ST Forum
Dec 3, 2010
Kindergarten teacher's caring ways
MY HEARTFELT thanks to Miss Serena Tan for her genuine interest in and love for the teaching profession.
Miss Tan was the form teacher of my daughter Megan Chew during her kindergarten 2 programme in Bethesda Kindergarten (Ang Mo Kio) this year.
Miss Tan displayed a high level of dedication and consistency in getting pupils to listen, see, think and do more, while instilling confidence and reinforcing concepts she taught during lessons and outside the classroom.
Earlier this year, when I raised concerns about Megan's academic and social development, Miss Tan listened to them with an open mind and was fervent in resolving the concerns through a positive and constructive approach.
She has left a positive impression on my daughter to an extent where Megan would constantly talk about activities and lessons that have enriched her learning experience.
Sarene Seet (Madam)
Friday, December 3, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Target kids : "Speaking Good English"
ST Forum
Home > ST Forum > Story
Sep 10, 2010
SPEAKING GOOD ENGLISH
Target kids and service sector
I READ with much interest about the Speak Good English Movement's effort to improve the use of the language ('Getting it right - from the start'; Sept1). The campaign this year has chosen the most appropriate tagline - 'Get It Right' - to motivate Singaporeans to use good English at all times.
For one to speak good English with proper diction and grammar, one has to be trained from a young age, like from preschool. I urge the authorities to employ good English-speaking teachers for the young, so they can hear good spoken English from the start.
During my primary school days, oral English was part of our English lessons. It was during this period that we put into practice our reading and conversation skills. Sad to say, I do not see this being done in many primary schools today. That may be one reason why some of our children grow up speaking 'broken English'.
People in the service sector should be the ones to be targeted next - be it a small retail shop or a large outlet in one of the shopping centres. Many a time, we come across sales personnel who do not understand what their customers want. It is most frustrating having to repeat your request more than once.
Parents, too, should play a part in correcting their children and helping to speak the language well so that it is understood by all. In a family where one or both parents do not speak English, the older siblings could help correct the younger ones.
I was heartened to note that the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central will be helping the movement by creating a guidebook for those working with preschoolers. Preschool is where the wrong usage starts, so once we get it right there, more than half the job is done.
I remember passing by a preschool in an HDB housing estate one day - I was shocked to hear a teacher giving instructions in improper English at the top of her voice. Preschool teachers should be trained well so they can properly nurture our young ones.
Fatmah Haji Mohamed Salim (Ms)
Home > ST Forum > Story
Sep 10, 2010
SPEAKING GOOD ENGLISH
Target kids and service sector
I READ with much interest about the Speak Good English Movement's effort to improve the use of the language ('Getting it right - from the start'; Sept1). The campaign this year has chosen the most appropriate tagline - 'Get It Right' - to motivate Singaporeans to use good English at all times.
For one to speak good English with proper diction and grammar, one has to be trained from a young age, like from preschool. I urge the authorities to employ good English-speaking teachers for the young, so they can hear good spoken English from the start.
During my primary school days, oral English was part of our English lessons. It was during this period that we put into practice our reading and conversation skills. Sad to say, I do not see this being done in many primary schools today. That may be one reason why some of our children grow up speaking 'broken English'.
People in the service sector should be the ones to be targeted next - be it a small retail shop or a large outlet in one of the shopping centres. Many a time, we come across sales personnel who do not understand what their customers want. It is most frustrating having to repeat your request more than once.
Parents, too, should play a part in correcting their children and helping to speak the language well so that it is understood by all. In a family where one or both parents do not speak English, the older siblings could help correct the younger ones.
I was heartened to note that the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central will be helping the movement by creating a guidebook for those working with preschoolers. Preschool is where the wrong usage starts, so once we get it right there, more than half the job is done.
I remember passing by a preschool in an HDB housing estate one day - I was shocked to hear a teacher giving instructions in improper English at the top of her voice. Preschool teachers should be trained well so they can properly nurture our young ones.
Fatmah Haji Mohamed Salim (Ms)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Keep Teachers from Harm's Way..
ST Forum
Home > ST Forum > Story
Aug 3, 2010
Take stern action to keep teachers from harm's way
I READ last Friday's report ('Girl, 14, allegedly kicks her teacher') with a mixture of anguish and anger.
The secondary student in question allegedly harmed her English language teacher three times in one day - stomping on her foot, kicking her twice in the abdomen and then hitting her on the head. However, the punishment she received was surprising for an alleged offence as serious as assault - after she apologised to her teacher, she was 'given time off from school to reflect on her actions and assigned schoolwork to be completed at home'.
I write this letter to express my deep concern for today's teachers. The abused teacher suffered physical and emotional pain, and humiliation before an entire class. Obviously, teachers are not sufficiently protected from harm at the hands of students.
