Those who can, teach..

When I grow up...



I wanna be a teacher.



I wanna be a lawyer.



I wanna be a policeman.



Typical, but true. These were the three 'dream jobs' I grew up with. Never an astronaut, a doctor, or a pilot. Some may say I don't dream big. But who are they to crush dreams, innocent ones I must add?



Today I'm an educator, and for two years-and-two months now. So you can say that I've met one of my life goals. Not that I knew any better at the tender age of 7!



Then, and up until three years ago, I thought the life of an educator was teriffic. Never mind the endless horror stories from my teacher-friends. I had a dream and that dream was to be someone who can regale young minds with life stories that spark imagination and thought, to coach the under-achieving, to guide the gifted, to motivate and mentor each student to soar, to polish raw talent until they glow and shine bright, or simply, to make them wonder.



Have I done any of that? Only time will tell.



Today, I still feel teachers are terrific. Like that of a doctor, it's a noble job. Selfless, for it's a profession always for the betterment of others. More than two years into the job, I feel more strongly about this. The teacher does alot. And the good ones whom I've met really suffer for their craft.



A teacher doesn't just teach. She coaches, guides, motivates, provides and nurtures.



While she does all of the above, she writes and prepare teaching material, she administers tests and marks test papers, often late into the night. She does the most possible to make everyone excel in these assessments. She ensures students are in school when they are supposed to be, not gallivanting at the movie theatres or shopping malls. She plans a programme for their holistic development and enrichment, not just focus on the academic path. She teaches them manners. Even tells them how to dress and style their hair. And many a time, she gives them a shoulder to cry on. Or a lift home.



I don't claim to be good at doing this. Far from it. I admire the many before me, who can. And I'm now not sure if I can. This doubt, once creeping, is now running through me.



Can I do this? Am I right for this dream job?



Knowing this, I'm confounded by the one who came out with this saying: those who can, do; those who can't, teach.



It's funny how some people actually believe in this. More so, if it comes from the highly successful ones. How quickly they forget, at some point in their life, there had been a teacher who played a part in making them what they are today.

Moving on from shattered dreams

One grows up dreaming about the good life. Good life here, of course differs from person to person. For me, it's a life surrounded by love, happiness and one brimming with laughter and compassion.





I just finished reading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. A true story - essentially a final lecture Randy delivered at Carnegie Mellon in 2007, where he's professor of Computer Science. It's inspiring not just because of his achievements in life - which were many - but inspiring for life's little lessons. It's about living.





Randy, an award-winning teacher and researcher, has this takeaway: "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand".





His lecture will inspire you to think about seizing every moment, beat obstacles - they are there for a reason - we have to live. Life can be cruel, but what should you do then? Sulk, whine and whinge? No, move on. Be happy. Or make someone happy, says Randy.





It's not rocket science. It's common sense. But how many of us can truly see the meaning behind life's challenges?





What does not destroy you makes you stronger. I know this is true. It's about not asking God why me? If you have to ask, ask instead: what do you want me to learn from this?





Another simple idea to me in the lecture, but most meaningful is that life is about chasing dreams. Fulfilling them. Finding someone else to share those dreams. And together we chase and fulfill each other's dreams. Enable the other's dreams too. And then, leaving this world, knowing that you have fulfilled some dreams - yours and others' - and do make a difference to others' lives - even if it's only by one tiny bit.





Of course, part of the deal is knowing that some dreams are just not meant to be.





Randy of course wanted a long and healthy life - to enjoy it with his beautiful wife and 3 kids.


But God has other plans for him. He died of pancreatic cancer. Just last year. But his "live life" legacy lives on.





I was handed a cruel reality today. A dream of mine crushed and shattered.





Whole of today, I was vacillating between two paths. I love the person who did this to me. Too much, it hurts. The person doesn't love back with the same intensity. How could it be, when the pain from what was done is immeasurable. A betrayal of mega proportions. What's worse, it's a repeat act. My heart bleeds.





So what do I do? How do I move on? Forgive, learn from it together and make the best of tomorrow, still together? Or forgive, be strong and move on, on my own? Cut off ties with this person.





I still don't know.





Meanwhile, Randy's tales of wisdoms are ringing in my ear. I'm sure I can apply some of them to my current dilemma. Any thoughts?


I'm glad I got the book. I picked it up randomly at the JFK Airport in New York two months ago, on my last holiday with my husband. Bought with my last US dollars before heading back to sunny Singapore. One of those books that will stay with me for life - for its simple lessons on life.

Am I certified to teach?

It's been a year since I started my sojourn into teaching. I jumped in after more than 10 years working as a media professional, a TV producer to be specific. To be honest, it wasn't that tough a decision to switch industries. True, I left behind an exciting and enriching career for what many of my friends see as a ho-hum, uninteresting job. Anti-climatic even. But for me, it was a switch from one vocation for the gratification of others to another for self-gratification, cos essentially for me, going into teaching has always been a mission. So making the switch when the opportunity came knocking was a no-brainer.

