attitudes to morality change, like everything else. The author adds,“It cannot be denied, however, that societies are always on the move — technologically, economically and socially. Education must keep pace with these changes and help us to manage them. Moral education is as much an ingredient in the advancement of society as is scientific and technological education and we need to take a forward-looking approach”. This “forward-looking approach” is elaborated on in Chapter 2, in which collaborative inquiry is stressed.

In fact, when we try to solve a moral problem of any complexity, we are often well-advised to discuss it with others. This reliance upon others applies equally to the objectives of moral inquiry in the classroom. If we want students to grow out of the habit of going with their own first thoughts, to be on the lookout for better alternatives, and to become disposed to consider other people’s points of view, then we cannot do better than having them learn by exploring moral issues, problems and ideas together. If we want them to become used to giving reasons for what they say, to expect the same of others and to make productive use of criticism, then we cannot go past giving them plenty of practice with their peers. And if we want them to grow up not to be so closed-minded as to think that those who disagree with them must be either ignorant or vicious, then the combination of intellectual and social engagement to be found in collaborative moral inquiry is just the thing. These are all good reasons for adopting this approach. (p31)

Chapter 3 serves as the “bridge” chapter between Part One and Part Two. It provides a very helpful introduction to ethics, ethical theories and ethical inquiry.

Ethics is the philosophical study of morality. It is concerned with the ends that we ought to choose and the considerations that should govern those choices, as well as with the kinds of people we should strive to be. Ethics is less interested in how people actually behave than with how they ought to behave. It seeks to understand the basis of moral obligation and the nature of ‘the good’. (p39)

Part Two consists of two practical chapters. Chapter 4 provides a guide to teaching ethics, focusing on topics such as working out the basic pattern of inquiry and how to make ethical inquiry collaborative. Chapter 5 deals with the construction of activities, discussion points and exercises for class use, methods of questioning, conceptual exploration and reasoning. Many of these activities and exercises are stimulus materials for teachers to adapt for and apply across different school subjects, in both primary and secondary schools.

Significance of an Ethics-Based Approach to Moral educationIn his book, Teaching Ethics In Schools, Philip Cam shows how an ethics-based approach to moral education can serve as a natural fit with current trends in education stressing citizenship education and character development. In general, his insights into this topic will help us frame our thinking about the teaching of moral education.

bOOk RevIeW

Dr Philip Cam (2nd from left), philosopher and teacher educator, is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Humanities, University of New South Wales. He was educated at the Universities of Adelaide and Oxford (UK). For more than 20 years he has written books on philosophy for the academic world and also for teachers and children, many of which have been translated into other languages. He has conducted Philosophy for Children workshops in many countries, including Singapore, and more recently wrote the New South Wales Ethics pilot programme for government schools in that state.

ReferencesStephan Millett (2002), Toward an ethical school, Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, Vol XIV, No 4.Angela Shanahan (2010), Godless ethics classes are pointless, The Australian, 1 May 2010.

the mentor 12 HAnDWRITInG cOMPeTITIOn

HandwritingCompetition

"I am extremely happy to win in this inaugural Handwriting Competition for STU members. I do hope this competition will continue so as to promote penmanship not just as art form but also to encourage good handwriting habits in our schools."

Teh Chin Foo Peirce Secondary School

Wow! What an unexpected but pleasant surprise win – Teh Chin Foo

for STU Members9 September 2012 @ Jurong Point Shopping Centre

"I owe my second prize in the Handwriting Competition to firstly, the influence of three people in my life: my father, maternal uncle and secondary two classmate in Crescent Girls’. Their beautifully cursive handwriting never fails to inspire me to write like them. The second reason is due to my love and admiration for anything artistically aesthetic and beautiful. Thank you, STU and Jurong Point, for giving us a chance to admire the beauty of each other’s handwriting which is a dying art that needs to be resurrected, beginning from home, if not, school."

Oon Sim SimShuqun Primary School

"The event was fun and nerve wrecking at the same time! With many pairs of eyes scrutinizing your handwriting and spelling on stage was really scary. Overall I had a great time and made new friends from other schools should hold more events like this in the near future."

Nor Farhani Mohd Hamzah Bukit Panjang Primary School

In this day and age, though we depend so much on digital communication, nothing still beats the feeling of receiving a neat, handwritten note or message. A well-written text can convey more sincerity and thoughtfulness than a printed one. Hence, we should try to write more, and often so that we can write better. The handwriting competition organized with the support of Jurong Point and Singapore Teachers’ Union aims to bring more awareness to the beauty of the written text, and encourage our young to be more aware of the written text, and discover its beauty. It has a meaningful experience for all who participated, and we look forward to it again next year.

