Teaching in the Classroom and Beyond

I believe that professional development begins in the classroom and moves outwards. Being a new middle manager, I will attempt to describe such professional development based on my experience.

I see teachers developing professionally throughout life and from many sources – but real development begin in the classroom. As teachers bring into the teaching profession, starting with values and purposes (now adding personal purpose to my own list so that there is clarity in understanding what and who teachers are as individuals and how we came to be in teaching), I begin to consider the ways teachers lead and evolve in professional development from the classroom outwards. Placing teaching and learning at the center of the teacher, I intend to follow some of my teachers through their journey as they develop through their blogs. Description of their personal mission and then why they chose the work of teaching are followed by narrations of classroom-based work. These narrations can include the teachers’ description of their relationship with students, parents and fellow teachers and how to work effectively with different roles and tasks with groups of teachers. They can also describe challenges and benefits of working across the different roles and tasks, the relationships build, the trust gained and the effect change with students, parents or even fellow teachers in their classrooms, schools and beyond.

I advocate for Teaching and Learning for students and improved instructions, on top of the usual drill and practice. I hope to get the “buy-in” of my teachers as well as I believe that such advocacy would lead predictably to school wide improvement. At the department level, teachers share expertise and at the school level, they may seek professional support from others, say NIE lecturers. I believe in such endeavors even for expert teachers as such specialized knowledge would only strengthened by affiliation with fellow teachers and research fellows. Finally, teachers should reach out to support the teaching profession in the quest to bring teaching and learning to students of other schools.

I know that there are huge amount of knowledge pertaining to education. To know and get better understanding of such knowledge may help the teacher to improve teaching and learning. As teachers, I believed that it is the constant examining through new eyes of the different instructional strategies and pedagogies that would result in students actually learning, within and beyond the school that is of most help. Teachers who think about their role of teaching in all its dimensions, and about what kinds of actions are needed for learning serve the students best. Education is ever changing, even though some of our practices are not evolving as quickly as our students are. As such, only teachers who are building the future of education can bring the wisdom of practice to education.

The Professional Developer that I hope to be - 2012

As I entered into my seventh year in teaching, I felt privileged to be in the teaching profession to experience different roles namely as the form teacher, subject teacher, CCA teacher, subject coordinator and now as a professional developer. Today as I consider how I might bring some of the strategies to my responsibilities as the professional developer, to benefit and make my teachers better and more successful at what he or she has done previously.

I believe that professional developers need to teach in ways that are different from the methods most instructors (Reporting Officers) use – more descriptive rather than prescriptive. That is why I agreed when my school leader mentioned today that “… it will be the narratives and stories of teachers that will affect change rather than mere instructions”. I see that the professional developers’ roles include cajoling, praising, flattering, motivating as well as hectoring, intimidating and challenging – thereby establishing a different relationship from an instructor. Once such a different relationship is established, teachers will then more willingly accept critique of their shortcomings.

I expect the professional developers to set almost impossibly high expectations for their teachers. Having said that, I also expect that the professional developers to use whatever strategies they think are necessary to help teachers reach those expectations. Of course, not everything involves high expectations – for me, it is on the Teaching and Learning aspect which must be high. Professional developers should also convey a can-do attitude and help their teachers achieve a high degree of excellence than they thought possible. They should reinforce positive values even while they refuse to accept excuses or self-pity when things are not going well.

Passion of a Teacher

In my last reflection, I spoke on the passion in teaching – that require teachers to find their passion in their teaching every year – to treat the cohort of students as if it is the first time that the teacher has taught a class – as it is for the first batch of students with this teacher. This week I will like to elaborate more on my understanding of what passion entails in teaching.

Often I hear of others when considering passion constrained such passion to joy or involvement to matters unrelated to teaching. They spoke of emotion, akin to reading, music, and hobbies. To me, one of the key component of passion as a teacher is the sheer thrill of being a teacher as well as a learner. Passion is about the absorption that accompanies the process of teaching and learning, the sensations in being involved in the activity of teaching and learning, and most importantly, the willingness to be involved in deliberate practice to attain understanding for the students. I find that such passions reflect the thrills as well as the frustrations of learning, and I believed that it can be infectious, that it can taught, it can be modeled and it can be learnt. Learning is not always pleasurable and easy; more often than not, we forget. Learning requires over-learning at certain points, spiral approach in our knowledge construction. I see this as among the most important outcomes of education and it is such passion of a teacher that will make a real difference to the students’ learning outcomes.

To make a real difference, I think that it would require a teacher to have more than content knowledge, acts of skillful teaching or engagement of students – although these will help too. But I believe that it requires a love of the content, a moral caring stance to wish to influence and affect our students with a similar liking or even love of the content being taught, and a demonstration that the teacher is not only teaching but learning – about the students’ processes and outcomes of learning.

Teaching the way I do – The Enhanced Version

In teaching, one of the most common message is that “everything seems to work”. It is hard to find teachers who say that they are “below average” teachers, and everyone (including parents, the ministry, middle managers, school leaders) has a reason why their particular view about teaching or improvements is likely to be successful. Indeed, the traditional way of teaching and learning (such as direct teaching) seems to justify “everything else” – myself included. I acknowledge that teachers teach differently from one another, one of the main reasons is due to beliefs and this is what is termed individual “teaching style” and I respect this difference. Another reason is termed “professional independence” and I see it as saying “I will leave you alone, if you leave me alone to teach my way.”

I observed during the Professional Learning Teams presentations, while teachers talk about improvements in curriculum and assessment – the “what works”; they rarely talk about their teaching practice – their explanation to their “what worked” teaching, the data, evidences they had collected. One reason may be that teachers find it hard to correlate the teaching to some of these causes. Another reason is that teachers prefer to believe that they may teach differently, but it should work regardless of how the teachers teach in their particular way. Moreover, teaching happens within their closed classroom wall, and so is rarely questioned.

We hear and seem to believe that most teachers demonstrate success, short of unethical behaviors and incompetence, and there is much support for the “everything goes” approach. However, I do think of some shortcomings and these happen when we have a change of new cohort of students.

Despite all the successes we have may had with this year’s cohort of students, teachers have to start again next year with a brand new cohort. The greatest change that most students experience is the level of competence of the teacher, as all else the environment and their peers are typically similar to what they would have experienced the previous year. And it is also surely as tempting for the teacher to re-do the successes of the previous years, to compare students in terms of last years’ cohort and to insist on an orderly progression through that which had worked before.

I believed that teachers are required to find their passion in their teaching every year – to treat the current cohort of students as if it is the first time that the teacher has taught a class – as it is for the first batch of students with this teacher. Teachers must identify and accommodate the difference brought with each new cohort of students. More importantly, teachers need to react to the learning as it occurs as every moment of learning is different for each cohort. This is how the art of teaching, and how the many successes is related to “what happens next” instead of the “what worked”. There are so many “what worked” successful solutions this year, but I believe that it is important to have some of evidence, especially for their continuation next year for the new cohort of students – enhancing the “what happens next”. In addition, teachers would then find support to justify their actions instead of the “smiley lack of confidence maybe will succeed” and so creating a culture of “just leave me alone to teach my way as I have evidence that what I do enhance learning of students”

Doing Things Continuously

A benefit of working through this year’s weekly reflection like this one has caused me to try many different things, some of which I may not have attempted (cohort dean, EV) without the encouragement of my school leaders, fellow teachers’ suggestions. Inevitably, however, some of the ideas that arises through the various Professional Learning Teams (Math PLT, ICT PLT) have appealed to me more than others, and specific activities that I had found (through workshops, seminars, conferences) most helpful may well be different from those another heads and teachers regard as valuable.

So with the end of the academic year, I would like to reflect on some of the suggestions encountered this year and decide which of these I would like to make a regular part of my routine as a middle manager and professional developer in 2012. One such example is the process of helping others sees success, through the success see possibilities and getting the buy in. I also intend to return to some of this year’s suggestions (C2015 competencies, AfL) in the coming year and attempt to build on individual successes of 2011 into 2012 so that they will become part of an ongoing part of my approach to improving my teaching and learning. Some of these small and manageable activities I had encountered (from my fellow teachers, workshops, learning seminars, courses) may also make part of my daily teaching and learning next year as well. I found helpful for example, to place to complete task deadlines on my shared working calendar in order to provide me with an ongoing remainder for monitoring.

I also intend to look at improving some of my own structures and processes on namely the teaching and learning curriculum and the professional development of my teachers. Some of these professional developments may be invisible to the teacher so inhabiting the progress; hence my support should be provided to encourage their decision to improve their teaching and learning. I also considered some of the current teaching practice in school. Teachers are sometimes assumed to have the same characteristics as their students. Teachers who teach Upper Secondary students are deemed more capable while others remained teaching Lower Secondary for many years, must therefore be less? This characterization may seem beside the point, but consider how we allow such practice to happen over the many years. While our school has encouraged “student leadership”, I believed that “Teacher leadership” should also be emphasized. I believed that all teachers can teach and should teach all levels, hence 4 year teaching cycle throughout their teaching career. While these Lower Secondary Teachers spend their days with people younger students compared to young adults at Upper Secondary, their personalities cover the same breadth of brilliance and intellectual challenge as any other teachers. Remember that teaching one level only once remains merely as an experiment, but teaching different levels continually becomes part of what a teacher must be capable of doing.