One year on, I can do a quick evaluation. And oh my, what a journey it's been. Pardon the cliche but it was like one roller-coaster ride - up and down, up and down, with many high's and countless low's, new experiences with thrills and spills, sleepless nights, even tears, heartache, joy and laughter. And they said working on TV is the most exciting thing!

Honestly, I never imagined working with young adults was going to get my adrenaline going.

But in one short year, I lectured students (in every sense of the word), I marked test and exam scripts, I failed students and gave several A's, I wrote part-syllabuses, I marketed courses, I interviewed course experts, I trained students in public speaking, I counselled students with problems, planned enrichment programmes for a group of academically-bright kids, I even went on an adventure camp with my students!

In short, I learnt to be educator. And soon, I will be getting certified for it.

But a niggling question remains in my mind. Am I certified to teach? Does one need certification in order to teach? Hand on heart, I feel being an educator is a calling. You either have what it takes or you don't. But can you improve on being a good teacher? I guess so, but recognise too that knowing your students, their needs and wants, and using this knowledge to shape your teaching methods/techniques requires alot of heart. Matters of the heart cannot be taught.

I am more convinced of this, knowing that the landscape and demands of our world are constantly changing. Recently, we see old wounds reopened on the world stage. We see enemies become partners for the sake of convenience. Everyday practices become new threats. Giants tumbling. Prosperity and success turning into chaos overnight, but soon panic quickly dissipating.

As the world changes, old teaching methods must change. Tools of the trade too. Our previous canonised texts on teaching need to be reviewed. Students, the future generation, I must say, are constantly reshaping our world. And we need to reconfigure the way we reach out to them. Even reconfigure the content we deliver. Don't just deliver facts. Deliver stories and experiences. This thought by Paul Arden struck me: Have you noticed how the cleverest people at school are not those who make it in life? There must be something wrong with the way we teach, no?

Even our perception of what constitutes established receptables of knowledge has to change. Or the shelf-life of knowledge. Heard of open source knowledge?

I'll be the first to say I am no expert on effective teaching methods or pedagogy. Far from it. In fact, never will be. And so, I will learn. Learn from other educators. Learn from my students. Learn from the teaching experts. But I want this to be my guiding principle. Nothing is too sacred to be changed. Sure, I'll feel lost along the way. In truth, in the past one year, I have felt lost more often than I could count. But if we don't get lost, we'll never find a new route, says Joan Littlewood.

Like I said, teaching to me is not just a job.

Will you miss us?

This question is often asked by my students. Each time there's a term break, and every time a vacation looms ahead. Or when the academic year ends.

"No, I won't," will be my quick reply. Just to yank their chains.

This question is asked again many times this past week as we head towards another long break. It's the end of the semester. The classes I've been teaching these past 17 weeks are over. Next semester, I am most likely to get a new set of students.

Truth is, of course I'll miss them. All of them. Not just the attentive and diligent ones - the ones who pay attention and hold on to my every word. Or the ones who deliver every time an assignment is given. Even the ones who offer to carry my files, or erase the white board each time class ends. I will miss ALL my students. The annoying ones, the ones who question everything I do and say, the ones who go MIA 30% of the time, even the ones who talk back. It's the 'little things' that matter to me, really. Altogether, they make up the details in the fabric of my new-found teaching career.

But this semester especially has been a colourful one. I've been assigned an interesting bunch of students. Many are graduating this year. Seemingly more responsible and mature, but just as needy :p Among this batch, there is a group who seem more attached than usual. They are in my office almost every day, to consult, to vent their frustrations about schoolwork, fellow classmates and lecturers, to snack on the foods I have in my office or just to chat, meet me for lunch, or walk me to my car after work's done. They are a lively bunch, too lively sometimes. They may be rowdy to some, but to me, they are an engaging bunch - talkative, full of stories and ideas, extremely loyal, and helpful when I ask for help, even if they have to come back during term break to do it. Hats off to them!

Here they are in, in all their glory. Sweet Jeremy, heroic Zarir, Joseph "Manja" Lee, and oh ever-so-loyal Sufian. One's not in the picture: handsome Kenn. My roommate calls them my permanent fixtures, part of the furniture. Strangely enough, they don't seem to mind. I don't mind having them around either. Makes my life at work more colourful. Funny how they have so much to talk about. Busy creatures too - life's spilling over for them - too much to do in so little time. Just too many relationships to juggle in the midst of all that schoolwork! And they haven't even started work! They've been bugging me to write about them. Self absorbed, no?

Guys, I will miss you once you graduate. You'll always be in my heart.

