Why I Teach?
To say that teaching runs in my family is quite an understatement - my maternal grandparents, paternal grandfather and Mom were all teachers and I am a 4th generation teacher in the family. Fast forward 14 years into the profession, I still find immense joy sharing my passion for History with my students.
Core Belief 01
"If you spoon feed the child, all he or she will learn is the shape of the spoon."
Like the above saying goes, I try not to dictate how students should learn and experience History. This is even more so for the Humanities where there is no one 'right' answer. Instead, I get my students to understand that doing History is so much more than memorising and reproducing factual information. Moving away from rote learning, I engage a plethora of teaching strategies that incorporate student-directed learning and technology which are crucial for the History classroom today.
Core Belief 02
"Being a teacher also requires one to walk the talk so that they can be role models for their students."
If I want my students to embody certain traits and values such as resilience, perseverance, hard work and a growth mindset, I need to first embody them and be a positive role model. I enjoy sharing my personal anecdotes and experiences with my students – e.g. how I struggled with Maths in Secondary School, had to learn an entirely new subject (China Studies in English) in my first year of teaching in a JC, juggled home-based learning while having a baby during the Covid pandemic in 2020. I share such nuggets in the hope of giving my students some comic relief but also to motivate them to keep going and never give up during challenging times.
Core Belief 03
“Success is one per cent intelligence and 99 per cent hard work.”
This personal mantra of mine was what saw me through most of my schooling years, especially when I was struggling with my weaker subjects. I believe it's important to tell my students not to take for granted certain talents and predispositions that they may have, for one still needs to put in the hard work to achieve their goals. I also strongly believe that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams e.g. doing my Masters part-time while being a full-time educator and mom.