An employee who attacks his employer or colleague could be punished with dismissal from work. One might argue that the girl should be forgiven on account of her age; but to condone is not to forgive. What values are we imparting to students if we signal that the severity of the punishment does not match that of the offence?
If the penalty is too light, more students would be emboldened to commit similar acts. The accused already had a record of being rude to teachers and violent in school. No teacher should be exposed to such danger.
Teachers are made to take on many roles today, but being an outlet for a student's anger should never be one of them.
In a culture which expects teachers to devote themselves to caring for their students, guiding them and helping them to do well academically, let us also ensure that measures are in place to protect the teachers.
Wong Heng Tong
Home > ST Forum > Story
Aug 3, 2010
Take stern action to keep teachers from harm's way
I READ last Friday's report ('Girl, 14, allegedly kicks her teacher') with a mixture of anguish and anger.
The secondary student in question allegedly harmed her English language teacher three times in one day - stomping on her foot, kicking her twice in the abdomen and then hitting her on the head. However, the punishment she received was surprising for an alleged offence as serious as assault - after she apologised to her teacher, she was 'given time off from school to reflect on her actions and assigned schoolwork to be completed at home'.
I write this letter to express my deep concern for today's teachers. The abused teacher suffered physical and emotional pain, and humiliation before an entire class. Obviously, teachers are not sufficiently protected from harm at the hands of students.
An employee who attacks his employer or colleague could be punished with dismissal from work. One might argue that the girl should be forgiven on account of her age; but to condone is not to forgive. What values are we imparting to students if we signal that the severity of the punishment does not match that of the offence?
If the penalty is too light, more students would be emboldened to commit similar acts. The accused already had a record of being rude to teachers and violent in school. No teacher should be exposed to such danger.
Teachers are made to take on many roles today, but being an outlet for a student's anger should never be one of them.
In a culture which expects teachers to devote themselves to caring for their students, guiding them and helping them to do well academically, let us also ensure that measures are in place to protect the teachers.
Wong Heng Tong
Monday, May 17, 2010
ST Forum : Life of a Teacher..
May 15, 2010
Work-life balance? Here's one day in the life of a teacher
I AM often told how the Ministry of Education is easing teachers' workload, but I see little evidence of it.
My husband has been teaching in a neighbourhood school for several years. Despite the mantra of work-life balance, I see little of it in the lives of teachers. Here is a typical weekday routine for my husband:
•5am: Wake up and prepare for school.
•6am: Leave for school.
•7am: Arrive at school and perform morning duty (in a sense, 'guard duty').
•7.30am to 1pm: Regular teaching duties (including extra games for students who need more exercise during recess, which is part of the Holistic Health Framework that replaced the Trim and Fit scheme).
•1 pm to 1.30pm: Prepare for remedial lessons.
•1.30pm to 3.30pm: Conduct remedial lessons (my husband's school believes that to improve students' results, remedial lessons must be conducted daily).
•3.30pm to 5.30pm: Be present for the co-curricular activities he is in charge of.
•5.30pm to 6.30pm: Administrative work like keying in remarks on students for the mid-term report book).
•6.30pm to 6.45pm: Pack 36 books and piles of worksheets to take home and mark.
•6.45pm to 7.45pm: Travel home.
•7.45pm to 8.30pm: Eat dinner and rest.
•8.30pm to 1am: Continue with administrative work, such as marking books and worksheets, reviewing examination papers, and preparing programmes for the June school camp and Youth Olympic Games activities.
Weekends are hardly restful. I often ask him if the endless work is because he is singled out. That is not so, he tells me. His colleagues face the same punishing workload.
As I am writing this letter at 10am, my husband has developed a fever. But he is unable to seek medical attention as there is an oral examination in the afternoon.
I understand there is a need to be accountable to students' parents. But in this case, who is answerable to a teacher's family if anything happens to the teacher?
Aishah Quek (Ms)
Work-life balance? Here's one day in the life of a teacher
I AM often told how the Ministry of Education is easing teachers' workload, but I see little evidence of it.
My husband has been teaching in a neighbourhood school for several years. Despite the mantra of work-life balance, I see little of it in the lives of teachers. Here is a typical weekday routine for my husband:
•5am: Wake up and prepare for school.
•6am: Leave for school.
•7am: Arrive at school and perform morning duty (in a sense, 'guard duty').
•7.30am to 1pm: Regular teaching duties (including extra games for students who need more exercise during recess, which is part of the Holistic Health Framework that replaced the Trim and Fit scheme).
•1 pm to 1.30pm: Prepare for remedial lessons.
•1.30pm to 3.30pm: Conduct remedial lessons (my husband's school believes that to improve students' results, remedial lessons must be conducted daily).
•3.30pm to 5.30pm: Be present for the co-curricular activities he is in charge of.
•5.30pm to 6.30pm: Administrative work like keying in remarks on students for the mid-term report book).
