Career as Teacher

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I think there's a common agreement here that the ministry needs to do something about the system which is crippling many of the ordinary teachers (majority of the workforce) out there.

Reducing class sizes really does help a lot for an average teacher out there...



...But this post really does have a point too. Should I also add that quote a number are KPs? And they do not need to undergo lesson observations? Which worsens the problem further each year?

From a HR point of view, this problem kinda surfaced when there were massive recruitment exercises 15-20 years ago, where any random Tom Dick and Harry can get easily hired. These groups of people are currently the Gen X or boomers, some of whom are also KPs occupying space in the current system.

Going back to the big picture, it would seem that majority (and increasing too) of the challenges are now system/nationwide, rather than just problems isolated within certain schools. Everyone agrees that education is important, but because the economic value is not immediate and obvious, it seems like less resources will be invested in it?

In the past, the truly anonymous school climate survey can be weaponised against SLs or KPs if there are school wide issues. The surveys conducted now are definitely not anonymous anymore and seem to be done for the sake of doing it only. And now with issues that seem to be system/nation wide (yet seemingly swept under the carpet), is there even a channel or avenue for feedback?

Or is the only way doing extreme things like reconsidering our votes during elections?

Sorry, just doing See Think Wonder and Making Thinking Visible.

So next time when you're appointed KP and held the same appointment for decades, don't complain when you're asked to step down since you're expecting Gen X KPs to be tenured.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

So next time when you're appointed KP and held the same appointment for decades, don't complain when you're asked to step down since you're expecting Gen X KPs to be tenured.

Holding the same appointment for decades is just a dumb idea and SLs that allow this are also one kind.. unless you really go upgrade yourself every few years and come back to freshen up your leadership and management style. But who practically does that?

shoot inside my jc student yesterday. gave her morning after pills she don't want take. super worried how?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You're still talking about the minority of teachers though. Why write policy with reference to the bottom of the barrel? How about the vast majority of teachers who are decent teachers or better, but maybe don't have insane classroom management talents and/or have a lot of students in a large class who need more personalised attention in order to flourish?

This type of classroom scenario is becoming increasingly common, what more with the wider rollout of FSBB and the encouragement of students with mild SEN to study in mainstream schools.

Classroom management skills is #1 priority before curriculum teaching. A good teacher is able to design a lesson that caters to all needs. Highly recommend “Five Moore Minutes” video series on how to do so.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What kind of privileges?

2 words: CONNECT PLAN

Originally Posted by Unregistered

So next time when you're appointed KP and held the same appointment for decades, don't complain when you're asked to step down since you're expecting Gen X KPs to be tenured.

To be fair and to answer to your sarcasm, a KP should definitely step down IF teaching and management abilities are not up to standard. I am willing to do so if I know that I am not performing up to expectations. This also conforms to how the private sector is like - true meritocracy.

And to add on, looking at the other side of the coin, I will also definitely not want capable KPs or SLs to step down. I have seen some teams (I myself as part of a team as well) working so productively and happily under competent leaders before. When an experienced, capable leader leaves, the whole team ends up suffering or underperforming.

Unfortunately, I have not met many of such capable leaders. Most of the capable ones I know have left or resigned. Many incompetent ones are still around.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Classroom management skills is #1 priority before curriculum teaching. A good teacher is able to design a lesson that caters to all needs. Highly recommend “Five Moore Minutes” video series on how to do so.

Of course it is. Although there are a good number of modern Singaporean classrooms where the learner profiles are so diverse. In some single stream schools you may have to support the needs of some of the top students in the cohort and also DSA students who need more time and also SEN students who need more personalised attention.. all within the same class. Can teachers do it? Yes of course, there are many colleagues right now who are doing their best to adapt and are achieving some level of success. But can the system be improved? YES. Cutting class sizes for such class profiles is going to be immensely beneficial. Like mentioned, as FSBB rolls into more schools, these profiles are going to be more and more common.

Am I the only one who doesn't understand what the email regarding salary revision is about? So raise by how much huh?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Am I the only one who doesn't understand what the email regarding salary revision is about? So raise by how much huh?

No salary revision for EOs yet.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Am I the only one who doesn't understand what the email regarding salary revision is about? So raise by how much huh?

Raised by zero.