Career as Teacher

All the talk about scholar vs non-scholars made me realise that some are rally disillusioned. I am a farmer, consistent A and B since the day I joined the school more than a decade ago, and I can safely tell you that paths of scholars are mapped out, and because of that, perf grades and cep are also ingeniously crafted to ensure that they are accelerated on their path to take on SLship or high leadership roles in HQ. They do not even need to assume the role of hod to move up to VP, simply appearing and disappearing between schools and HQ and somehow they are magically transformed into one ready for higher appointments.

While I consistently performed well in school and have tried out every single possible roles that brought about school/cluster/national impact, promotion came much slower. Cep… ultimately still basing it on paper qualification. Discussion about SLship was met with smokescreen, since many SLs themselves do not have good capabilities to develop people. A number of my friends (hod from different schools) face similar predicament. Career hod…what can we do?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

If you are about to be appointed as KP, how will you be informed? Can you share how you were first poached to become/accept KP position? Is it through RO or SLs, verbally or email? TIA!!

Usually your RO will breach the topic to you. If keen, your SL will then speak to you.

Any written correspondence afterwards is more of a formality.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Happy Term 2 everyone!

Anw, regardless of the salary or pb, just try your best. Sharing resources is the way to go if you want lesser work. It’s totally okay to use your colleagues’ slides and resources in the classroom as long as you know how to tweak it to suit your students. Don’t be selfish and do your own resources and don’t share. Help each other out and don’t just see each other as competitors. In this way, you free up more time to work on projects that you like and will see yourself getting good grades.

Well said. Been in schools where teachers make their own resources and don't share. Everyone waste time reinventing the wheel. Very toxic environment.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

All the talk about scholar vs non-scholars made me realise that some are rally disillusioned. I am a farmer, consistent A and B since the day I joined the school more than a decade ago, and I can safely tell you that paths of scholars are mapped out, and because of that, perf grades and cep are also ingeniously crafted to ensure that they are accelerated on their path to take on SLship or high leadership roles in HQ. They do not even need to assume the role of hod to move up to VP, simply appearing and disappearing between schools and HQ and somehow they are magically transformed into one ready for higher appointments.

While I consistently performed well in school and have tried out every single possible roles that brought about school/cluster/national impact, promotion came much slower. Cep… ultimately still basing it on paper qualification. Discussion about SLship was met with smokescreen, since many SLs themselves do not have good capabilities to develop people. A number of my friends (hod from different schools) face similar predicament. Career hod…what can we do?

Got PSC/OMS scholars who promote every 2 years like clockwork.

2 years as BT, 2 years as AD in SM/HQ, 2 years as HOD in school, 2 year as VP. After 8 years become P, become some of the youngest P by 30s.

Quite ridiculous how someone with 4 years of teaching (2 years of BT-ship and 2 years as offloaded HOD) can run a school.

And all these are determined by A level results and the scholarship panel interview at 18 years old.

Originally Posted by enjayell

Unfortunately as previous posters have said, opportunities do depend on school manageable or your RO. Otherwise really need to find your own opportunities. Can always change school to find better opportunities.

I disagree however with dissing and discounting the value of sharings.

As for creation of quality teaching materials, yes perhaps that's sufficient impact for GEO2 & GEO3s, but for GEO4s & GEO5s its assumed to be done.

Some SLs may not even be aware that some teachers still use the same notes when syllabus and learning outcomes changed, or there are those wayang ones who dun teach properly but still consider got "impact". Otherwise, if students learn properly in schools, why so much demand for tuition?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Well said. Been in schools where teachers make their own resources and don't share. Everyone waste time reinventing the wheel. Very toxic environment.

yeah right. share with you so that u can create impact while the creators deem to have no impact.

as a scholar, my cep/path changed drastically once i entered motherhood. so not necessarily all scholars get v good path. but yes they get some headstarts, it depends on how much opportunities are given, how the scholar worked (or 'talked'/'wayang') his/her way up.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

yeah right. share with you so that u can create impact while the creators deem to have no impact.

Why would it be the creators seem to have no impact? Unless you can’t manage a class properly and can only produce resources? Don’t be selfish. Create a culture of sharing. Ask your colleagues to do some resources and you do some. Like this, you spend lesser time creating resources. I would even say, share lesson plans so that you don’t end up spending a lot of time thinking about lesson plans. Each colleague just need to do 1-2 topics and then share among the department. Spend the time engaging students instead. By sharing, you really reduce a lot of additional work.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Some SLs may not even be aware that some teachers still use the same notes when syllabus and learning outcomes changed, or there are those wayang ones who dun teach properly but still consider got "impact". Otherwise, if students learn properly in schools, why so much demand for tuition?

Demand for tuition is partly due to the fact that not all students learn well in a 1:40 teacher to student ratio. The last time I was able to do 1-to-1 or even small group consults was as a BT. This was the ultimate type of differentiated instruction and it made a tremendous impact on the students that I had time for. Unfortunately once full loaded, that's it, impossible. Private tuition is the replacement for such consult. Realistically speaking, school teachers can't do it for every student, or even half of their students.

It’s all about ROI…

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Got PSC/OMS scholars who promote every 2 years like clockwork.

2 years as BT, 2 years as AD in SM/HQ, 2 years as HOD in school, 2 year as VP. After 8 years become P, become some of the youngest P by 30s.

Quite ridiculous how someone with 4 years of teaching (2 years of BT-ship and 2 years as offloaded HOD) can run a school.

And all these are determined by A level results and the scholarship panel interview at 18 years old.