•6.30pm to 6.45pm: Pack 36 books and piles of worksheets to take home and mark.
•6.45pm to 7.45pm: Travel home.
•7.45pm to 8.30pm: Eat dinner and rest.
•8.30pm to 1am: Continue with administrative work, such as marking books and worksheets, reviewing examination papers, and preparing programmes for the June school camp and Youth Olympic Games activities.
Weekends are hardly restful. I often ask him if the endless work is because he is singled out. That is not so, he tells me. His colleagues face the same punishing workload.
As I am writing this letter at 10am, my husband has developed a fever. But he is unable to seek medical attention as there is an oral examination in the afternoon.
I understand there is a need to be accountable to students' parents. But in this case, who is answerable to a teacher's family if anything happens to the teacher?
Aishah Quek (Ms)
ST Forum: Burning at will by preschool staff
May 14, 2010
Burning at will by preschool staff
I LIVE at Block 241, Jurong East Street 24. On the ground floor is a day-care centre and preschool. And just nearby are recycling bins as well as a pit to burn paper.
Yet, on Wednesday, I saw two staff members of the preschool burning what looked like old textbooks, handbooks and reams of paper.
I suggested to them that it would be better to recycle. But one of them replied that the papers were confidential in nature.
I approached the school and suggested the same to a teacher who was there. She promised that she would inform her colleagues to 'keep it in mind the next time'.
These teachers are supposed to be educating the young. Is it not hypocritical for them to teach the children about recycling when they don't practise what they preach?
Narrizan Khalil (Ms)
Burning at will by preschool staff
I LIVE at Block 241, Jurong East Street 24. On the ground floor is a day-care centre and preschool. And just nearby are recycling bins as well as a pit to burn paper.
Yet, on Wednesday, I saw two staff members of the preschool burning what looked like old textbooks, handbooks and reams of paper.
I suggested to them that it would be better to recycle. But one of them replied that the papers were confidential in nature.
I approached the school and suggested the same to a teacher who was there. She promised that she would inform her colleagues to 'keep it in mind the next time'.
These teachers are supposed to be educating the young. Is it not hypocritical for them to teach the children about recycling when they don't practise what they preach?
Narrizan Khalil (Ms)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Children with Autism - A Path to Work Life
Apr 28, 2010
CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
A Path to work life
Pathlight School's $34m campus has a store, cafe and industrial kitchen to expose them to work
By Leow Si Wan, ST
FROM 41 students just six years ago, enrolment at Pathlight School has jumped to more than 500.
A child may need to wait up to two years for a place, depending on his needs and the availability of a suitable class.
With demand for places growing, the school has turned its attention towards better preparing students for employment. Yesterday, it unveiled several initiatives at the official opening of its new $34 million campus in Ang Mo Kio.
One of these is a retail store that will showcase students' products, provide them with a source of income and expose them to a work culture.
Among the other facilities are an industrial kitchen and an expanded cafe, where its students can work. The kitchen is a training centre for students pursuing the Institute of Technical Education-approved certificate in baking.
Among the other facilities are an industrial kitchen and an expanded cafe, where its students can work. The kitchen is a training centre for students pursuing the Institute of Technical Education-approved certificate in baking. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG
CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
A Path to work life
Pathlight School's $34m campus has a store, cafe and industrial kitchen to expose them to work
By Leow Si Wan, ST
FROM 41 students just six years ago, enrolment at Pathlight School has jumped to more than 500.
The school, which caters to children with autism, a developmental disorder, has a waiting list, and receives more than 200 applications a year.
A child may need to wait up to two years for a place, depending on his needs and the availability of a suitable class.
With demand for places growing, the school has turned its attention towards better preparing students for employment. Yesterday, it unveiled several initiatives at the official opening of its new $34 million campus in Ang Mo Kio.
One of these is a retail store that will showcase students' products, provide them with a source of income and expose them to a work culture.
Among the other facilities are an industrial kitchen and an expanded cafe, where its students can work. The kitchen is a training centre for students pursuing the Institute of Technical Education-approved certificate in baking.
Among the other facilities are an industrial kitchen and an expanded cafe, where its students can work. The kitchen is a training centre for students pursuing the Institute of Technical Education-approved certificate in baking. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG
Note: Refer to earlier posting on Autism and Q&A with Pathlight President, Denise Phua:
Monday, April 12, 2010
Preschool Math lessons..
Can your children learn from these online-youtube math lessons?
I think they are pretty cool, especially if your preschool has access to the Net. I can easily see the children fronting these lessons with their headphones on, all lessons being bite-size versions.
Also, they can be quite useful for us to frame our own lesson plans for your class children. Check out these "Addition" and "Subtraction" lessons, and you will see what I mean:
Basic Addition lesson:
Basic Subtraction lesson:
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