Peh Teow PengNan Hua High School

Term 4 13 HAnDWRITInG cOMPeTITIOn

The handwriting competition organised by STU was a unique event- one of a kind and it was the first ever handwriting competition organised by STU. I was excited and proud to be part of the event. The compettion incorporated listening and penmanship skills too. It was also very well organised for both the children and adults category. I had a fun filled and enriching time at the event.

Congratulations on a job well done STU!

Bad handwriting is a sign of imperfect education- Gandhi

Miss Mahendran RudraraniCHIJ ( Katong ) Primary

The competition was advertised on the last page of the previous issue of The Mentor newsletter and it captured my attention almost immediately. I always held my handwriting in pride as I underwent ‘intensive training’ in my childhood days. From then on, I always wrote neatly and made sure I could ‘pass’ the high standard imposed by my parents. Never have I imagined that such an innovative competition would ever materialize as I always thought competitions of such nature were just a dream!

As teachers, we always have to send pupils out for competitions. Now it is the teachers’ turn! Initially, I thought I would feel relaxed as the nature of this competition seemed pretty easy. I could not imagine the amount of pressure I was under when I saw so many colleagues from all over the island who were also in this race with me And winning is definitely not everything. It was the process and experience of taking part that mattered more.

Though I did not win any grand prizes, it was the spirit of participation that I felt happy with myself. Being able to interact with teachers from all over Singapore enriched my life and exposed me to the different ways people view things. I must thank STU for organizing such an interesting, unique and innovative competition and opening my eyes to see the way how things go from Write to Right!

Oh bee LingCHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel

"A fun afternoon to remind all parents and teachers of the importance of good handwriting even though many people think I should have been a doctor-- my handwriting is so bad at times."

edward Osgodby Paul Bukit Panjang Govt. High

"Surprisingly such a refined art form still found its way into STU for coming up with such a nice and novel competition. A handwriting contest should be held every year to combat the force of the keyboard that will take the character and soul out of everything we do. I enjoyed the event even though it was marker and majong paper competition which is harder to pen beautifully but fun."

gerard Tham Weng yun North View Secondary School

the mentor 16 leARnInG JOURney

r Goh Han Serm, STU Delegate Representative visited England from January to March 2012 for a Learning Journey with the following objectives:

• To contribute to the Olympics through involvement in the preparatory work for

London 2012 Olympic Games

• To learn from the schools visited and educationists in England and apply learning to schools in PE, CCA, Olympic Education and Character Development

He would like to share with us his experience from the trip in The Mentor.

The learning Journey1. Visited Morley Memorial Primary School and Homerton

Children’s Centre in Cambridge and Harbinger Primary School in London.

2. Visited Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, and had conversations with Professor Maurice Galton and another two other academics.

3. Volunteered for RELAYS (Regional Educational Legacy in Arts and Youth Sport), which seeks to engage the south west of England with the London 2012 Olympic Games. The actual sports event was 2012 School Games (Paignton)

4. Visited the Olympic Park, Exhibition on London Games at the Museum of London.

Mkey learning Points1. Student leadership and Communication skills: Primary

school pupils demonstrate good leadership, are self-confident and communicate confidently. We need to provide more opportunities for our own pupils to make presentations, to engage guests when they visit the school or during school functions.

2. Assessment: No grade was given for composition examination. Assessment includes portfolio of pupil’s work and there are detailed rubrics for holistic assessment. We have begun holistic assessment but we need to avoid trying to assess too many areas.

3. Social emotional competencies: Starting from pre-school children, there are clear expected outcomes in social emotional competencies. There is a structured format for teachers to give feedback on pupils’ development in the various domains. We need to define clearer behavior indicators for social emotional learning.

4. inclusiveness: Pupils with special needs are provided with much learning support such as specialist teachers, teacher assistants and parent volunteers in the classroom. Beyond Buddy Reading, we can try to involve a few parent volunteers to provide learning support for those with learning needs or special needs.

5. Pre-school education: Strong curriculum and well-qualified teachers for pre-school education. Singapore can do more in this area. For example, more conducive environment for exploration, learning through play and integrated learning (physical, music, language).

6. Conducive learning environment: Teachers and pupils put up displays and decorate their classrooms based on themes in the syllabus. They are very proud to show others their classrooms. We can get our pupils to be more involved in creating a more conducive learning environment in the classroom and develop a strong sense of ownership.

