Yi Fong's Reflections

I had lived a sheltered life since young. I studied in a secondary school where everyone read 10 subjects and took 2 languages as first language - there were no normal academic or technical streams. Moreover, as I went on to Junior College and eventually my National Service, I was in a predominantly, even entirely, Chinese environment. Having the opportunity to be attached to Evergreen Secondary School was hence a blessing for me, being the first time I came into contact with students of different streams and races. Yet I was also uneasy: many friends had shared "horror stories" of "neighbourhood schools".

It hence struck a deep chord in me after my first week, when I realise how disciplined the students were. They can be loud, boisterous, and even rowdy at times, yet in every single class that I went, students settled down and listened attentively whenever a teacher starts to speak, without even the need for teachers to quieten them.

I also noticed a distinct characteristic of the students, something which I seldom see in "better" schools: the willingness to try, the courage to make mistakes. The classroom scene that I'm familiar with is one where the teacher's questions are met with silence because students are afraid they get the wrong answer, or lack the confidence that their answers are correct. However, in Evergreen Secondary, students will always venture an opinion, or hazard a guess, or attempt the question with whatever creativity they can muster. What is more admirable is their perseverance: despite being told their answers were wrong, or being teased by classmates for coming up with an improbable answer, they would still continue to try until they know what the answer is.

Another trait that I observed in the students was that of inquisitiveness, the eagerness to learn. Just like my teachers before me, I will always end classes, or sharing sessions with the question: "Any questions?". Just like my teachers before me, I expected there to be none, that students will want to rush off now that classes are finally over. Yet, to my pleasant surprise, there are always questions, and not just from one student but a number of them. These attitudes of the students showed me their tremendous spirit of learning, something which I believe even we as seniors could improve on.

In terms of teaching skills, I have also come to appreciate the efforts of teachers in planning a class. For instance, I was attached to Mr Tyrus Chua's literature class with 2 Dynamic. His timely interjection with videos and music kept the class engaged, yet at the same time, these materials served an ultimate objective of familiarizing the students with the main character of the play they were doing for this semester, and contextualizing the setting for the students. To ensure that students are processing and remembering the information they obtain from the video, he also prepared a close passage based on the video commentary. Through this one lesson, Mr Tyrus Chua had established the background knowledge the student required to analyze the play, practised listening comprehension skills with the students, and highlighted moral values that students can learn from the character in the video - perhaps most impressively, keeping the students engaged throughout these processes. This learning opportunity for me on curriculum preparation is further enhanced when Tyrus evaluated his methods with me at the end of the class, explaining his intention and objective of each activity.

All in all, the first week was memorable and eye-opening. I look forward to the second week where I would get my hands-on at teaching a class.

Classes Attended in Week 1
8th July 2009
5 Dynamic/Thinking (Band 1 Normal Academic)
Mdm Komathi
English: Oral Preparation, Situational Writing, Class Outing

9th July 2009
2 Dynamic (Normal Academic)
Mr Tyrus Chua
English Literature: Play, Elvis Presley

2 Integrity (Express)
Mr Tyrus Chua
English Literature: Unseen Prose

4 Achieve, Aspire, Respect
Mdm Komathi
English: Oral Preparation

10th July 2009
5 Dynamic
Mr Zainudin
Geography: Rivers and Coast Test

4 Aspire
Mdm Komathi
(Teaching) English: Oral Examinations Preparation