half way through 2nd semester!

The second semester passed way too quickly. It's been 3 weeks, and we've got heap loads of assignments - some really interesting ones: Reader's Theatre, Field trip assignments, and not so fun ones too. But nonetheless, I'm trying to treasure every single day, equipping myself as much as possible for the real classroom, real children to work with.

All the practicum talks sounds scared, and makes me feel a little apprehensive about what's ahead, but on the other hand, I'm super excited to be able to implement what we've learnt to real children. Planning a lesson for not an imaginary class, applying all the classroom management models, building rapport with them and getting to really inspire them.

Now, it's going to be back to clearing all the assignments before they suffocate me. Toodles.

Reflection on comm skills module

It's the 2nd e-learning week for QLK501!

Indeed, I have learnt a lot through this module, be it written communication or oral communication. This course helped me realise the many details that I have overlooked in the past - little things like the body gestures, the standing posture to help voice projection, the tone in the voice, the choice of words affect, etc. I am sure that I'm better equipped with the skills to communicate better to my students, the parents, my colleagues, and my superiors.

The lessons made it easy for me to apply it into my daily communication.

Into the 7th week of NIE

It may seem like the very first blog post on the journey as a teacher would have started long ago, from Day 1, but unfortunately, it's already been 6 weeks since I entered NIE. Prior to that, I've also being teaching in Singapore Chinese Girls for 4 months. 

Thus far, it has been a very enriching journey where my learning curve has grown exponentially over these past few months. I'm glad I've set my feet on doing what I've always wanted to do, and truly enjoying every bit of it. There's nothing more I could as for - for now at least! 

Even when I was in SCGS, I enjoyed teaching and learning from the experienced teachers the different things and activities we can use to engage the students. Never is teaching as easy as just throwing the content to the children and pile them up with worksheets after worksheets. Learning can be fun, engaging, and very useful - and the students need to know that. I was wrong to think that I was well equipped with the skills to teach a class (from the fact that I was a Mathematics major). It actually takes more than the content knowledge to teach a class well. I realised I need to learn how to scaffold the students and guide them to the solution instead of giving them one, learning how to manage the class well to provide a conducive learning environment for everyone in class, to teach at a pace not too slow that it will hold back the better ones but also not too quick such that the weaker ones cannot catch up at all. Coming to NIE taught me how to overcome all these problems. 

Back to now, into the 7th week of NIE, indeed have learnt many things and reflected on the mistakes I've made in contract teaching. I've also thought of the good things that my mentor did in the class and the rationale and theories behind them. Even with the heaps and heaps of assignments, and the many deadlines to be met, I am glad. I'm happy to know that I'm better equipped, more confident to step into class now compared to the first day of contract teaching, knowing that there's more I can give to the students with all that I've learnt. (:

Ending off this post, here's a picture of some of my amazing classmates who made hectic NIE life a whole lot better!