Career as Teacher

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Also intend to leave the system soon. Have been in the system for around 12 years.

Just feel that it’s really out dated for us to keep doing the same thing for our whole career. Humans are naturally resistant to change but as a non KP, it’s likely that we will be stagnant after the initial few years.

Guess those who can sense the end game earlier will cut losses and exit the education sector. I know many who have commitments won’t. Wonder how this can be good for our education system when we are only left with those who concluded they cannot so well outside, stay.

Have you been in school all 12 years? Have you explored other roles in HQ and secondment to external organisations?

Personally, I think that no one should be a one-school teacher, and everyone should explore other roles available in the wider MOE system. Otherwise, it's very easy to become jaded doing the same things. Some of the open posting openings look quite interesting. Can try applying for policy roles or corporate roles, or secondment to organisations like special ed sch, polytechnics and ITE or even to other ministries.

But I do agree with your observation that a lot of teachers, especially those who are in service over 10 years, have a fear of the outside. Many seem to have the self-limiting belief that they cannot do anything else other than teaching, and their post-service career options are limited to tuition, FAJT, or becoming insurance/property agents. Quite ironic given how they always tell their students that students can become anything they want to be during ECG, yet don't believe in it themselves.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You went from JC to Sec or Sec to Pri?

Sec to Pri.

Sec and pri are 2 completely different systems with different sets of norms. Those who come from the secondary side will never understand why at Primary 6, the students cannot go up to class on their own but in less than a month’s time when they enter sec 1, suddenly they can. If your students don’t file their work or do corrections deemed acceptable by the department, the teacher is at fault. You can be a Maths teacher but the HOD of EL can come in to “advice” you that it perhaps you can try to write bigger as she walked past and due to the angle, she could not really make up what I was writing. When you think it is developmental, your RO will come in hard and inform you “a teacher whom I cannot name has indicated that the person is upset with your teaching and has reported you to the VP that you there are gross oversight in pedagogy.” These manufactured “evidence” are happening on a daily basis and I am only listing just one of the common ones. I was an award winning teacher in my time as a secondary teacher and seriously, I can’t be described as that bad - “worse than NIE trainee and requires constant monitoring” as they have pointed out.

So enough is enough. I am not going to be a victim of gaslighting at work. The experience left a deep scar and affected my mental well-being.

Ya many things are just the way it happens on Primary school. There are good reasons but I guess we are just pampering our kids way too much these days.

Do leave the education sector while many others have yet to realize this

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Sec to Pri.

Sec and pri are 2 completely different systems with different sets of norms. Those who come from the secondary side will never understand why at Primary 6, the students cannot go up to class on their own but in less than a month’s time when they enter sec 1, suddenly they can. If your students don’t file their work or do corrections deemed acceptable by the department, the teacher is at fault. You can be a Maths teacher but the HOD of EL can come in to “advice” you that it perhaps you can try to write bigger as she walked past and due to the angle, she could not really make up what I was writing. When you think it is developmental, your RO will come in hard and inform you “a teacher whom I cannot name has indicated that the person is upset with your teaching and has reported you to the VP that you there are gross oversight in pedagogy.” These manufactured “evidence” are happening on a daily basis and I am only listing just one of the common ones. I was an award winning teacher in my time as a secondary teacher and seriously, I can’t be described as that bad - “worse than NIE trainee and requires constant monitoring” as they have pointed out.

So enough is enough. I am not going to be a victim of gaslighting at work. The experience left a deep scar and affected my mental well-being.

Is there any difference between being a “form teacher” and a “co form” teacher on paper? Is the form teacher considered to be of a higher “rank” than the co form? Both are the same grade

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Sec to Pri.

Sec and pri are 2 completely different systems with different sets of norms. Those who come from the secondary side will never understand why at Primary 6, the students cannot go up to class on their own but in less than a month’s time when they enter sec 1, suddenly they can. If your students don’t file their work or do corrections deemed acceptable by the department, the teacher is at fault. You can be a Maths teacher but the HOD of EL can come in to “advice” you that it perhaps you can try to write bigger as she walked past and due to the angle, she could not really make up what I was writing. When you think it is developmental, your RO will come in hard and inform you “a teacher whom I cannot name has indicated that the person is upset with your teaching and has reported you to the VP that you there are gross oversight in pedagogy.” These manufactured “evidence” are happening on a daily basis and I am only listing just one of the common ones. I was an award winning teacher in my time as a secondary teacher and seriously, I can’t be described as that bad - “worse than NIE trainee and requires constant monitoring” as they have pointed out.