Commitment of Any Teacher

When we spoke on the quality of school experience (QSE) survey last week, I was thinking about the passion and values teachers bring into the classrooms. Such passion and values will reflect the teachers’ belief about who they are and what it means to teach.

The relentless demands of the teaching of 21st century competencies to students does requires the school to provide extensive individual, social and academic support, affecting both instructional and management responsibilities in schools. And both teaching and managing requires leadership. The forming of a committee to set the goals and direction of such implementation is a start. I believe that teaching of these 21st century competencies will also grow out of a lifetime of experience as learner and teacher.

The school management – whether school leaders or middle managers are all charged to guide instructional guidance and implement school improvement efforts. I also see such professional work done by our teachers or senior teachers, whether within classrooms, professional learning teams or departments. Expanding the middle manager’s role to include “instructional leader” is well intended, but even a great teacher turned school leader cannot “lead instruction” in every classroom. My own experience is that real learning happens because of what teachers and students create together in the classroom – hence the important of teacher-student relationship. Curriculum is not just the content found in SOWs and in textbooks. Rather, it is the combination of the teachers and students that run the lessons together. Hence, it is important for everyone to make effort in improving our students’ liking for our class, the school. I believed that my principal’s creating the position of “Cohort Dean” has these ideas in mind. In addition, I see the Cohort Dean as been able to serve those students who may have been neglected currently. I personally find that the teachers’ beliefs and values about teaching does influence practice within and outside the classroom. This path to creating conditions for students leads teachers of different beliefs and values to take actions at various levels.

I also realised that what teachers know and can do is the most important influence on what students learn. As teachers, there is a need to know content, how to teach it and how to fully engage a class of forty plus individual learners. Teachers without the necessary competencies and is unwilling to learn will not be able to level up the students learning at all. I believed that what our students need to know and be able to do, our teachers likewise must know and be able to do. Hence, there is also a need for teacher development as well. Competent teachers strive to create a positive classroom environment for student learning. Committed teachers working on behalf of students learning bring all aspects of life experience and professional knowledge into the classroom and the school and turn it into a place where everyone wants to be included including the teacher – who breathes some “life” into the curriculum.

I must say that schools are not easy place to work. Teaching well, whatever the conditions, is not easy too. However, if we are fully committed to belief that teachers can make a difference to the lives of our students, we will be able to observe and recognise the many facets of teaching, and the various dimension of practice will become evident.

Looking Back

I looked forward to the November school holidays which are an excellent opportunities for me to take a break from work. It is the small breaks I take with my family that had kept me going all this while. At this point of the year, I am seeing some of my fellow colleagues starting to lose focus. The problem is that we are not finished yet and a sudden realization has started to hit some that their lack of complete commitment might have a cost. And just like the start and end of every week is an excellent opportunity for my weekly reflections. The start of the 2011 calendar year had encouraged me to focus on my goals for the ICT implementation and believed in why we (the school leader and middle managers) have had set those goals.

Now approaching the end of the school calendar, I think that it is a good time to think about how I have had spent my time this academic year and gain some satisfaction from what was achieved. As I looked back on everything that I have done since the start of the year, the co-creation of the ICT Plan, the actual implementation of Student ICT Curriculum which included both the baseline standards and national competitions, I came to realize that it is achievable and that every month can be that productive. Now what is important for me to manage my time effectively, combined realistically with my aspirational goals and growing roles and responsibilities and to focus my energy on what is truly important – the learning of my students.

There are of course things in this past year which seemed less productive than I had hoped it might be, like the implementation SDL and integration of IP with ICT. The conceptualization of these two processes had been slow and difficult, but having unpacked and better understood the process with the help of my professional learning team, I hope to overcome some of these difficulties currently faced next year. So, I decided now to use this holiday to regain my initiative and that I will be more productive and effective in the coming New Year 2012.

Work and Family

This week, I will like to speak on what my school leader mentioned during one of the meetings regarding the challenges of balancing between work and family.

Often I hear of teachers reporting a maturing of practice after becoming parents, having the first-hand experience about raising their children and especially teachers whose children just entered schools. I myself after becoming a parent had such a change of ways towards moulding my students in terms of academic teaching and character development. When I think of my flurry of daily activities, foremost in my thoughts is my family. I feel that parenting, teaching and leadership are tightly interwoven. And I find that it is a constant juggling act in which each informs me of the other, and each also strengthens the other. My main challenge will be to maintain this attitude that each of the three facets (parenting, teaching and leadership) complements each other as my roles and responsibilities grow.

At home with my family, I share about experiences in the school and in the classroom. In the classroom, I share about experiences about my family – often with a comical edge about my children. In the previous reflections, I mentioned about the different opportunities to become different people. Such different roles have enabled me to make connections about how one part of my life informs another. Take for example the skills I had learnt as a parent, these are often the same skill set in the context of teaching. Perspectives as a parent are often aligned to the goal as a teacher. This is the powerful influence of parenting on teaching. Likewise, I also bring expertise about school work from my professional setting to my home. This is the connection between parenting and teaching.

Leadership in school comes in many forms and in multiple settings and this is how I connect parenting to leadership. Those of us who are both parents and teachers often asked the question: Would I want my child to attend this school? What should education of my child include? Will the place I work be also a place I would want my child to study in? Such questions have led me to set a higher standard for my practice as a middle manager. For example, I hope to become a better listener and more observant about how I am present to the teachers. In my daily actions and words, I try to make the environment I am in charge of a better learning community for my students.

Some teachers may have conflicting feelings about work and family. However, to me, the standard for what makes a good education comes to some degree from the family and striving to create the learning community (which is our work) for learners.

Evaluations – what does it really bring about?

When I was told during the last meeting that I would be taking on the role of a professional developer next year, I felt the tension of the role change. Today brings me to the idea of evaluation of teachers.

What is the normal practice for improving teaching? One assumption made is to supervise and evaluate teachers. But is this the best way? Surely, the argument for, will be inspecting classroom performance and giving teachers feedback and lesson observation and formal evaluation would make a positive difference.

But when I reflected on what the above assumption was saying, I begin to beg to differ. When I thought back to when I was started off as a classroom teacher 6 years ago and wondered if such yearly evaluations had ever led me to make significant improvements in the way I normally taught. I would honestly say there is typically little or some impact. What was important to me was not just getting the evaluation and the feedback but rather the suggestions on the course of actions to make the mentioned significant classroom improvement. And I wondered the responses from school leaders and fellow experienced middle managers regarding after all the work they put into all those classroom visits, write-ups and post observation conferences; do they readily see much difference in what their teachers do in the daily classroom teaching?

I know that such thinking is disturbing. As it only means that many middle managers are spending huge amount of time on the process that rarely improves classroom teaching on a daily basis.

This thinking has gotten me to start to look for leveraging strategies that can improve and influence teaching practices. As a new people developer, it is an important first step to enabling effective teaching of my teachers.

Seeing it as my own development!

As I just started out in my role as middle manager for about a year now, I never thought myself having the experience that will be invaluable to someone else. That was until I was asked to serve and share with another teacher and I was to provide this important service to others.

In a way, I supposed that this is what is termed as “servant leadership”. In addition, serving in this role caused me to become even more reflective about my own leadership and approaches to various challenges I had faced in implementation of ICT program in the school. While teachers come into the school with some or lots of leadership experience, actual ICT-based learning leadership is refined through deliberate practice and from internal or external peer-support. This approach is a new experience for everyone, young and experienced teachers alike. Utilizing these supports, I had gained both formal as well as informal sharing of ICT-based learning designs and strive to improve use and delivery of such ICT based lessons for enhancing my students’ learning.

As I endeavor to offer my service to the teacher who has expressed his interest in seeking to take up the middle manager role, I shall begin by thinking of all the things I wished I had known when I first began as an acting leadership role. Of course, I understand that each of us has to experience certain things on our own, but I can help shorten someone else’s learning curve and guide them away from mistakes. Although I have been told by others “not to spoon-feed teachers too much” and that experience is a powerful part of learning, I personally think that not all experience stimulates learning, and that leaving others to learn solely from their mistakes is clearly unsatisfactory. So, when I was told that this collaboration will be beneficial, I understood “why”. Moreover, I also see this sharing and exchanging of information with others as part of my own development.

Being Intentional About Things!

Over the course of my live, I have the opportunity to become different people, a child, student, adult, …. teacher and parent and so on... In a similar way, over the course of my profession, I assumed a number of different roles as my tasks change and my responsibilities grow, a contract teacher, trainee teacher, beginning teacher, form teacher, CCA teacher, middle manager... But even in the midst of all these changing roles, I see chances to reinvent myself in other ways.

