REFLECTION ON bds (moe) tEACHING iNTERNSHIP WEEK 3

11 July - 15 July 2022

This week’s focus is to learn and know more about how the “Singapore Teaching Practice Model” is being carried out in classroom settings as well as behind the scenes. For efficient teaching and learning in the classrooms, schools adapted MOE's The Singapore Teaching Practice Model. The focus is on developing students' skills and engaging them in learning. Staff can create and deliver a curriculum that is both forward-thinking and student-cent thanks to the teaching processes. This will also help our students become self-sufficient learners and possess metacognitive skills. Every student should be at the center of each instruction and procedure, which is the goal.

The Singapore Teaching Practice Model consists of three main areas that are focused on, “The Pedagogy Practices” captures the fundamentals of teaching processes and teaching areas that can be applied to all subjects and “The Singapore Curriculum Philosophy” describes educators’ core beliefs about the students as learners and how they put them(students) in “The Knowledge Bases”, provides teachers with the understanding of subject matters, goals, theories, research on students’ learning as well as teaching. Which breaks down into applications and reflections in the classroom.

The Teaching practice also consists of “Assessment and feedback”, “Positive Classroom Culture”, “Lesson Preparation” and “Lesson Enactment”. Under “Assessment and Feedback”, there is a need to check for understanding and feedback from the students, monitor the learning, set meaningful assignments for the students and help support them in self-directed learning. A “Positive Classroom Culture” will establish interaction and rapport that will lead to maintaining positive discipline in the students, empowering the learner in them. “Name Not” which my mentors shared with me, do not pinpoint the student or name them in front of the whole class, as they might feel that the teacher is targeting them, instead of that we should either talk to them individually and correct them privately and let them know the behaviour of theirs is not acceptable. Teachers have to set expectations and routines for the students, build trust with them, and allow the students to approach you with ease to share their worries or concerns.

“Lesson preparation” is always needed, we need to set out and determine the objectives for the lesson, and take in the learners’ profiles for each class to allow for better planning. The selection and sequencing of content are equally important as well as the institutional strategies and deciding the learning aids or resources that are needed. When it comes to “Lesson Enactment”, there are many points that we need to take note of. That consists of activating prior knowledge, arousing the interest for learning in the students, and encouraging learning engagement with the students. Exercising flexibility in the classroom is also very important as well. Teachers also have to provide clear explanations, to provide a better understanding for the students. Pacing and maintaining the momentum in the classroom learning lessons, while facilitating collaborative learning between the role of teacher and students. Teachers could also use questions as a tool to deepen understanding and learning in the students, for them to reflect upon, conclude the lesson and re-emphasise the points for that lesson.

Using different pedagogy with different classes. There is not a method that can cater to all needs and can be standardised. Hence there is the need to adjust and adapt various methods to form the ideal kind for each class.

Knowing more about the Singapore Teaching Practice Model also aided me in co-teaching for the week. This week, I have started to co-teach with the mentors. I have been doing my research, planning for classes and looking at the guides from MOE, which are some of the things that I did to prepare myself for teaching independently. I have also practised during my off hours at home, to try to carry it out first, to see if I need to adjust my lesson plan accordingly. Observing the classes that I came across in the first two weeks, helped me to know the better dynamics of the classes. As this week I could co-teach the classes, I’m allowed to try and test out some of my planning. So it allows me to see if my way of planning and teaching works for that class or not. Getting feedback from my mentors is important to me, and having them share what they hope on how I can bring value to the classes and how I can improve and work better on.

In my experience as a Floorball CCA Teacher, I would say that it is different from what I thought when I was a student back in the past, thinking of what a CCA teacher's responsibility is. I observed that the CCA Teachers are the ones who do all the administration work for the students and school, when submitting applications for competitions, and checking and coordinating the schedules for the CCA. Making sure that the student's attendance for CCA is good, the Teachers-in-charge are also the ones who fight for the kids’ CCA Fund as well as making sure the kids have enough coaching hours in CCA so that they could learn more and train to be better. Besides that, the CCA Teachers also need to help out with the student’s Value In Acton programme (VIA). They also need to plan with the students and assist them in the programme. They cover a large area of responsibility, not just for the overall CCA performance but also for the students.

Hence, this concludes my third week in Bedok South Secondary, not just observing the classes but being able to co-teach with my mentors is an enriching experience and further builds my confidence in handling the class and carrying out the lessons.