So enough is enough. I am not going to be a victim of gaslighting at work. The experience left a deep scar and affected my mental well-being.

Toxic environment it seems. Not your fault.

Some one must tank the poor PB grade.

Who better than the new staff that joins the school usually?

It might be the school itself that is toxic and nothing to do with cross level deployment. Usually it’s because the existing staff feels threatened by your presence. Anw, if you are consistently a B or C+ teacher in secondary sch, it’s very difficult for the pri sch to give you C- or D. Of course for every incident, you must fight for yourself and use black and white (email) to keep a record. This is very impt in govt service. Tell supt if your SLs don’t intervene those toxic behaviours.

If you are really keen in cross level deployment, try another sch. There are many good pri schools with good environment. U are just unlucky to be in a toxic sch.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Sec to Pri.

Sec and pri are 2 completely different systems with different sets of norms. Those who come from the secondary side will never understand why at Primary 6, the students cannot go up to class on their own but in less than a month’s time when they enter sec 1, suddenly they can. If your students don’t file their work or do corrections deemed acceptable by the department, the teacher is at fault. You can be a Maths teacher but the HOD of EL can come in to “advice” you that it perhaps you can try to write bigger as she walked past and due to the angle, she could not really make up what I was writing. When you think it is developmental, your RO will come in hard and inform you “a teacher whom I cannot name has indicated that the person is upset with your teaching and has reported you to the VP that you there are gross oversight in pedagogy.” These manufactured “evidence” are happening on a daily basis and I am only listing just one of the common ones. I was an award winning teacher in my time as a secondary teacher and seriously, I can’t be described as that bad - “worse than NIE trainee and requires constant monitoring” as they have pointed out.

So enough is enough. I am not going to be a victim of gaslighting at work. The experience left a deep scar and affected my mental well-being.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Toxic environment it seems. Not your fault.

Some one must tank the poor PB grade.

Who better than the new staff that joins the school usually?

Which is why the appraisal system is rotten to the core.

Its subjectiveness makes it a practice in horsetrading, where people are given a grade that doesn't really reflect their performance nor contribution. The loudest and most powerful voice wins.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Which is why the appraisal system is rotten to the core.

Its subjectiveness makes it a practice in horsetrading, where people are given a grade that doesn't really reflect their performance nor contribution. The loudest and most powerful voice wins.

The structure is not fair to begin with. If your P, for some reason does not like you and it has nothing to do with professionalism, her job holders who are also in the ranking panel effectively becomes her supporters. Screwed up system

Originally Posted by Unregistered

How can a P block open posting? The most they can do is delay your release date. P will definitely speak to a staff when he/she applies for OPE and try to persuade them from not leaving. Only the staff can choose whether to apply or not. Maybe some Ps might say negative things like “you’ll never get it”.

If you apply for OPE, and go for interview and aced your interview and get an offer, no P can stop you. The most they can is delay your release date. This is our system. Don’t be fooled.

Hi, saw many posts regarding whether open postings can be denied or not. i believe colleagues here are stating “facts” based on their personal experience and what they saw in their schools.

would like to share mine. up till last year june(13 yrs in service), i also thought releasing schools can only delay the posting of a teacher if he/she accepts an offer from another school. however, one of my colleagues had her posting cancelled after HR stepped in due to manpower allocation policy thus changing my understanding of how the system works. My P as the releasing school, did not make any request to HR to deny the posting, so i guess HR have some guidelines to adhere to. not many cases, but it exists.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hi, saw many posts regarding whether open postings can be denied or not. i believe colleagues here are stating “facts” based on their personal experience and what they saw in their schools.

would like to share mine. up till last year june(13 yrs in service), i also thought releasing schools can only delay the posting of a teacher if he/she accepts an offer from another school. however, one of my colleagues had her posting cancelled after HR stepped in due to manpower allocation policy thus changing my understanding of how the system works. My P as the releasing school, did not make any request to HR to deny the posting, so i guess HR have some guidelines to adhere to. not many cases, but it exists.

Been reading and just want to comment. Both are true. It is indeed the case that the releasing school can delay but cannot effectively stop but subjected to approval from HR. In this case, HR stepped in as there is “school needs.” Hence, remember colleagues, nothing is confirmed until HR hands you the posting order.