Reflections on Professional Development learning in

englandMr Goh Han Serm, STU Delegate Representative, yuhua Primary School

This learning journey to England was arranged with the help of STU.Author with Professor Maurice Galton

(right), University of Cambridge

Term 4 17

STU netball

Team

STU SPORTS TeAM

U Grand Masters bowling championships 2012

Photo of Team STU as 1st Runner Up in Mixed Netball Tournament

Group Photo of Team STU (Blue) and Team UTES

Photo of STU Team (Blue) against Team UTES

Group Photo of Team STU

Photo of STU Team (Blue) against Team UTES

wo squads of 12 STU bowlers ( 6 Ladies & 6 Men) participated in the above Championship on the 22nd, 23rd & 30 Sept 2012 held at the Orchid Country Club & Safra Yishun bowling centres. Competing in a group of 192 Men & 90 Ladies bowlers from over 40 Unions, our bowlers put up a commendable performance to achieve the following:

All event: Zhou Wencong achieved 10th placing.

Masters: Zhou Wencong was the 2nd runner-up

All event: Lim Fong Yee was the 1st runner-up and Hg Hwee Main achieved 10th placing.

Last but not least our Ladies Team won the Ladies Championship. Congratulations !

lADIeS cATeGORy

Men’S cATeGORySinglesLim Fong Yee was the Champion bowler and she achieved the High Game of 235 pinfalls. Singles

Benedict Low (left) achieved 6th, Zhou Wencong (middle) 8th, and Tan Chee Keong (right) 9th placings in this event.

DoublesLim Fong Yee & Teresa Lee was the 1st runner-up and Ng Hwee Main & Noorfizah achieved 7th placing.

MastersTeresa Lee was the Champion and Lim Fong Yee was placed 10th.

Team of 3The team of Noorfizah, Lim Fong Yee & Teresa Lee came in 4th and Lim Fong Yee again achieved another High Game of 243 pin falls. The other team of Wendy Lim, Ng Hwee Main & Zaleha came in 7th.

DoublesZhou Wencong & Jimmy Ang achieved 8th placing.

Team of 3The team of Tan Chee Keong, Daniel Ng 7 Tan Chee Keong came in as 3rd runner-up. Captain, Jimmy Ang

T

Term 4 21

Congratulations

Ms Ariel Loh Lee MiangVice President Singapore Teachers’ UnionNominated as

Vice Chairperson of the Work-Life Sub-Committee, NTUC Women’s Committee and Member of the National Family Celebrations 2013 (NFC’13) Organising Committee.

Mr edwin Lye Teck HeeGeneral Secretary Singapore Teachers’ UnionOn being conferred the

Pingat bakti Masyarakat (PbM) The Public Service Medal.

congratulations!

neW APPOInMenTS

The Central Council extends its heartiest

to all teachers who received the National Day Awards 2012

the mentor 22

“I work with a classroom of learners. One of the learners is me.” - this is the guiding belief and philosophy that Rosvinder abides by as a teacher. Constantly learning, she studies the curriculum and uses her knowledge gained through years of experience to build upon teaching strategies that will best meet the needs of her primary school students. Realising that her pupils are IT-savvy, she widely utilises ICT as a valuable tool that engages and promotes learning among pupils. For example, to develop her pupils’ oracy skills, she uses Screenr, and online software which allows pupils to record and learn from the mistakes they make in their oral discussions. This has helped encourage even the shy pupils to open up and record their own readings.

Charissa Chan believes that fun and games are key to unlocking children’s enthusiasm for learning – when they are engaged, they learn more effectively. To develop a school of confident learners with a love for the English language, Charissa, together with a colleague, pioneered the Primary 4 literature programme in 2010. Besides developing an awareness and appreciation for the creative use of language, Charissa uses literature to teach comprehension skills and simple literary concepts. The lesson incorporates listening, reading and writing and engages all the five senses. The literature programmes has proven to be a success as many have expressed their desire to see it being implemented at the Primary 5 level as well.

InSPIRInG TeAcHeR Of enGlISH AWARD

Ms Charissa Chan(St. Margaret’s Primary School)

Ms Rosvinder kaur (Eunos Primary School)

Congratulations to the Winners of the Inspiring Teacher of English Award 2012

Jacqueline believes in delivering lessons that are meaningful and fun for her students. She uses humour and word play in her lessons to add interest and reads entertaining stories, which she has written, to her classes. She also firmly believes that pupils need to have a strong foundation in grammer, built through systematic and explicit instruction. For many of her pupils, writing is one of the most challenging skills to master. Thus, she actively helps her pupils to develop their writing skills by providing good examples and a clear and practical guide to writing well-structured, entertaining stories.