Loyalty no longer a virtue

I just got back from an overseas leadership camp with some student leaders.

After four days of jungle trekking, river crossing, flying foxing, white water rafting, even squeezing time for some waterfall diving, snake hunting, jungle cooking, an orang asli village visit and a football game with the locals, I am really knackered. Emotionally, I've come back with mixed feelings. On a personal level, I've returned to some serious load of crap. But more of that later.

I was at the camp to facilitate the students' team bonding, leadership development as well as help them challenge the process, when faced with obstacles.

Today, after our return to Singapore, some of us stayed behind to chat awhile.

Overall, I think the students were splendid during the camp. They showed that they were made of sturdy stuff. They overcame their fear of heights, of leeches and snakes, also water phobia, even apiphobia (fear of bees). Several extremely shy ones overcame their fear to speak up, and blossomed in the process. Each day was an early morning rise, but a long long day that stretched beyond 11pm with mental games, journaling and post-activity discussions. They were always game. Full of energy and expectation at the start of every new day, and still buzzing when we said our good nights. On the last day, they presented on 'lessons learnt' accompanied by a MovieMaker photo montage. They were humbled, they said, learnt much, bonded a lot and discovered themselves.

True, it was an adventure camp, but each adventure was laced with the five known practices of the Leadership Challenge.

Our leaders often say today's youths may have the IQ, but they lack EQ and the AQ or adversity quotient. They are the new generation who live life in comfort, have never faced a real crisis, generally apathetic and take things for granted. Another oft-heard gripe: kids today don't think out of the box, having being schooled in Singapore's rigid education system that undervalues freedom of thought and expression.

Well, during the camp, I found all these to be proven wrong. The camp was tough physically and mentally. It was one of those camps in remote, hard-to-get places. They were given basic bunk beds. No hot shower. And during our mental challenges, the students were forced to search for, and found out-of-the-box solutions. By and large, they rose to the occasion.

So I'm supposed to be pleased, no?
Not quite.

Just before we said our goodbyes today, two particular threads of discussion left me with a bitter aftertaste.

The first: one student said 'leadership' and 'discipline' don't go together. There are just too many rules. For students like him to flourish, he should be allowed to break, at least bend the rules. This discussion thread was triggered by my chiding some students for their lack of time-keeping skills. Others were often made to wait for them. That's poor discipline, I maintained. He reasoned that rules are meant to be broken, including punctuality rules. I beg to differ.

His thoughts were somehow reflected by another student. She told me, she'd fly the coop once she gets the chance to do so. Singapore's not for me, she said. Too rigid. Too expensive to live in. Too cluttered. Too many rules. After taking all she can from the system here, she'd leave. Loyalty's obviously not a virtue to her.

What gives?
Whatever's happened to the age-old virtue of loyalty? You tell me.

On a personal level, I found that loyalty in a relationship is also hogwash to some people. Baloney. A load of crap. Marriage an eternal, sacred bond? Bah... Loyalty is losing its value these days. Rubbished. Personal gratification rules the day. Sad.

Ministers in the making?

That headline from a press release caught so much media attention today, when my team launched our all-new Singapore Polytechnic Outstanding Talent (SPOT) Programme, at the SP Scholars Award ceremony.

Journalists from the local press came agog. Requests for interviews abound. And my scholars became overnight superstars :) albeit temporarily. They make news for being outstanding academically and for being handpicked to undergo a special talent development programme at SP that aims to nurture them into leaders of the future through a three-year structured enrichment curriculum.

But I can't help asking myself, why all that attention?
The provocative headline from the press release issued to announce the award ceremony and launch SPOT?

Must be.

It must also be because, in this time of uncertainty and tragic news, we need heroes and stellar achievements to be celebrated, and good, heartwarming stories to listen to, watch or read.

And there were heartwarming stories aplenty among the SP Scholars.

Many came from very humble backgrounds. One boy watches closely the current US presidential elections and spews intelligent debate on why neither Clinton nor Obama is any good. He doesn't talk politics with his friends because "none are interested". He debates with his father instead - who happens to be a hawker.

Another boy dreams of being a pilot - a dream that fuels his frequent late-night studying for his aeronautical engineering course. For now though, the shy boy doesn't even have a driving licence. But he dreams on, egged on by his father, who is a company driver. Mum is a housewife.

Another heartwarming story: a teenage girl from India makes it on her own here, without her parents, just so she could study in Singapore's competitive education system. That was 10 years ago. Over the years, she does well, gets hooked on debating and goes on to be a winner at the national Tamil debating championships, and is now an SP Scholar. Her mother has since come over to provide nurture. Her indomitable spirit shines through when you talk to her. In her own words, she loves debating and debates about everything and anything under the sun. Is Singapore ready for her, she asks?

