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.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
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!
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!
Friday, July 8, 2011
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!
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!
Friday, July 1, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
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.
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.
Friday, June 17, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
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.
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.
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