I observed many of these changes in the various aspects of teaching. Even within our classroom, faced with one situation a teacher may be advocate of change, while at other times the same teacher may defend the current order because he believes that certain changes are unwarranted or unwise. In one stage of teaching career, some teachers may derive a great deal of satisfaction from a particular element of our work (say in positional leadership work) that a few years later teachers come to regard as boring and be more focused to their “real calling” of classroom teaching.

For me, my dedicated time for reflections has helped me to be conscious of how I can change as a middle manager. Through such reflections, I am more aware of the evolving roles I will be doing from teacher through the middle manager role, and imagine how I need to reinvent myself so as to best serve the needs of my students and the school. For instance, I reviewed what programs needed next to improve ICT implementation and wanted to raise the level of expert support so as to provide another level of support to improve our teachers’ capacity to plan and deliver ICT enriched activities for students. However, I found that these “so called experts” are themselves unclear how to go about using technology for self-directed and collaborative learning. Moreover, they are insistent on being “technology-expert” and so can only providing training for teachers on the use of technology. I decided to live up to my commitment to role model by initiating deliberate practices with my teachers. I seek for volunteers to participate in designing ICT activities using blogging and was pleased to find that our teachers are indeed willing to work with me on ICT-based lessons. I also concluded that what I really need is to rethink the pedagogical practices to incorporate ICT in teaching.

These are some of the paths I have chosen to undertake to affect the ICT implementation process in school. I know that the outcomes of these implementations will definitely take some time to attain and that a certain degree of development and change along the way is evitable. What I now only trying to do is to be completely intentional about it!

Why are teachers leaving the education service?

While I acknowledge the number of teachers leaving the education service in the first three years, especially after the end of the 3 year contract, I questioned the interpretation on why teachers leave the service.

Most people, especially the public treat teaching as a job like any other. Before I entered into teaching, I never thought that teaching was a simple job – how hard can transmission of information be? Already our schools have been providing teachers with much professional support and improved working environment compared previously. Even with professional induction support programs, especially for new teachers, and reasonable work settings, however, some teachers do not stay in the education service for long. After gone through the process, I came to realize that the main source of this “not staying long” is not due to lack of professional support or working conditions but I believe the invisible “pressure” of teaching. Within the four walls of the classroom, teachers are charged to engage all students to learn, to teach all students values and character, to create a powerful learning environment to develop all students holistically, all these based on their own version of what schooling could be. Given the complexity of the work of teaching, it then takes a few years for new teachers to recognize the dilemma created by great expectations of a “Teacher”. Even with basic skills and growing competencies of the new teachers, teaching is both psychologically and physically challenging. Even the most experienced teachers are not always successful in the teaching of every student. This work is not for everyone. Those who can will stay on teaching. Those who are not suited to the task move into other professions and careers. There is this wearing down effort or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure to engage, to teach, to create, to develop students. Teaching demands a focused, unswerving belief that all students can learn and that we teachers can support that learning. These pressures are relentless and demand integrity and strong belief of those who stay!

Leading the learning of others

As my own journey as a teacher began 6 years ago, I thought that it is best to reflect upon my own earliest day of my teaching and learning.

I recalled my first year of my contract teaching when I started teaching in a neighborhood school classroom setting, eager to make a contribution and wanting to do my part to encourage students’ learning. It was no easy attempt, requiring courage and persistence. I attended many hands-on workshops and took lots of courses about teaching, but it was my experience with my tutor during my pre-service training and practicum that fundamentally influenced by beliefs in teaching and learning. His courses and teaching were based on practices of progressive education where I was given a basic understanding of how students move through a developmental process and how student learned to learn. Those classroom practices and philosophy now guided my practices – ranges from behaviorist to progressive.

My observations of my fellow colleagues made it clear that I was not alone in this educational journey. I observed the same behavior among some of the teachers regardless young or experienced as they developed their own teaching practice. While there are some teachers who also showed leadership in leading their own professional development, there are those who now struggled between the dilemma of loving the idea of being a teacher, but not necessarily liking the work as teacher. I supposed that every one of us come into the teaching fraternity with different values and purpose and so have different expectations of ourselves, our students and our teachers. This is why among teachers there is no agreement about the big idea of education! Those differences have played out every day in school in every way, shaping and molding the teaching and learning in the classrooms. There are those of us who believed that every student could learn and deserved an education, while others demonstrated a painful lack of faith in the students. It is such beliefs about teaching and learning among the teachers that will drive the teachers’ classroom practices in the school.

The young teachers, especially at various times and under varied circumstances, impressed me as they exercised their influence in their classroom. Even though they were just starting, some of them played informal roles as a “leading” teacher, as a leader of initiatives, and their willingness to serve in leading to express their perspectives in discussions on school policy issues. These teachers also lead in sharing their approaches to teaching instructions they have tried. There are those, sadly of experienced teachers who stubbornly suggested “We already know of it!” and “We do know what we are doing!” Again I find a heightened collaborative culture in school as these young teachers take lead role in designing specific lessons with other teachers.

These observations have offered me a powerful reminder, that regardless of newest or experienced of teachers can lead so long as they advocate for students, taking the path of owing the learning experience, developing and going beyond the classroom to enable our students learn.

So, my fellow teachers, do reflect on your own earliest days of your teaching profession when you were also leading the learning of others, teachers and student. Are we still leading the charge now?

Good Teacher? Good Teaching?

I remembered a question been posed during one of the management meetings on “what other course of action we can undertake to help an under-performing teacher who refuses to acknowledge that there was an issue with the teaching”. I would rather consider the term “good teaching” rather than “good teacher”, because “good teaching” represents what we as teachers are striving to do every day. “Good teacher” implies the judgment of individuals rather than the work itself. Perhaps in respond to the opening question, I think that such under-performing teacher should not be judged by the teacher of himself/herself (through reflection) nor solely by the direct profession developer (through repeated lesson observations). Instead, discreet divisive feedbacks from experienced teachers, students, another people developer as well as the school leaders will help to provide characteristics of “good” of the teacher, providing a clearer picture to say whether the teacher is professional – that is, fully embracing teaching with integrity. Getting such feedbacks will therefore either lend support or acknowledge issues to the teacher, rather than just saying that some teachers have what it takes and others do not. I do acknowledge that there are some teachers who should not be in classrooms, but I take the stance that teachers strive to teach with integrity every day. Teachers are all good teachers some of the time, but all teachers strive to do good teaching all of the time.

I also believe that teaching with integrity requires leadership. That is why as middle managers, we first need to be proficient in the core business of teaching first. We know that some teachers are more developed professionally and more effective instructors. This does not happen just by putting a teacher into the classroom and hoping that the teacher will be able to work and develop their own practice. Often we forgot that the way our students learn best is also the way our teachers/adults best learn! Role modeling is one of the approaches I prefer for my teachers. By observing and relating to the modeling, teachers can then better construct their own professional way through acts of leadership that enable them to establish, refine and extend their classroom practice. Beginning teachers, especially exhibit less confidence and do not have any formed teaching practice. Often as teachers, we know “good teaching” when we see it and when we do not, we may be able to describe the issue, but even the most experienced teacher, middle manager or school leader may find it very hard to describe how to help the teacher to mediate it to become “good teaching”. Good teaching requires personal experiences in identifying, creating, executing, disrupting and reestablishing of practices for the learning outcome of students. Great teachers do this all the time and that is why, they are able to entry into the daily work of classroom to teach and help attain the learning of the students. Good teachers strive to do it and succeed most of the time.

I agree that this is hard work and requires much effort and few of us feel successful all the time or even most of the time. Nevertheless, many of us are drawn by a deep desire to help and make a difference to our students. We should always be reminded of this desire and continue to impact positively upon the students entrusted to our care!

Tasks tasks everywhere – but Personal Interaction still takes precedence!

Considering the amount of tasks we have in the school (administrative task, committee task, implementation task, assignment task) sometimes as middle managers we become overly preoccupied with the list of tasks to be completed. Crossing off one task after another does give me a great feeling of achievement and make me believe that significant progresses have been made. But today in the staff room, I saw another middle manager “at work” and the gained experience based on my observation provided me with an insightful reflection on “why schools have middle manager and school leaders” as mentioned in my early blog. She was busy but not too busy to be polite and approachable to the teachers who came to her. Later the same day, she was still busy and yet I find her sitting with her students. All these made me realized that it is important to remember that all of the tasks which I am busy with are means of helping the teachers and the students, and such tasks are not as ends in themselves. Personal interactions with teachers and students are ultimately the key component of my role as middle manager. With this understanding, I will attempt more of this approach and put in some time in increasing my personal in-the-flash connections. There will be times when “my list of tasks can be abandoned” so that I can assist teachers with a problem or comfort students in distress. It will be my choice; the question is what is yours?

Meetings – Is there always need to speak?

After nearly a year into my role as the middle manager, I have had tried to learn as much as possible about the programs and committee I have been tasked with. As a way of growing in knowledge, I attend meetings (Zonial ICT PLC meeting with mentors, IP ICT PLC meeting, presentations from other schools), purposefully asked to attend workshops (pedagogy workshops) and seminars (Math Teacher seminar)which is within my area of responsibility. I will also be asking to attend the meeting of committe(like the N2 Cluster ICT Meeting with HOD/SH)in a later date.

During some of these meetings, I told myself that my goal is not to make any presentation or even answer questions. Though at times, I felt that this a bit difficult especially for meetings where everyone is expected to respond. I wanted to simply listen to the discussions as they unfold. I wanted to just sit quietly and attend to others as they talk. In this way, I hope to get more accurate informations from experts and so be able to make informmed decisions. I also hope to gain a better insight into the issues that different people are grappling right then – and more importantly I hope to learn more about how they address the issues. Many of these issues I believe are applicable to me as well and will definitely help to accelerate my learning curve than reading through volumes of minutes or books. This is the approach I take so as to help me as what Michael Fullen puts it “…to better sort out difficult problems even when I do not know in advance how I am going to do it.”

The beginning of Progressive Education

Yesterday marked the beginning of a new era in the teaching and learning in AISS – with the emphasis of the 21st century curriculum and the endorsement by both the school leaders and the middle managers of my school. Such a curriculum looks at helping our students develop competencies skills which is also applicable on either skills-based activity (CCA, ICT, CCE) or academically based study (IP areas). The four sets of competencies skills to be developed are 1) Thinking 2) Communication 3) Socio-cultural and 4) Collaboration. The Mnemonics will be “Today Can Sure Can!” I would like to single out this sentence from the 21st century curriculum website “…. to succeed in such a world, our students must develop the “life-ready” competencies it will demand of them.” as I appreciated what is meant by being a set of competency skills to be taught in school that is much sharply closer to any of what is needed by our students after they leave school (not solely for work alone).

After nearly a year since I first took on my role as one of the middle managers in ICT, I have believed that we were on the cusp of something very important for teaching and learning by the use of the technology. However, there are times when I felt that some departments were not fast enough implementing their department ICT plans. As much as I hate to admit it, everyone make mistakes. And it is during the review with the IP departments and the presentations at the AI Learning Seminar that proved me wrong! I was acting on the basis of incomplete information and on my own eagerness. I now realized that I need to deal with the small changes that I can make in order to become effective middle manager and not try to move a mountain with one determined push. Before, it seemed as though such advice encouraging me to become preoccupied with trivia, but I now realized that this is also an important aspect of concern which I as a middle manager need to work on. I suppose this is what is meant by having a series of fairly small improvements that can add up to some significant results. The important thing is also to know how to balance concern for details with an ability to see the overall pattern of the whole school. Areas such as the learning of the 21st century curriculum having now received much more attention will offer the greatest potential that ICT has for exploiting our students’ capacity to develop their learning process.

As a step towards achieving the goal, I intend to spend some time thinking about the single biggest challenge I think faces the implementation of the 21st century curriculum in the school. There is a need to think individually and then as a collaborative group with the different department heads of the different possibilities. As middle managers, we need to be clear on these challenges, for middle managers all have to respond to our teachers who may dispute our views that we have had in mind for such implementation. In this way, the common identified challenge is discussed to learn if it can be resolved. And if the challenge cannot be overcome completely, what actions can be done by us middle manager as well as our teachers to manage or isolate the problems?

Leadership Philosophy – Is it necessary?

Started in Term 4, the middle managers of the North Zone were told to reflect on our own personal leadership philosophy for the dialogue with the Supt. It was observed that some middle managers have actually not or difficulty with expressing their leadership philosophy. I agree that it did take some effort to start penning down, especially if we have never actually expressed our leadership philosophy before.

But is it necessary? – was the question from some of the middle managers. To me, it was helpful as it enable me to begin to consider exactly why schools have middle managers and school leaders! What do we middle managers and school leaders add to the school? How can school be helped by good middle managers and school leaders and hampered by bad ones? Hence, by considering these questions, it may lead me to home in on how I view my own role as a middle manager!

For example, some middle managers and school leaders viewed themselves as the arbiter in the school, where decisions are made when an exception to the rule is permissible. There are also some of them who see themselves as people developer, motivating others to achieve goals. And there are some who see themselves as repairman, fixing one problem after another as they encounter them. A few are visionary, always looking into the future and considering what it might be.

Undoubtedly, we will conclude that we middle managers must assume each of these roles from one time to time. Some actually felt that it is a waste of time, a waste of effort as they did not have any idea of such leadership philosophy but only took ideas from the internet! But I believed that I need to reflect and know which of those examples I had illustrated tends to be my default position! And by gaining feedback from others will definitely make the whole picture clearer. In this way, it will help me understand better why I do things the way I do, and more importantly, what I am trying to accomplish.

Let our students make our day!

It can be all too easy for teachers or even middle managers to get caught up in negativity. After all, students and teachers alike bring you their problems all day long. We hear complaint after complaint. We even have to deal with people who fail to honor their commitment in their duty! After hearing such distressing news day after day, week after week, not only from students, but also fellow teachers, nearly anyone would be cynical. Consider how a recent survey found many Singaporeans are a cynic!

Why do not students even think of coming to a teacher with good news? Likewise, why does not a teacher even think of going to the middle manager with good news? They do go to school leaders with good news!

Well, I do not think I will wait, just for someone (student or teacher) to approach me. Instead, I went to look for some on my own. While others may prefer to form their opinions solely on personal feeling or hearsay, I went to conduct a survey from all my students to gain a better understanding of my own teaching and learning. In addition, I engaged them in a conversation about the best educational experience he or she has had.
Or when a teacher came to see me about some issue whatever, I extended that visit a few minutes by asking about that teacher’s favorite moment of the day.

Indeed, I found this practice very valuable and decided to make it part of my regular routine. It has provided me with insights that I did not realized before. Moreover, if I were to continue with both survey evaluation and conversation, I believe that I will quickly learn what is the best part of my teaching and learning and more importantly, what it need to make it better.

Finally, whenever I hear a student also say something else wonderful about another teacher, I make it a point to share what I have learnt with that teacher, so to make his or her day. And resulting in a break from the cycle of negativity!

Documenting – A need to start?

In today’s reflection, I will like to provide my opinion on one of the items which Professor Lee Peng Yee spoken on during the Secondary Mathematics Seminar 2011. He talked about the need for teachers to document their success, and “not to reinvent the wheel”.

Much of what we accomplished as middle managers in the school remains intangible. Our budget proposals, curriculum improvements, departmental plans and policy reviews usually do not result in the same kind of instant satisfaction that can be felt when a research paper has been accepted, a project proposal has been funded, or a student finally understands a concept that had long been puzzling. For this reason, it can be particularly important for middle managers to document the nature of their successes and reflect in which we can keep printed material and a computer folder for electronic documents, and begin storing items related to our achievements. Consider what would not be the same at school were not for you? How many new improvements did you initiate or, in times of trouble, how was the issues resolved? How has research been enhanced or learning enriched through the policies you introduced?

With such rich source of information, did we document it down? or is it only found in your personal storage memory? Hence, it is important that whenever we set aside documents related to some activities, include a note about why that initiative was important. This is especially true for our teachers, many of whom do not document their years of experience in teaching and learning. However, be selective! We do not want to simply include every document that we create, rather choose only those related to the teacher’s best achievements. This portfolio of success will soon become tangible to the teachers. Teachers can then share such rich teaching and learning, as well as review it whenever things are not going well or when teachers sense that the middle managers’ policy has been ineffective. Teachers can also refer to it for examples during mid and end of year reviews, which serve as data evidences to support their teaching and learning. More importantly, teachers can study it to reveal about their own best practices whenever they or others faces challenging situation they have not encountered before.

So, let each IP department start this important task of documenting their best teaching and learning practices today.

Team – Learning and Building

In today’s reflection, I will like to speak on and also land my support to one of the items which was touched on during the dialogue with the Supt session – that is learning not only as individuals, but rather learning as a team.

In Math, we speak of Partial Fractions. The sum of many terms, but to me I see any school (or even any department within it) is much more than the sum of its parts. As mentioned in my previous reflections, a team benefits from both the individual talents of all its members and especially the synergy that comes about the different abilities working together. From this, I hope that some of the members can develop their own team, help others also generate high morale, and so the start of the ripple effect and finally having an extremely productive school environment. This is what happend with the ICT PLC team members who were involved in the ICT competitions. These teachers had branched out and develop their own team of students, leading and guiding them to out-do others in the competitions. At other times, others and even I may need a little encouragement before a supportive working relationship can be developed. As I review on my area which I am in charge of, I need to keep this notion of promoting team building and try to identify concrete steps to realize this notion.

What are some of these steps I feel can help to realize team building? Encouraging people to recognize and celebrate each other’s accomplishment is one way my principal had advised me to do. Just look at the grins and smiles I get which I mentioned to my many teachers that we will be acknowledging their accomplishment in guiding our students in doing well in ICT competitions during staff meeting. Another way which I feel is important and that I had done when selecting these teachers to be in charge of the ICT competition is to give them a sense that they are part of something truly significant. And also to make them feel that their achievement in the whole team is also a personal accomplishment.

Through communication and discussion on a regular basis, the school goal will become a shared goal. I also make it a point to celebrate progress made (instead of just at the end result) towards achieving this shared goal through sms-ed encouragements and acknowledgement to the school leaders. More importantly, my demonstration to my teachers that I am personally committed to their success or share of their non-success. This is my conscious effort to improve the morale and encourage the team spirit, and not just an accidental by-product from random delegation.

There are also areas which I am currently working on, that is to try to hold social events where my members can bond and not directly on work. I believe that I need to think and implement strategies that suit my own personality and also the nature of the teachers I work with. As I aim for working out my own approach with guidance from the school leaders, I look for the best suit for the personality of my team.

Providing Context on New Policy, Procedures

In one of my reflections, I spoke of leaders having to help others (like parents, students and even teachers) see the context regarding new policy or procedures. And in order to do this, the leader will need to have strategies to analyze the context of what is happening and respond appropriately and help others connect and understand the context. I will attempt to elaborate more on this matter in this week's reflection.

Often, teachers feel as though they are sometimes expected to carry out instructions that are developed by others or often find it completely unrelated to one another. I understand how these teachers feel and also believe that it is definitely easier to understand the big picture when we are seeing from higher levels in the organization. Often, teachers go about their day to day duties, having little or no idea why a new procedure was established. I believed that such procedures were created out of good intentions. However, just rolling out these procedure based on good intentions without much explanation will not do justice to it. Below are some steps which I find helpful to help contextualized so that others can see the connection.

The first step towards better communication is by clearly explaining the significance of some goals or projects that is important to you. It is important to articulate as explicitly as possible on the benefits that may result and how those benefits relate to the overall mission of affecting learning in our students. Then be open to questions which others may ask. Often I am glad that others ask questions. This shows that there is actually some real consideration by these teachers on the new procedures which everyone will need to adapt. Also, they may see aspects of the issue that are invisible to me because the nature of my work may be different from theirs. Even if answers to their questions seem overly obvious, do not just dismissed them but we need to take these questions seriously. Often, this project or goal have been in our minds for quite a long time now, while to others it may be a new and unfamiliar idea. What is necessary is for others to see why it is important to accomplish the objective that was outlined or to change their procedures in the manner that was proposed.

Once we helped others to contextualized, even if they do not come away agreeing with the change completely, they are likely to perform the work more effectively since they now have a better understanding of the context in which the new procedure has been adopted.

Clarification of responsibilities

One of the things that teachers most complain about in the educational profession setting is not knowing exactly what is expected of them. Teachers have performed many roles, like invigilation in National Examinations, apart from the normal classroom teaching and may have carried out many of these duties repeatedly. Yet, at times they may feel uncertain as to precisely what their responsibilities are, which decisions they are authorized to make on their own, and in what areas they may exercise initiatives without infringing on someone’s else duties. Fortunately, some of these expectations were brought up before by my Principal a few years ago. But with the large number of new teachers joining the school, I feel that this matter needs to be brought up again.

As a new or experienced teacher alike, it can be maddening to realize that you were expected to do something you never realized was a part of your responsibilities, and it can be almost as frustrating to learn that you could have make a decision that no one ever told you that you were empowered to make. The standard way is to conduct a staff briefing before the start of the National examinations. So it is important to gather everyone to attend such briefing. But I suggest another way, which is to first survey the teachers, and then let the teacher’s People Developer have a brief conversation with each of them about their specific duty responsibilities. This I feel is more personalized. Some teachers are worried about meeting up with their People Developer. I believe that we need to make clear that they have not done anything wrong and it is just that the People Developer want to “make sure that we are all on the same page” about who’s doing what and where each teacher’s area of responsibility begins and ends. Through this conversation, I think that we may find that certain teachers assume that they are able to do certain matters on their own that really need to be addressed at different levels of the school, while others feel that particular duties are not their job even though, as People Developer may believe that they should be performing these tasks.

I am sure that clearing the air in this way can sometimes cause some hurt feelings or grumbling for a while. But if each People Developer handle the situation with tact and diplomacy, the end result will be a staff that better understands what the school need each teacher to do and why.

Reflect on Respect

During this busy examination registration and preparation week, I had a several encounters with teachers which made me consider how much respect other people seemed to give me and how much respect I believe I am giving others. I had approached teachers whose help I am grateful to have received. I had also given advice and guidance to those who had approached me.

For me, I believe that the amount of trust I would receive is almost directly proportional to the amount I give to the people who work with me. Sometimes, I hear teachers balk at this idea and say, in effect, “Our school leaders and middle managers or teachers should not be the ones deferring to students. Respect has to be earned, and, like it or not, it can move in only one direction at their age in school.” In some ways, that observation may be true. But respect is not the same as compliance. Respect is the way in which we demonstrate that other people have value, even if that value arises only from their potential, which is the case of our students. The school leader who does not show consideration for middle managers, the middle manager who disrespect teachers and teachers who are dismissive of students, all of whom, in my opinion, had undermined his own authority already.

Hence, it is important that I evaluate myself candidly on the level of respect I am demonstrating to others. Then I can consider whether there is any correlation between the amount of respect I show my colleagues and the amount I have been shown in return.

Waste Time

Finally I gotten better … In fact, I am happy to be healthy again. Being Healthy holds a totally different meaning to me now.

The title of today’s reflection is, I admit, intentionally misleading. Today’s goal really is not to waste time itself, but to become more aware of the ways in which we all waste time. All of us have habits or practices that are not as efficient as we might like them to be. As middle managers, we hold on to responsibilities that could be more productively be delegated to others. We have long emails when recipients are unlikely to care to complete reading. Or we may agonize over the punctuation marks in examination papers. It is possible, too, that we may waste time working with a committee for months to develop a learning package that is not used the following year, or outlining a new procedure that is not measurably different from what we could have found already in place at other schools.

It is now my goal to be conscious of how I spend my time from moment to moment. Having gone through a period where I was “so weak to do anything”, I am more convinced of this now. As I am currently doing the review of ICT implementation, I intend to identify at least 3 practices that I think are not the most productive use of my time. At the same time, I will consider what could I accomplish for the benefit for my students instead I had directed my energy toward goals which will make a more significant difference to my students and teachers.

Open Myself to Persuasion

Today’s course on Differentiated Instructions for diverse learners by Ai Ling was most helpful in the unpacking many of the “Big Ideas” of DI. I got a better understanding of the “why” and “how” to differentiate. A range of instructional strategies were also illustrated and shared with actual examples of implementation in lessons. Interesting enough she spoke on the theme which I will like to speak on this week, that is of “Persuasion”.

During my short time as team leader, I came to realize that as good leaders we don’t just ask the right kind of questions. There is a need to also listen thoughtfully to the answers given, and most importantly, through what was heard and learnt will cause me to see matters from a better perspective. In another words, I will allow myself to be persuaded! I have seen known leaders who seemed excessively easy to persuade. Even at times it appeared as though they tended to agree with whomever they talked to last. Of course, there is another side where leaders who is confused of persistence and mixed it with obstinacy and refused to see the merit in anyone’s ideas other than their own.

My own resolution is to make a conscious effort to be open to persuasion whenever it is warranted, even in areas in which I have the utmost confidence in my judgment. I need to listen carefully to what others tell me and assess their views objectively. I think in order to start this is to say to myself that perhaps differing views may be right and that I won’t dismiss it as weak or abandon it as ill-conceived. So there is this need to be more of the Learner stances rather than the judgment stance!

To put it in another way, I will say to myself that I will make the daily activities an exercise in active listening. Even more important, I will ensure that such exercise is one with active understanding!

Let us all be Coach – My approach in changing mental models

Today during SMC meeting, we spoke on having Generative Conversations and the question about Mental Models came about – whether we are able to alter one other’s mental models and how we can go about changing such mental models.

For me, I will start by setting the tone for my team, emphasizing on incorporating in the minds and behaviors of teachers that we need one another to work together as a team so as to enable effective action. Everyone in the team will be a coach! To me, coach teaches in ways that are different from the methods most instructors use. They cajole, praise, flatter, motivate and challenge. I have seen students who accept a far more mocking critique of their shortcoming from a coach than they would from a professor in one of their courses because of this different relationship.

I see coaches setting almost impossible high expectations for everyone and to use whatever strategies they think are necessary to help them reach those expectations. So it is important to show what and how to do to achieve the desired results and not just expecting the results! There should be that conveying of a can-do attitude and support structure to help individuals achieve a higher degree of excellence than they even thought possible. This may start the change in mental model.

However, to keep at it, we should reinforce positive values even while we refuse to accept excuses when things are not going as well. As a middle manager, I hope to bring some of these coaching strategies to my area of responsibilities. In this way, I think it is not just to make the programs better but to make the team members better and more successful at what each of us do!

