"Late bloomer tops class of teachers - The Straits Times Saturday, Jul 12, 2014
WHEN he was in primary school, Mr Lim Li Cheng never had any problems with the work he was given - he just wasn't very interested in doing it.
But after being posted to the Normal (Academic) stream at Bedok Green Secondary, he began to buck up and started racking up A grades.
Yesterday the 26-year-old son of a taxi driver and a housewife graduated as a teacher from the National Institute of Education (NIE) and went home with four awards, including the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal, the highest honour a student can receive.
A total of 1,446 new and returning teachers will receive their certificates and awards from NIE this week at the Teachers' Investiture Ceremony, held at Nanyang Technological University. Mr Lim discovered his love for teaching through his mathematics teacher in secondary school.
"She helped me to plan how I could coach my classmates in maths and science," said Mr Lim, who attended Tampines Junior College.
During his attachment to Bedok View Secondary, he taught an N(A) class.
"I enjoy teaching them, as I can relate to them," he said. "Some think they are a difficult bunch to teach but once you get to know them, they are respectful and honest."
He tries to incorporate healthy competition during maths lessons, such as by offering sweets for correct answers in surprise quizzes.
"They learn better when they are engaged," said Mr Lim, who will go on to do a master's degree in pure maths at the National University of Singapore next month.
Education Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday reminded teachers at the ceremony of the professional boundaries pertaining to duties and relationships with students and colleagues.
He added that teachers should question whether what they are doing will help to better their students. Mr Heng also presented the Outstanding Youth in Education Award to five teachers to recognise the efforts the young teachers have been making.
Among them was Mr Mohamed Ashiq Mohamed Elias, a 34-year- old science teacher at Pasir Ris Secondary.
He incorporates magic tricks into his lessons - so students discover how levitation is performed through mirror reflection and learn about magnets by observing a trick using a small ring that "floats" in the air.
He also uses a pregnancy test kit for a lesson on chromatography.
"Students often feel they will not apply what they have learnt in science lessons to the real world, and that's where they lose motivation," he said.
"I hope to help them link these science concepts to real world application.""
Congratulations to the award winners all. Late bloomers or not. Teaching is a VOCATION and not just a job. This is the mind-set required of anyone who want to become a Teacher. Yes, my take is idealistic but I am hopeful.
Lessons for me are:
1. when you are interested and have the passion, nothing can really stop you from achieving your vision - late bloomer or not!;
2. while it is thrilling to learn of the innovative ways the 2 award winning teachers taught their students, it is my wish that MOE adopt and consolidate ALL the BEST PRACTICES in the MOE schools by the thousand of creative and passionate teachers into some SOLID STANDARD practices. Better than those outside MOE like MindChamps, MindEdge, Adam Khoo's Learning Technology, etc ran do education!! :-);
Notes: MOE-run kindergarten (5 of them) is a very good initiative.
3. in a society where meritocracy means: you are up there ALL the while with NO SLIP UP allowed, learning about the achievement of late bloomers ALWAYS encourages me to believe that 'life long learning 'attitude and desire to work on their vision are MOST IMPORTANT. That current and future so-called 'why are you still not studying well' kids KNOW they can DO WELL in their own way and at their own time!
But after being posted to the Normal (Academic) stream at Bedok Green Secondary, he began to buck up and started racking up A grades.
Yesterday the 26-year-old son of a taxi driver and a housewife graduated as a teacher from the National Institute of Education (NIE) and went home with four awards, including the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal, the highest honour a student can receive.
A total of 1,446 new and returning teachers will receive their certificates and awards from NIE this week at the Teachers' Investiture Ceremony, held at Nanyang Technological University. Mr Lim discovered his love for teaching through his mathematics teacher in secondary school.
"She helped me to plan how I could coach my classmates in maths and science," said Mr Lim, who attended Tampines Junior College.
During his attachment to Bedok View Secondary, he taught an N(A) class.
"I enjoy teaching them, as I can relate to them," he said. "Some think they are a difficult bunch to teach but once you get to know them, they are respectful and honest."
He tries to incorporate healthy competition during maths lessons, such as by offering sweets for correct answers in surprise quizzes.
"They learn better when they are engaged," said Mr Lim, who will go on to do a master's degree in pure maths at the National University of Singapore next month.
Education Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday reminded teachers at the ceremony of the professional boundaries pertaining to duties and relationships with students and colleagues.
He added that teachers should question whether what they are doing will help to better their students. Mr Heng also presented the Outstanding Youth in Education Award to five teachers to recognise the efforts the young teachers have been making.
Among them was Mr Mohamed Ashiq Mohamed Elias, a 34-year- old science teacher at Pasir Ris Secondary.
He incorporates magic tricks into his lessons - so students discover how levitation is performed through mirror reflection and learn about magnets by observing a trick using a small ring that "floats" in the air.
He also uses a pregnancy test kit for a lesson on chromatography.
"Students often feel they will not apply what they have learnt in science lessons to the real world, and that's where they lose motivation," he said.
"I hope to help them link these science concepts to real world application.""
Congratulations to the award winners all. Late bloomers or not. Teaching is a VOCATION and not just a job. This is the mind-set required of anyone who want to become a Teacher. Yes, my take is idealistic but I am hopeful.
Lessons for me are:
1. when you are interested and have the passion, nothing can really stop you from achieving your vision - late bloomer or not!;
2. while it is thrilling to learn of the innovative ways the 2 award winning teachers taught their students, it is my wish that MOE adopt and consolidate ALL the BEST PRACTICES in the MOE schools by the thousand of creative and passionate teachers into some SOLID STANDARD practices. Better than those outside MOE like MindChamps, MindEdge, Adam Khoo's Learning Technology, etc ran do education!! :-);
Notes: MOE-run kindergarten (5 of them) is a very good initiative.
3. in a society where meritocracy means: you are up there ALL the while with NO SLIP UP allowed, learning about the achievement of late bloomers ALWAYS encourages me to believe that 'life long learning 'attitude and desire to work on their vision are MOST IMPORTANT. That current and future so-called 'why are you still not studying well' kids KNOW they can DO WELL in their own way and at their own time!
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