Guiding Principles for Teaching and Learning CCE

Behind the intuitive practice of teacher, there lies hidden principles that inform of the teacher’s instinctive practice. Most teachers have not taken the time to articulate these principles, nor are they inclined to do so. We are too busy for such heady matters. Furthermore, our practice is never uniform, we teachers are always responding to individual student in a moment that is colored by many different circumstances that call for a highly particular response. Hence, guiding principles are discarded in favor of a response that appears to be more personal.

The Ministry of Education has come out with a list of four guiding principles for teaching and learning Character and Citizenship Education. Although, I believe that these four guiding principles may never be implemented in the same way by any two teachers, nor by the same teacher in the same way on any given day. These four guiding principles will nevertheless guide the intuitions of teachers in the effective teaching and learning CCE in the classroom to carry on that most important part of the profession of nurturing Singapore citizens of good character. Below are the four guiding principles and my thoughts on each of them.

1. Every teacher a CCE teacher

The guiding principle indicates that teachers are in the best position to lead and uphold core values. The collective and individual example of teachers as good adult role model served as illustrating and embodying the best expression of adult living. In additions, teachers are able to create learning opportunities, derived from classroom incidents, simulations to shape and instill every student the core values.

2. Values are both taught and caught

The guiding principle includes intuitive response to an individual situation – values been caught. For example, if fight breaks out just before class begins, the teacher has to respond to that unplanned situation. The teacher can then use that opportunity to bring the involved students to reconcile and make responsible decision. Values are caught when students see values lived out of different learning experiences, first in the role models and significant adults to them, then in their lives. This principle also highlighted to me that the teaching of values should not simply depend on ad hoc situations – rather the whole class needs to make responsible decision making after kinds of painful conflicts or misunderstandings. Such learning can be planned for the whole class and need not depend on haphazard instances in which only a few students are involved. This principle also accepts teaching of values by example. I believe strongly that the example of adults who exhibit positive values is the best way to teach values.

3. Engaging students through varied modes of delivery

The guiding principle urges that, where appropriate, the nurturing of values be echoed or repeatedly dealt in varied modes of delivery such as instruction, skill practice, role modeling by teachers or peers, positive reinforcement during lesson time and teachable moments. I believe that such repetition by varied modes of delivery will mutually reinforce, from class to class, the learning being sought. For example, a student who hears of the injurious effects of racial tension in his or her science, literature and social studies classes, during CCAs and National Education events is more likely to grasp that notion than if only one teacher dealt with it. This implies that there is some planning going on between teachers of various subjects and committees for the same cohort for such mutually reinforcing classroom learnings.

4. Parents as key partners

Teachers can suffer frustrations in trying to develop positive values in students when their parents teach quite the opposite values at home. Example of such conflicts include racial stereotyping, alcohol abuse, dishonesty, environmental issues. Teachers need to enlist the support of parents right from the start. The skillful teacher will go beyond simply informing parents of his or her efforts in the classroom. The teacher will suggest a series of exercises or discussions at home that parallel what is being treated in the classroom, and provide parents a list of suggestions for ways to reinforce what is being taught in school. In those cases where parents disagree with a position the teacher might take, they would communicate that to the teacher and indicate how they deal with that issue with their child. As long as such disagreements can be discussed and dealt with in an adult, reasonable way, those very disagreements may help the child see more clearly the values that are at stake.