Stop – at least for a moment

At last, it is over – a moment of mental relaxation. The heavy rock on my shoulder was finally lifted when I exited the room. Although the day’s intention was to get information from me, but I think it ended up with me learning as well. I found out much about what was required in ICT, about what was considered important about ICT. I see alignment in my beliefs with others and gained feedback on improvements. And more importantly, I learnt about who I am. How I pushed myself towards my “extrovert” personality just for today! It was not easy and I am thankful that I don’t need to keep at that tomorrow. So, Stop! - the theme I will like to speak on for this week.

I heard of leaders who sometimes believe that they need to be doing something all the time. They said that if they are not active – not changing things for the better – they often feel that they are not doing their jobs. But for me, I think that this should not be the case. Instead, we should take at least a moment or TWO – and just stop. There is no point of just endlessly doing. I think that we should instead reflect on all the good that is occurring so far and more importantly, appreciate those teachers with who had helped to make these successes possible. For me, I am really proud and grateful of the ICT PLC team teachers which have helped to accomplished many things considering the short time since the PLC’s creation. In this way, I no longer feel that I am doing one thing solely to get to the next thing but am really experiencing the full benefit of all those little successes around me. I then hope to be able to carry that positive energy with me for the long journey along.

MyJune Holiday Reading

As a way to contribute to my own professional development, I will like to share about a book I had read during this holiday entitled: “The Leader who had no title” by Robin Sharma. I am interested in reading his book as I find Robin Sharma an authentic leader who realized his own success through close examination of his inner motivations. Only when he chose to redefine his core values, brining them in line with what he knew to be right, did he start to understand the secrets of true happiness and success. Hence, I too believe that in order to be happy and successful, I first need to know myself. Thus, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) had helped provided me with some understanding of my own personality.

In his book, Sharma mentioned two types of leadership. The most familiar one is those with title such as president or CEO. The second type is the power of each individual to drive positive change wherever they are. He asserted that “Those who grasp that reality understand that their core belief will affect others, therefore those beliefs must be intentionally considered and applied.”

He offered an example of a woman named Anna who was a housekeeper of a hotel, but believed that “.. I have the best jobs in the world.” She sees herself as a good willed ambassador for the hotel, deeply important and essential to the smooth running of the organization. Another example cited is Burt who installed carpets and takes pride in doing what he did and leading others to their best by staying true to what he knew was excellence.Burt raised the bar of those who knew him.

I think what very much attracted me to this book was such illustrations of role models, who demonstrated my desired quantities (although almost certainly at a different level). Hence, knowing my own personality, it is also now possible for me to be aware and learn of the significant difference – in the manner in which I would approach a particular situation or a principle that I hold dear. Of course, with the goal of being inspired by such a leader’s example, and not to try to duplicate everything that was achieved or represented.

Take Advantage of new beginnings

I feel privileged that in education, I get to experience several beginnings (Term 1, 2, 3, 4) each year. The beginning of each term brings new possibilities. So the start of each term offers incredible opportunity to do better than before. Because of such breaks, I think that I can let go of what was not successful before and rededicate myself to the goals of my profession – educating and molding the future. After the break, we are refreshed and enriched. So as Term 3 and 4 gets underway in two weeks time, I will spend a few moments looking for opportunities to take a fresh start at my approach to ICT implementation in the school. I hope to release myself from decisions made that did not work as well as I had hope. I hope not to lose track of the lessons learnt from them, and more importantly to let go of any disappointments attached to them. Make the new term that just begun the one in which to improve upon and the sort of difference I have always hoped for.

Knowing my limits

I believe everyone knows that there are both things that we can control and things that are beyond our control. It is important to know such difference. Sometimes in our eagerness to advance an idea, we waste valuable energy trying to transform things that are impervious to change. Like it or not, there are those who wont be brought on board an endeavor no matter how persuasively we do it. Some of them are so committed and convinced to their causes they already supported (direct teaching) that it is impossible to interest them in things (such as ICT) with a different focus (self-directed and collaborative learning).

To me, what is critical is to make a resolution that I will need to let certain things go and stop frustrating myself to devote useless energy to something that cannot be changed. By doing this, I will now have much more energy, time and enthusiasm to spend on things that I can make a positive difference.

In the following weeks, I hope to continue identifying through reflections other specific objectives in my professional teaching that would be exciting to achieve and work towards achieving that goal for the rest of the year.

Communication, Reasoning and Connections – Is it necessary for mathematics classroom?

This is a professional learning week. Together with four other teachers, I attended the Mathematics Teachers Conference 2011 at NIE, entitled “Communication, Reasoning and Connections”. This theme is found in our Singapore mathematical intended curriculum framework under processes. I am most glad to see that the conference had selected such a theme as I too believed that our school curriculum likewise should have elements which focused on these processes. These processes are important to our students and are worth the time and attention of teachers. Below are some of my reflections on the theme.

Reasoning

Reasoning offers powerful ways of developing and expressing insights about a range of events. Students who reason and think analytically tend to note pattern structures, regularities and symbolic objects.

As a mathematics teacher, I strongly believe that reasoning is essential to better understand mathematics. By developing ideas, exploring of phenomena and justifying solutions instead of just solving the content, students could then recognize and expect that mathematics make sense. Hence, such skills can be introduced to all mathematics content areas and across levels. Moreover, all students already bring to school a certain level of reasoning and we should build on these considerable reasoning skills and help students learn what mathematical reasoning entails. In our Primary schools, the students are exposed and used the different heuristic skills.

Connections

In the workshops I attended, both speakers mentioned that students too often perceived mathematics as isolated facts and procedures. They highlighted that this issue was likely brought about through the school implemented curriculum. I agree but I also believed that the textbooks also played a part. They also asserted that students should recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas. But do teachers themselves able to make such connections such as between numbers, algebra and geometry as they are not of everyday experiences. As a classroom teacher, I think that the connections should be instead made so as to build mathematical conceptual understanding. Concept mapping is an example of enabling connections. With conceptual understanding, students will then be able to recognize and apply mathematics in connection to what is known to the unknown world.

Communication

Communicating mathematical thinking and reasoning is important for developing understanding. It is a way of sharing and clarifying ideas. There is a need to emphasis the importance of communication is due to the fact that students do not speak of mathematics other than in the mathematics class. How often I get upset when students are unable to articulate mathematical terms properly, often using word like “this”, “that thing”. Moreover, I think that it is through the communication process that makes the students think and not just “adsorb” what the teacher says. As students are challenged to think and reason about mathematics and communicate their thinking, they will then learn to be clear in both verbal and in written form.

Of Outdoor Adventure Experience

This week I was assigned to assist Sec One Normal Technical class with the outdoor learning experience. As I waited for my students during the breaks, I started to reflect on my experience with our outdoor Adventure program and hence, will like to share my thoughts on my perceived effects on our students.

Conception of outdoor learning

What do we expect the outcomes from such outdoor learning? In my mind, I see outdoor learning, as programs that will directly or indirectly resulting in changes in thinking, feeling or behavior. But how is this different from our school based learning? I think that school based and outdoor learning though is different but are complementary experiences. Hence, I believed that it is the nature of the experience and its quality that makes the big difference. And so the quality of such experience is important. Without sufficient quality experience, it may result in more negative effect (such as negative attitudes and feelings) than benefits of working in the outdoor classroom (such as fun in learning).

How I viewed our outdoor learning?

I mainly view outdoor learning as practices with a range of different focus and possible learning outcomes. Although, we do have a “special experience” that is different from the usual school curriculum. For us, regardless of the different locations (lower seletar, Ubin, Lavador Adventure centre and Marina Barrage), the focus of our outdoor learning across the 4 days seems to be mainly on learning about oneself, for example, in personal attainment through adventure education with outcomes of such experiences of personal development on self-confidence, resilience.

Another focus, I think is on learning new skills such as dragon boating and kayaking with outcomes of attaining new water sports abilities.

I am also glad that we did not just concentrate on going through the process and completing the adventure and obtaining new skills. One other focus which I felt was as important that is on learning about working with others (social development). The high-element, repelling activities at Lavador Adventure center made students aware of team building and coping strategies.

While I also believe that at the heart of the outdoor learning be “special experience” that enabled students to “step away from the curriculum for a while”, it should retain a focus on learning. Provisions of clear information about learning aims and objectives could be made. Teachers as well as students alike need to know what these aims are so as to enable them to be more involved. Hopefully, in this way the programs will enable some to understand other domains such as cognitive development as well.

There is one focus, which I think can be improved for the outdoor learning, especially for the visit to the Marina Barrage. We should not be contended in just visits to the outdoor reservoir center, but enable students to understand the values and beliefs about, for example, the value of water conservation, our country’s relationship to it. Some of these students have already been to the center during their Primary education. Probably they know about its significance.

I must however, clarify that by cognitive development, I do not refer to curriculum integration. As a matter as fact, I think that such cognitive development should have less to do with curriculum topics. Instead, it should be on adding to the general knowledge, their view and thoughts of issues. Students should be able to explain things they seen, experienced or understood on the outdoor learning, instead of just trekking through and completed it. This is the cognitive benefit I think outdoor learning will value add to our students, complementing the school curriculum.