Oh, yet another wonderful story is that of a girl who came from an Institute of Technical Education (ITE) , often dismissed as the school of no-hopers, but went on to prove everybody wrong. After her 'O' level results were released in February, she could pick any top junior college to go into, but she chose SP instead, as she believes the learning environment suits her. She has a quiet confidence about her.

But the most gratifying story must be that of this one girl who has no parents; who, as the eldest in the family, looks out for her two younger siblings, works part-time to support herself while juggling her studies and co-curricular activities. Against all odds, she aces her exams. She remains invulnerable. And stands dignified, seeking no pity nor special favours. Amazing.

By the way, long gone are the days when our top junior colleges (JCs) become automatic choices for Singapore's creme de la creme. Polytechnics are grabbing about 50% of those who can qualify for JCs. Just at SP, some 65% of the 4,000-5,000 new entrants score 5-15 points at their 'O' level exams.

For the scholars, at such an early stage, their best is yet to be.

Today, at their award ceremony, I looked on like a proud parent. I know most of their stories. They have not proven anything yet at SP. Currently they only have their past record of achievements - which could easily be erased. Today marks a new beginning. It's a new blank canvas.

But as they begin their journey at SP, as their lecturer and coordinator of the talent development programme, I finally feel the burden of what it truly means to be an educator. Raw gems, these kids are. Full of potential. At the same time, full of hope for what this programme can deliver for them. Can we turn them into enlightened and informed leaders of tomorrow, as promised?

Their parents came to today's award ceremony by the way, also with hope emblazoned across their faces.

The Dream Educator

"A university has a longer view. It is not about a ticker tape of the day’s gains and losses. As I have said, it is about learning that molds a lifetime; learning that transmits the heritage of millennia; learning that shapes the future. It is about endeavors we pursue in part for their own sake, because over the centuries they have defined what makes us human."

That, my friends, is taken from a speech by Prof Drew Faust, Harvard President, at a welcoming ceremony for freshmen and parents last October. She sums up her speech by saying undergrad education "is not about filling a bucket, but lighting a fire".

Thought-provoking, isn't it? And Inspiring.

Especially for me, a newbie teacher, just getting my feet wet in the world of Educators. I had planned this for a long time – to teach, that is. But circumstances got in the way and life came along.

Last September, I finally jumped in, head first. After 13 years working as a journalist.

And I discovered a whole new world. A world of coursebooks and timetables, exams and exercises, lectures and tutorials, endless marking of papers ...

But I also uncovered a world of young inquisitive minds, some know-it-alls, some blur-kings, a few lost in their own world, a discerning number of bright sparks, even raw gems, and some whom I've made friends with, maybe for life. Oh, and a number who ask if they can be my sons :)

I can see now why teaching is a calling.

My 100 or so students are now a part of my life. I've touched their lives, in one way or another, and they mine. And this is just my first batch!

I've finished teaching for the semester and academic year. And now, am buried under a tonne of papers to mark. But instead of a cosy sequester in my humble office, I'm always being nudged by one student or another. A few drop by to hand in more essays. Others to ask new questions on subjects taught. Some to seek advice on upcoming projects, or on life in general. And some squeeze in just to say hello. One girl says I'm the only one she can talk to regarding her problems dealing with the recent passing of her grandfather.

It took alot of energy trying to teach these kids when the semester was in session. I found myself constantly on my toes to make them pay attention in class. To give them non-textbook answers to their endless questions. And to make them do their assignments well, and on time.

Now the semester may be over and lessons ended, but they'll continue to 'drop by'. The funny thing is, I don't mind it at all. Because I'm learning so much from them.

I'm chuffed when a smile breaks. Or I get an "Oh, I see...", or "Thank you, teacher!" I'm thrilled by the idea that I might be lighting a fire. Moulding a mind. Shaping their future. Exploring ideas and stoking dreams. But more than that, I'm thankful for the chance to join in the ride on their journey of discovery.

It's unnerving too. Many a time, I have to stop myself from giving 'honest remarks'. From rolling my eyes at inane and crappy ideas. Or minds that are one second too slow. A question may be a no-brainer. And the answer pointless. But I can't say that! They'll remember it for life. I too had my fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly teachers.

I'm a nurturing teacher.
Inspiring her students to discover, explore and imagine.
To see that Think Exist!
I know it's not easy, but I shall try my darndest to be that Dream Educator.
The best is still to come :)

I wish to end with another inspiring quote by Prof Faust. She's been called a historian with her eyes on the future. I can see why...

"Our teaching is about bringing students to be part of that experience of discovery, of learning that takes place at the frontiers of knowledge... Undergraduates are not only invited to join this great enterprise, their presence on the journey shapes the exploration itself."

She adds: "...teaching is not an act of ego or charisma, but a turning together toward truth, itself never final or complete."