Omkar's ESE reflections

Omkar's ESE reflections

 

My appointment to ACJC as an ESE trainee has been particularly fruitful. Besides being an excellent premise for enlightenment, it offers an ideal opportunity for a fresher like me to soak in the different nuances of teaching and work life in Singapore.

 

During the two months of class room observation I became conversant with various methods of teaching for which I remain indebted to the 'Economics Department' of ACJC and particularly to Madam Rahimah (My mentor).

 

The students at ACJC were mostly proficient in their understanding of the subject I taught/observed(at least the H2s).They were mostly cooperative and the lessons went smooth with occasional confusions regarding my accent.

 

I was not asked to observe/teach EL classes and thus I am giving an account of my experiences/learning in general as well as areas to improve upon in the following paragraphs:

 

 

Holistic development of a child:

 

 

ü  Recognizing and rewarding hard work:

As every child is different so are their needs. Madam Rahimah personalizes her teaching for almost every child in her classes. A certain girl in 2EC206 was exempted from reprimanding (regarding the non-completion of a home-work) keeping in view of her genuine academic involvements outside that class. Another boy in 2EC302, who was dropping from H2 to H1, was given regular counsels. These enable a teacher to form a rapport with her pupils which make them a lot more receptive to her teaching.

ü  Being considerate:

Madam Rahimah on another occasion postponed an economic workshop keeping in view the possible overlap of preparation time between her class and a Physics SPA. A teacher's concern, thus, should not only be confined within her own lessons but also that of the others' as the ultimate intention of a teacher should be a pupil's holistic development.

ü  Questioning and responding:

Modern teaching is less about lecturing and increasingly more about asking the relevant questions which bring the pupils to think and finally form a deduction to which the teacher responds to further clarify student-understanding. Scaffolding only helps to bring the pupils to think in the right direction.

ü  Monitoring:

Monitoring of students' learning could be done through classroom recaps, asking students to share his/her explanation to the whole class or simply by asking a class to prepare an essay on a newly taught topic. These would help a teacher to know individual deficiencies in a class, giving him/her a platform to act accordingly.

ü  Enhancing soft skills:

Through PBL presentations or the everyday sharing of answers in front of the entire class, the art of public speaking could be inculcated in students.

 

 

 

 

Subject Mastery:

 

 

ü  Remaining updated (nationally and internationally):

Madam Rahimah ensures that she remains updated on each and every major proceeding in the world of economics both nationally and internationally. Her inputs during the PBL series deserve a special mention in this regard. A teacher should always be prepared to expand his/her own horizon of content and current affairs in order to stimulate thinking among his/her students.

ü  Using media (print and audio-visual) to apply theory in practice:

Selection of appropriate media presentations for specific student-needs is equally important. Madam Rahimah selects portions from The Strait Times, The Economist, you-tube and various other sources to arouse interest in the subject. This practical application of curriculum knowledge helps to bring out the potential best from students.

 

 

Creativity:

 

 

ü  Using online resources to help students build logical inferences of the real world:

Economic policies could seem vague and too textbook unless supported by real life instances. A classic example was one of Mr. Mashren's(the Level Head of Economics) classes where he brought out the possible solutions as well as their evaluations of the problem of giving 'unemployment benefits' by just showing a few BBC clippings in his class.

ü  PBL:

The Problem Based Learning series conducted by Madam Rahimah synthesized multiple aspects of student learning. From an exposure to real life economic problems to the thorough understanding of economic concepts required for analyzing the needs and prescribing policies, these lessons were both enjoyable and hugely beneficial for the pupils. A teacher should always look forward to advocate for creative methods like this to multiply student-learning.

ü  Group formation:

Forming groups and assigning them some work in the classes promotes not only exchange of key ideas but also a sense of team spirit. Mrs. Wai Hin, in one of her classes, split the class in four groups to encourage scholarly discussions among her students. A similar tactic was followed by Mr. Clifton when he divided one of his classes in four equal parts so that each group could respond on the four aspects of a single economic concept.

ü  Reflections after evaluation of answer scripts:

Failure is the pillar of success. Even if a student fails it could be reversed through well planned introspection and a little guidance, a sort, Madam Rahimah does after evaluation of term exam papers. Students benefit immensely through this as it helps them analyze and realize the reason(s) behind their failure.

 

ü  Using surveys:

Surveys could reinforce student's understanding and make him/her even more interested about the subject. A survey under Miss Marhaini and Mrs. Chan to a bakery, served this purpose.

ü  Use of acronyms:

Use of acronyms could prove to be very helpful in enhancing student memory. In some of Mr. Hashim's classes he used this technique and the students reciprocated gleefully.

 

 

Creating Positive environment:

 

 

ü  Reiteration of the purpose of a specific task:

Whether it is PBL or going on a survey, a teacher should always ensure that the purpose of any such exercise should be clarified to the pupils again and again. This helps in the better attainment of the desired goals.

ü  Respecting students' views:

It is imperative for a teacher to respect a student's view on a certain academic issue as it is conducive of an environment of healthy discussions within a class which has become instrumental for modern teaching.

ü  Letting students mark each others assignments:

Madam Rahimah uses this tactic to invite positive criticisms and thus alternative learning among her students.

ü  Technology:

Apart from the usual whiteboard, visualisers and power point slides have become essential for classroom teaching. Their audio-visual effects create a lasting impact of the demonstrated concept on the students. ACJC has an impressive repertoire of ICT(eg. "live lecture") tools and I am extremely fortunate to have experienced a slice of that.