Of Teaching and Learning

It has been some time since my last reflection, this week I will touch on my belief of teaching and learning, starting from my own experience to how this translated to the teaching and learning of my students.

My own experience

Now, back tracked four months ago into the teaching of my own kid…. My exasperation filled the room. My boy sits in front of me quietly, knowing once again he has got it wrong. Just yesterday… yesterday… we covered these same letters and he had gotten them right. Now, it is as though he has never seen them before. He tries. At least I think he does. But sometimes it is as though he is trying but not learning. I have no idea what is wrong with my boy. My elder boy learnt the same stuff with no problem. He took everything in like little sponges. So it is not my teaching method that is the problem. What is up with this boy of mine? I berated my kid for his failure to identify the letters correctly. Once again, he did not get it. He was in tears. I was in tears (in my heart). This one month (Dec 2010 to Jan 2011) has been dreadful. Really dreadful for both my wife and I. What was I thinking? He was not learning with us and now, we were all miserable.

Our next move was monumental, although I did not know it at the time.

We gave up! (…on our method teaching)

We decided my boy was not going to learn well and that this was okay. We just had fun. I had to try this and try that and just sort of follow what seemed to delight him the most. At that time, his brother was attending a language class and it seemed to delight him when attending. In retrospect, I probably should have seen the light at the end of the tunnel because this was the exact moment that his learning changed for the better. When we began to simply try new things and follow his lead, I discovered that my kid could learn. More to the point, I discovered how he learnt. And learn he did and was able to recite the letters backwards as well. He could read of any letters pointed to him. He was faster than his brother. And we have the extraordinary privilege of discovering them right alongside my kid. All within the month!


How does it translate to my own students’ teaching and learning?

Since that time, I am more convinced that all students can learn, regardless of the any statements they make to the contrary. If I meet students who seemed to be uninterested in learning, I am convinced that we are missing something. It may be that we are just teaching them and not enabling them to learn. Or it may be as simple as the possibility they are not interested in learning in the style in which we have been teaching, a way that may even be painful to them. Who would? Let me cite an example, imagine if I was trying to teach you how to write your letters. I put the pencil in your right hand (even though you are left-handed) and guide you without actually writing on the paper (because I want you to remember the letters in your mind rather than writing on the paper for you). Now I leave you to somehow transfer this input to something you can write on the paper. I naturally expect you to adjust my input in order to teach yourself how to write with your left hand, orienting the letters correctly while recalling from memory.

You might say, “That is ridiculous.” But now imagine once again, my teaching method did work for many other students. The students actually preferred to learn letters in this way, and you are one of the few in the class who struggle with this method. It is clear that it does not work for you. Does it sound familiar?

The traditional visual teaching method most commonly used today may simply be the wrong key banging away at the lock of the tightly closed door to our students’ mind, completely preventing their ability to join in the learning experience that are going on around them. Frustration will eventually lead the student to give up. No one wants to be the one who work on problems so slowly that it is an embarrassment. No student wants to be the one who says something so uninformed that he becomes the object of his friends’ laughter. Any student who says that he does not want to learn is simply employing a self-protection mechanism to shield himself from the fear that maybe he cannot learn.

My job, an incredible responsibility, is to show our students that indeed they can learn. What we can do is to help our students chart a new path, to find a new map that leads to their ability to delight in learning. Teachers are the keeper of the keys. However, it also means that we need to have the ability to find the correct key that will unlock a love of learning for our students.

We should all endeavor to use different keys that work with and appeal to a variety of learning styles. We should begin the process of removing things that prevent our students from learning. And replace systems and techniques and methods that have not been successful keys to opening our students’ minds – thinking skills. Let us allow our students the privilege of learning in sync with the ways they were designed

Need for monitoring of ICT-enriched activities

This week, I attempt to present my thinking on the need of monitoring of school activity especially ICT-enriched activities which are a long term programs.

I believe in the need to constantly monitor evidence about learning of students supported by ICT and the efforts of teachers to improve such learning. Such monitoring can then allow continuous adjusting of our own decisions and actions in response to these evidences. But before there can be any monitoring, there is a need to unpack what constitutes as evidence about such learning and teaching supported by ICT.

Once such evidences about learning and teaching are established, the use of data will be a key factor in the improvement of teaching and learning. Through reviews of data, school leaders will be able to identify areas of ICT curriculum in which student baseline standards is below expectations, as well as areas of subject curriculum that need differentiated instructions supported by ICT for individual students. The evidences can then be refined or changed when necessary.

Reviewing data is also part of the department improvement planning process (AFI in the ICT Action Plan). These data served not only as means by which the various ICT practices in school demonstrate success and celebrate achievement, but also as indicators of how far these practices will likely progress with additional support and how student learning can be improved.

I hear often, too often of teachers claiming to do something based on their experience alone. I think that this is not sufficient. There should be emphasis on data-based decision making about instructions for teaching and learning. I believe that this new emphasis will give rise to increase vigilance at both heads and teachers level about the programs conducted, especially for students learning. For instance, at PLC meetings, data should be presented and looked at so as to figure out how to get our students to move to the next level. With data, we know where the current position is. Teachers then work together to ensure that teaching strategies supported by ICT to address specific learning challenges those students faced.

“Learning Organization” in school

This week I reflect on what was shared during our meeting on “Learning organization” in particular,on the sustainable domain pedagogical in ICT implementation and offer my comments related to the conditions necessary for its sustainability efforts in the long run.

Why sustainable? Although the school had been involved for only a year, it may be early to be thinking about sustaining the performance or enhancing pedagogical ICT implementation much further. Nevertheless, I believe I should consider the conditions needed for such domain so as to ensure change in attitudes and beliefs that is the key in enabling the transition to a higher level.

There need to be a willingness to be held responsible for what students learn leveraging on pedagogical ICT. The days of excuses are over when some of us did have an attitude of :”What can we do? These are students we have got?” I believe that this sort of attitude needs to be taken right off the “table”. Everything has to be related to student achievement when leveraging on pedagogical ICT. It should be focused instruction. Everything that happens all the time here needs to have a purpose (animation - enhancing understanding, videotaping- building up confidence, story boarding – language building and improving communication skills). Little things such as movies should not be shown during lesson time unless they are curriculum.

There should be a growing awareness of the long term nature of pedagogical ICT implementation and that this area of focus will be part of the school culture. With the mandate of pedagogical ICT as part of our school culture, sustainability will weigh heavily upon our shoulders and not just a few of us. This is because everyone will then be able to improve on this focus together.

We should enable a realization about the interdependence of curriculum and leveraging of pedagogical ICT. Of course, we cannot discount the progress made in curriculum achievement at our school. Students are coming much better prepared now than last few years – I think because of the work our teachers are doing at that level. With the extra effort in leveraging of pedagogical ICT, I see a tremendous amount of professional development in our teachers, content enhancement in our curriculum and C21 skill improvement in our students.

Finally, as teachers, we should all be aware of the wide array of factors that produce strong student performance especially in terms of learning and deep understanding in the long run. One goal for schools is to promote a learning atmosphere because the students need this life-long learning. The students have a lot of baggage, quite a lot of them in content and Self 2 already. If they do not learn HOW to learn at school, if we do not show them the proper skills and tap more on the Self 1 in school, then what is the point of teaching?

Review of my leadership role

After 14 weeks (though it seemed longer…) in the role of acting team leader, with diverse responsibilities above and below me, alongside my own teaching duties, I feel a need to review the implications for my leadership role in ICT implementation.

I believed that in order to be successful, especially in leveling up ICT implementation in school, I need to be effective in bringing about changes to the processes of teaching and learning as well as the mindsets of teachers. Although my style and approaches may not be the same as other team leaders, I feel what is key is the clear vision and values I hold that will make the difference.

I need to have this “ICT-applicable instinct” and lead in pedagogical changes in ICT. The hands-on approach is one of the ways I intend to lead such a charge. I need to focus on instructional improvements, building collaboration (though I came to realize that this may take much effort) and good relationships. I see a need to be optimistic about the change and enthusiastic in bringing about the change. Persistence in the buying in of teachers and tough minded to say “no” when needed.

A top down approach is not the way to sustain the ICT implementation. Instead there must be a purposeful and deliberate effort to distribute responsibilities and accountability widely. That is why ICT mentors and Activists’ involvement are important. However, I also need to be realistic about such involvement by teachers. These distributed responsibilities and accountability also need to be “initiated and nurtured” over time. This is why I view my principal’s involvement as been important as he helps to drive and share these responsibilities and accountability among heads and teachers. Then, with right judgements, readiness and capabilities of teachers, there will be a progressive teacher involvement in ICT implementation.

Professional Development of Teachers

This week, I will attempt to speak on what I perceived to be my role in the professional development of teachers in ICT implementation.

As part of my contribution to affecting learning on students, my role include encouraging fellow teachers to try something new such as designing ICT based on pedagogy, reexamine assumptions, i.e. drill and practice may not be the best way, look at their teaching from different perspectives namely conceptual understanding versus mere manipulating, rethink how teaching can be better enhanced using ICT. Hence, my role in professional development is part of a set of practices as a leader, and they are especially important at this early stage of ICT implementation. But such development occurs in informal as well as formal ways. This really depends on the teachers’ current understanding of learning.

I believed that to get ICT implementation going, I need to purposely build and strengthen the teachers by providing appropriate professional development opportunities, in-service training, workshops, peer observation and learning.

I also believe that it is critical to respect the teachers’ autonomy and support them in their professional development. More importantly, I need to ensure that the teachers have a reasonable amount of time to participate in professional development. I have invited outside expert advisors such as AsknLearn and Ace Learning to deliver in-service training in the school. More such experts will be invited to help the teachers. Moreover, when teachers want to attempt to use ICT in their lessons, these teachers were offered expert’s help to find best ways to do so. Workshops and seminars were also offered along with an individualized approach to meet the teachers’ learning needs as well.

Such training must be practical so that the teachers will find such intellectual stimulation valuable. So I need to note that, for example, “the experts should run in-services on “What is using ICT for collaborative and self-directed learning all about? What does it look like? What will be look it without ICT?” This is to address the teachers’ concerns about “never even seen CoL and SDL and so does not know what to prepare the students for.” At the same time, the ICT mentors need to be involved in coaching to help teachers deliver a ICT program. This is the informal help which I believed the teachers will find more valuable. The ICT mentors need to be given time for this. Currently, they are heavily loaded with other duties. Together with the external experts in providing in-service for teachers, the ICT mentors will be one of the important pillars who can plan ICT integration with IP Head as well as support the teachers around subject instructions and facilitate discussions with teachers at the department level.

Conditions to Improving Teaching and Learning

Last week, I reflected on the setting and helping teachers achieve expectations. This week, I will attempt to speak on how I hope to improve such conditions for improved teaching and learning.

In my opinion, the condition here should refer to the knowledge and skills of teachers about curriculum, instruction and learning for the students. And exercising a positive influence on these variables calls on me to know the technical core of schooling, extend my problem solving capacities and review my knowledge of effective instruction.

And since a considerable amount of evidence is available in literature about the effects on student learning stemming from such conditions, it is my responsibility to help prioritize those known conditions to have the greatest chance of improving students’ learning. Already our school on classroom level had focus on assessment for learning (AfL) and the use of ICT as two long term strategic thrusts in our improvement efforts where, for example, on the extent to which teachers are providing students with immediate and formative feedback and pedagogical technology instructions

Simply knowing which conditions hold the greatest promise for improving student learning may not be enough. But it serves as a starting point where every one of us leaders discovers the core conditions for ourselves. After that it still leaves me with the problem of figuring out how to improve the actual status of those conditions in the school. So the key question following discovery and selecting of core variables for action is “What do I do?”

From my past reflections, I had emphasized that as educators, we must place teaching and learning at the heart of improvement efforts and so our relentless pursue ways is to improve the instructional core. Building instructional capacity of teachers requires shifting beliefs and cultures, adopting views that all students regarding of streams can learning, and coupling the need of high expectations. But in order to build up such capacity, I must first understand the definition of quality instruction and pedagogy. After which it is important to be able to strategically implement a plan that addresses capability building among teachers within our departments while other building trust. Investment in teachers’ continuous professional development can increase student achievement. However, such importance should be emphasized by placing a premium on teachers’ professional development as a route to improving instructional outcomes. Professional development should not be just a teacher attending a course and reflecting. The “learned-teacher” should be encouraged to form professional leaning communities to support inquiry and development of pedagogical practices.

Practices to Achieve Teachers’ Expectations

Last week, I reflected on the setting of teachers’ expectations. This week, I will attempt to speak on the practices which I believe may help teachers achieve their expectations.

There is this saying “knowing your followers’ needs and raising them to more mature levels ….” One way is by the use of delegation to provide the teacher opportunity to self-actualize and to attain higher standards of development. In my opinion, this delegation must be a behavior which should communicates respect for the teacher, as well as show concerns about the teachers’ feelings and needs. Delegation should not be just passing on of responsibilities from the leader! Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

To me, the practice of this sort needs to include task orientation such as the actual responsibility and consideration for people namely their ability, their aspiration, their potential. In addition, there is a need to “support” and “recognize and reward” teachers as well. With these practices, I hope to build the confidence, resilience and persistence of teachers to face the challenges of ICT implementation – is really the goal I intend to achieve.

I believe that providing professional support and encouragement for teachers’ personal growth such be done, even for teachers who face immediate challenges of their classrooms or instructions (sometimes there are questions from others why “a particular teacher” is allowed to go for this, that training while he/she is already facing difficulties in this, that…). Instead, as leaders we need to monitor teachers on a more regular basis and provide them with supports through one-to-one meetings, and more importantly be able to give them advice for improvements. Monitoring alone is not the way. I urged for more time to be set aside for leaders (some are over-bagged) to lend support and encourage their teachers (that is why the leader also need to be competent first) to raise their self-esteem and self-image, and to influence their belief in their professional ability. By and large, these indicate that school leaders are more facilitators, mentors and coaches.

Evidences from last Friday’s management meeting showed questions been raised about relating instruction practices with theory. Literature reviews showed contributing forces on the role of theory, especially those emerged from the observation of students at work can play on instructional practices. These theories will help shed light on learning difficulties which students had. Leaders already involved in such practices would best use the collaborative session such as our PLC, the department meeting to address the teachers’ individual concerns about their instruction and what student improvement the theory will serve. Otherwise, leaders could also seek advice from consultants from recognized institutions.

However, I personally feel that teachers often find it more effective to get help from their colleagues with whom they are now collaborating in teams and through regular department meetings where theoretical based instructions could be emphasized than through external sources. Thus, there is a need to highlight the role of the leader in creating such collaboration within the department (Again, leaders need the competence). When teachers grew more comfortable collaborating with colleagues, consultations among teachers becomes a natural approach to any problem solving in school Luckily, this is a culture the school is slowing building.

Teachers’ Expectations

This week, I will attempt on parts of the 4-stage cyclical process of reflective practice to help facilitate my reflection on setting of teachers’ expectation.

Faith in us Teachers

Setting high expectations is part of direction setting because it has to be closely aligned with our school’s goal. Although high performance expectations cannot be the only substance of our school’s goal, they do demonstrate to the teachers “the expectations of excellence, quality and/or high performance in teaching and learning for the students”. I think that this is central behavior associated with leading of team or school (Just look at the outcomes of events with low or no clear set expectations).

How to go about setting expectations?

One example which I did with the ICT PLC was to “enlarge” the teachers’ capacity to imagine what might be achieved, and “increase” their sense of accountability for bringing this about (through their individual ICT action plan). As the starting point of ICT implementation in the school this year, the emphasis is to establish a culture of high expectations, high collaboration, and mutual respect among the members of the team. For my part, I need to be able to set the tone for the shared ICT goals, high standards, and high expectations (during reviews during ICT PLC meetings) and to provide the necessary support to teachers in order to turn high expectations into high performance (through training based on individual teacher's needs, sharing of implementation processes, ICT resources).

I also see the need to establish appropriate, measurable, and agreed-on indicators and targets. Some of these are already been set by the Ministry level (such as the ICT baseline standards, BYiTES 3.0) while others need to be set based on the agreement between teachers (among teachers within departments on their ICT action plans, teachers agreeing to becoming ICT mentors, teachers willingly sharing of ICT practices). As mentioned during last Friday’s management meeting, the performances of the teacher are based on their own belief, combined with either optimism or pessimism and in this case, on the use of ICT in their teaching and learning. However, as leaders, I believe that our expectations for high performance of teachers should be based on the belief, with considerable optimism, about the untapped potential of teachers for growth and development.

And Yes, we will be pleasantly surprised at what our teachers will be able to accomplished (… all 7 departments had come out with their ICT action plans for 2011! …was told of a collaboration project between humanities and science department, an initiative by the teachers themselves!). Teachers are able to motivate each other (I hear of heads encouraging themselves to continuously write their weekly journals) and more importantly, to shift their expectations of themselves (many teachers asking for professional development in ICT). The students too can cause the teachers to shift the expectations for them, thus enabling the initiation processing of ICT implementation to begin. What I hope to see? That there is an opportunity to say, “You know what about designing and developing ICT implementation. If we approach this properly, we realize that everyone is in this together. We start as low as single building blocks, then we work together upwards and so we are not going to tumble as we progress.”

I also need to take the responsibility for communicating these expectations for teachers and then followed through to make sure the expectations are met. For this to happen, I really need to be personally involved at the start with the teachers. Preaching just won’t make these happen. Moreover, I feel that this responsibility must be enacted uniformly. Treating some teachers differently will be counter-productive. Teachers’ Expectations