“The essence of education can be bequeathed to the youth who joined in the relay”.
A two-day programme filled with indispensable information, intriguing activities and phenomenal ideas. We extend a warm welcome to the newly hired teachers.
By Ms Loke Mei Yee (Jasmine)
English Department Teacher
New year, new beginning. While most of us were still engrossed in the surreal spirit of the New Year, our school welcomed 16 aspiring new teachers who arrived in Kuen Cheng High School with a heart filled with excitement. Despite their dread of the unknown, they were all looking forward to their time here in this completely new setting. A group of teachers volunteered to work hand in hand with the Admin Team to commence the orientation session for new teachers from January 2 to 3, 2024, led by our Teachers’ Professional Development Executive, Dr. Wong Cheng Yoke.
The activities were properly planned, and the programme of events was tight for both days. Our Vice Principal, Ms. Koo Lai Ping started off the session by giving an insightful talk, explaining about the history of Kuen Cheng High School as well as the origin behind the iconic school song’s composition. She also shared the joys and challenges of her academic journey. Initially, Ms. Koo intended to major in journalism when she was younger, but after adopting her mentor’s advice, she ultimately decided to continue her studies in the Department of Chinese Language. She became a teacher after graduation and dedicated herself wholeheartedly to her academic career. She explored, confronted and resolved doubts to a greater extent which was regarded as providing closure to existing thoughts, and fulfilling good communication. The first day’s session was wrapped up by Dr. Wong in her speech titled “The Importance of First Impression, Developing Good Habits, and Educating Students”. It goes without saying that developing a good habit can pave the route to success. The pandemic in recent years prevented students from embracing their student life on campus, as well as unwittingly allowing undesirable remarks or behaviors to fester. As a result, what was done can potentially be restored by taking little steps back on track. Teachers, the forerunners in the educational process, have a responsibility to address this issue which may start by prioritizing in-class salutations. The bond between teachers and students will undoubtedly be fostered by this gesture of mutual respect.
On the second day of the orientation session, Dr. Chua Lee Lee, the Principal of Kuen Cheng High School graced us with her presence and imparted her expertise about the school’s philosophy as well as her ambitions for the future development. Time flies, and the changes in our society are evident. Our educational policies are bound to evolve in today’s smart world. Metaphorically, the act of learning is similar to the element of water in that it is pure and without a definite form, yet it takes the shape of a solid item that is capable of retaining its attributes. This clearly illustrates that learning is holistic and may mold a person into a well-rounded individual. That is also one of the reasons Madam Chua is so dedicated to developing students’ independence in learning. In accordance with the concept, teaching methodologies are more flexible and diverse, with teachers reducing their authority in class by acting as facilitators, allowing students adequate room to develop their potential, and utilizing the online learning resources that the web provides. Furthermore, Madam Chua reiterated the importance of morning readings, which is believed to be the ideal way for students to unwind from their chaotic thoughts, align their purpose as a student and brilliantly choreograph their waltz into the intricate world of the corpus.
Indoor group activities and an autonomous campus tour/treasure hunt utilizing the campus layout map spiced up the programme. The new teachers displayed an array of exemplary attitudes, responding swiftly and seriously to questions posed during the activities that build collaboration skills among the new team of teachers. We had an excellent time as laughter and enjoyment permeated the air, dispelling the somewhat tense atmosphere that had before been perceived. After a short break, Madam Chong Siew Fah, the Office Administrator of the Principal’s Office, conducted an enlightening session on how teachers groom themselves to establish a respectable image. Then, Ms. Lim Jia Shin, the Assistant Admin Head of the Discipline Department, gave a speech regarding the school rules and suggested conventional methods for the new teachers to employ in their classes. To rise above the rest, one must first master the rules of the game. Considering the fact that many great strategies have been communicated to them, it is up to the teachers to adopt the most appropriate approach to implement in class.
We take this opportunity to express our utmost gratitude to Ms. Giam Wai Shan, Teacher’s Assistant to the Academic Department, Ms. Cheah Yuen Pheng, the Admin Head of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department, and Madam Chuah Ang Leng, Head of the Human Resources and Finance for their informative briefing sessions, in which they explained the duties and routines of teaching that are essential to the profession, how to use IT tools to improve the quality of instruction, and requirements for teacher welfare and the proper ways to apply for leave. To assist teachers in adjusting to their new surroundings, we welcomed Mr. Chua Zhan Heing from the Counseling Department to help everyone figure out purpose in life, both at school and at home, and he also encouraged teachers to practice self-mediation in their spare time.
The two-day event was a success, and we can infer that a teacher has a firm yet gentle demeanor, teaching students the truth, goodness, and beauty, and having the courage to brave the unknown in order to attain satisfaction in life. However, a single question lingered: “What is the essence of education?”. Well, there is no definitive answer; it all depends on how the beholder perceives it. Our event coordinator, Mr. Fam Kai Xiang, the Mathematics Department Teacher, used a quote by Maya Angelou that says: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” which can be understood that new teachers should maintain a close bond with their students and deliver memorable lessons that can be etched into their minds. This onboard training is just an induction for the newcomers. Every teacher has a key to unlock the future that one seeks, however, not all keys are universal, therefore search high and low for the perfect lock that takes you to the future that you have been yearning for. We wish you all the best in your teaching journey and hope you enjoy every step of the process.
01 Introduce yourself by choosing an object or animal that best describes your personality. What would it be?
02 We conducted an activity called “It’s You” during our ice-breaking, which resulted in a heated combat between two groups of new teachers. It certainly livened up the room.
03 In a forum-style setting, our Vice Principal, Ms. Koo Lai Ping (left), enthusiastically shared her years of teaching experience, while Mr. Mun Zhen Shang (right), skillfully moderated the discussion.
04 The autonomous campus tour was carried out in a competitive manner, with each group required to check in at various locations and keep an eye out for ping pong balls, which serve as bonus points for the group.
05 The activity coordinators thoroughly explained the rules of each activity and how points were accumulated for each round. They also supervised the entire session.
06 “Act as a messenger” was one of the activities. The new teachers had a lot of fun as they tried to relay an entire paragraph of messages to their colleagues. Teachers, without a doubt, may engage in similar activities in the classroom. This instance should teach us the importance of language and the fact that it should never be used for deceit. Even a minor misunderstanding can lead to conflict.
07 Madam Chua Lee Lee, Principal of Kuen Cheng High School, spoke about the educational philosophy along with goals of our institution and urged new teachers to promote and encourage the practice of self-study and morning readings.
08 Our activity coordinators came up with yet another fantastic idea: a competitive “Ultimate Q and A” session. New teachers were asked to decide on “Yes” or “No” in response to the questions that were displayed. Points were given to the groups that answered correctly.
09 Group A was victorious! Congratulations! Each of the group members received a gift from the organizing committee. They were praised for their exceptional teamwork skills. (On the left is Dr. Wong Cheng Yoke, our Teachers’ Professional Development Executive)