Solastri Suyot strives to provide a rich language learning experience to all her students. She is always mindful that she is there with her students to construct knowledge and meaning about themselves and the world through the English language. Some of the many English activities she has conducted for her class include a Spelling Bee, Poetry Recitation and Reader’s Theatre. The Reader’s Theatre took students through the entire process of writing and performing an original story – students researched on the theme, plotted story maps, took meeting minutes and finally the winning group presented their story to the entire school during morning assembly. Students were engaged throughout the whole process and many became excited and enthusiastic about reading as a result.

Ms Solastri Suyot (Tanglin Secondary School)

Ms jacqueline yeo (Nanyang Primary School)

Acknowledgement: Thanks to the Speak Good English Movement for permission to reproduce selected write-ups and photos (see above) that appeared in www.inspiringenglishteacher.sg

23 Term 2

is currently an officer at the educational Technology Division (eTD), Ministry of education. “Attending the Master of education (Learning Sciences & Technologies) has profoundly changed the way I think about student learning. The knowledge and insights I gained from this course has benefited me in the teaching of Physics, management of ICT programmes in school, and now in the seeding and scaling of ICT innovation at eTD. If I can do this all over again, I would have started this learning journey a lot earlier.”

An english Literature teacher, Mr james koh is currently the Dean of enterprise and Alliances at Raffles Institution. He looks after the development of breakthrough programmes for the school, and manages the school’s partnership network. His research interests include educational programming for high-ability students, and the marketization of the education system.

is a Senior Teacher for english in Zhenghua Secondary School. She attributes her success in the Master of education (english Language) programme to her lecturers who provided great insights during the course of her study and the supportive and nurturing environment provided by her school. The professional journey has further strengthened her conviction in the need and importance for every educator to be a reflective practitioner to impact teaching and learning. She extends her heartfelt gratitude to STU for sponsoring the gold medal and honouring practitioners in their professional pursuit.

Mr Amos Goh yoong Shin

James koh Sze Ming

Ms Rafiyah Begum Sharif Mohd

STU GOlD MeDAl

congratulations!to the Winners of STU’s goldMedal Awards for 2012

the mentor 24 TeAcHeRS’ DAy cOnTeST

Congratulations to our 3 winners who each won the $50 Swensen

Restaurant voucher for sharing with us their views on:

TAy PeA LeNgThere are many benefits one can enjoy from STU. However, I personally feel that I find the customer service very prompt

and reliable. The customer service officer was able to answer my queries professionally and efficiently. I was very pleased with the service.

I would like STU to offer more promotions tied up with merchants. It would be great if STU could work with travel

agencies to offer good travel deals for teachers and their family members as most teachers travel to unwind and catch up precious time with their loved ones.

MDM beANeS kARTARABeing able to have a voice to represent me.

Maybe to change the gifts that we receive every year to something more useful that we had many years ago---e.g.

travelling bags, teachers day gifts, etc.

My encouragement to my beginning teachers- Be an STU member!. You have everything to gain, nothing to lose.

MOHAMeD jeFFRey bIN AbDUL gAFARPersonally for me, the most important benefit is the good night’s sleep that I can have, knowing that if anything

happens to me, the staff at STU, especially those, from the (but not limited to) IR department, will be ready to fight and protect my rights as a teacher in this service should the need arise.

Firstly, I would like to suggest that STU have more initiatives/activities to promote more work life balance, such as more

social events or family days. In addition to that, perhaps STU could also set up a private forum webpage where teachers can ask each other questions regarding certain matters, such as ranking or even tips on how to teach a particular topic ……This is useful because it helps teachers (especially the newer ones) learn from the more experienced teachers without appearing so lost in their own school.

What is the benefit from STU that you have enjoyed most?

below are the extracts from their winning entries:

What additional benefits from STU would you like to enjoy?

Conditions:• Each order will require a minimum 30 tickets in total, and must be used for Union or school events

ordered through STU.• The bulk purchase is only extended to the admission to 2 cooled conservatories only. It is not available

for OCBC Skyway and Garden Cruiser.• Admission Tickets are only valid for one day, regardless of Public Holidays or weekends.• Please note that they would require about 2-3 weeks in advance to book, as it is experiencing high

volume of booking at the moment. • This promotion is valid till end of June 2013• To order, please email Ms Nicole Guan at guanj@stu.org.sg or call us at 6299 3936 for the booking form.

Individual purchase can be made at the sales counter. Members can show their NTUC Card (with STU logo) to enjoy a 10% discount

Two ConservatoriesAdult $10

Child (3-12 years old) $6

PROMOTION: gARDeNS by THe bAyWe are pleased to offer our members a bulk purchase promotion of the admission tickets to the cooled conservatories.Kindly take note on the conditions listed below and the T&C on the form as per enclosed.Bulk Purchase prices to the 2 Conservatories only: