It's just one day before the enrichment programme runs, and an idea sparks in my head for an activity that, though straightforward, connects 3 of the modules that I'm teaching. That's pretty hard to come by!
Because I'm the one who wrote the programme, I can integrate it right away and see if it works as well as I think it will.
And because it's a simple activity that doesn't require a lot of additional materials and because I don't have to ask anyone to provide these materials or explain it, it's also much easier to implement.
As I've mentioned in an earlier post, I love testing new activities out.
I can't be sure this (or a modified form) will stay in the programme or in another that I've written, but, at the very least, I'll know that it's been tried out and I would have seen the response first-hand.
Very exciting! I love my work.
I Had an Early Experience With an Out of Control Class. It was Quite a Lesson. Literally.
Early in my career as an educator, I was placed as an assistant trainer to a senior trainer in the company I was working at.
The school we were running the programme in had a reputation.
A good one.
When we entered the school, something felt off. I couldn't quite pinpoint it until we commenced class.
Despite the best efforts of the senior trainer, the students refused to settle down and fights nearly broke out at least twice (among the students).
Even the form teacher of the class, who was sitting in, couldn't exert any control. And we had 4 or 5 lessons with them in total.
Later, I heard similar stories from another trainer (from the same company) who was teaching another class in another location in the school.
For obvious reasons, I cannot disclose the identity of the school. It was, to put it mildly, my worst-ever experience of disciplinary problems in a school.
I've heard since then that the situation in the school had improved over the years, but, as I've never been back there, I cannot confirm or deny the truth of this.
The upshot of this is that every other school seems, in comparison, so much better.
Because I always compare potentially bad experiences to this one, I end up being always thankful even when things go slightly awry.
Framing. Such an important thing.
If You Cannot Explain It, You Don't Know Know It Enough.
There was a mentoring programme when I was in Temasek Polytechnic studying Biotechnology.
Senior students were matched with their juniors, who could seek their help in understanding difficult subject concepts.
The programme was meant to benefit both the juniors and the seniors (and, I suppose indirectly, the lecturers as well).
As one of my lecturers put it,
"If you cannot explain your subject to someone else, you don't know it well enough."
Live Classes Are WAY Better Than Virtual Ones. Change My Mind?
Not too long ago, I was back in a classroom, teaching live.
Yes, everyone had masks on and inter-mingling wasn't "allowed", but it was miles better than running the class online.
I'm no fan of virtual versions of hands-on activities, because a lot of the learning points and, let's face it, fun, are in the unpredictability of what may happen and how your group members will react.
Dissecting a virtual mouse is nowhere near the learning experience of dissecting a real one (that has been humanely killed).
So, I'm glad to be back after so many months.
Based on what I heard, my students had a memorable learning experience.
And that’s what makes it all worth it.