Has the System Failed Us?

How is everyone doing? This should be exam-marking time for most of you. If you are neck-deep in papers to be marked and panicking over the worksheets to be returned, hang in there! It will all be over in 2 weeks!

The following comic came up in my Facebook feed today which made me think of our exam system, I wonder if any of you have seen this:

If you switch the tree with the PSLE exam, I suppose that makes the monkey the middle progress (MP) student, the bird the higher progress (HP) and the rest lower progress (LP). It might even put the seal and the penguin in the Learning Support Programme (LSP) and the elephant in the School-based Dyslexia Remediation programme (SDR).

I know there will be some people who will protest that I'm making a mockery out of the LSP and SDR programmes and the students enrolled in these programmes really do benefit from them. However, that is not the point. Yes, there are weak readers and dyslexic students who really need the LSP and SDR programmes. They do improve with the additional guidance and it can make a difference in their academic performance.

This is the point I'm trying to make: That we have these programmes to help them succeed in OUR SYSTEM, not necessarily always to help them find their own.

Consider this, that ever since the PSLE system was first formed, it has continued to assess in the same medium, that of a written paper. It is fully impartial, like that of blind Justice. It sets out a set of standards and expectations, and it weighs its candidates according to those.

This is one of its strengths, but it also leads to its weaknesses.

It does not, for example, acknowledge PROGRESS. It does not see that a student may have strenuously struggled with the Chinese language for 6 years and finally passed for the first time in the exam. It only sees a C.

It does not acknowledge SOCIALIZATION SKILLS. It does not acknowledge what we know as the 'people skills'. This may include the ability to lead, to motivate a team to a common goal, the ability to work in a team etc. Ironically, these traits may even be stronger factors of a person's success in the corporate world than their PSLE or O level grades.

It does not acknowledge CREATIVITY, from the wide-ranging vision of a CEO who may scout out new directions for a company right down to the practising artist who thinks of new ways of creating art.

I write this because I have seen the system fail some of my past students in these ways. I saw kids who couldn't read a word in Primary 1 finally write out 80 words in a (somewhat) coherent composition in Primary 2, who would fail because the composition had too many grammatical mistakes to make the passing grade. I also saw kids who would work hard every night on their own with minimal parental supervision have their efforts rewarded with a barely-passing mark above 50. Of course, I also saw kids who were masters of leadership, who did badly in their exams and yet could plot and instigate other kids to do their bidding. (For the sake of the country, I hope they used their leadership powers for good in the end.)

Whenever some of the above situations occur, the system impartially puts a failing grade on them. And for all the changes in the PSLE system since the very first paper, it remains the same. That is, of a written paper which tests reading, writing, listening and analytical skills (in the case of Math and Science). If the system cannot assess, monitor or reward our kids in the 3 areas I mentioned above, then instead of having it fail our kids, we should say IT HAS FAILED us.

As of now, I cannot decide where the blame lies. Do we blame the system, for only rewarding the A students who were lucky enough to be born with brains and those born with the money to go for tuition and enrichment? Do we blame society, for catering to the system and demanding higher levels of accountability? For letting the system stay in place without higher demands for change at a more profound level?

*Sigh* Such big questions just because I've been marking some English papers. I'm not sure anyone can answer them easily in my lifetime but maybe, if some people read this, think about it and start changing mindsets, I'd be satisfied enough. For now, enough with the big questions, away from the keyboard and back to the red pen...

What do you think? Do you agree about the system or not? Why do you do so? Please leave your thoughts in the comments! (Trolls will be sent out of class)

Term 2 is the Best

It's Week 3 of the term and I'm already looking forward to June! How is everybody doing? I find that Term 2 is one of the best terms of the year. It's at a good level of 'busyness' that is manageable for everyone and usually this is the term when I can still carry on my NY resolutions (like sleep 7-8 hours each night and exercise regularly) before everything becomes too chaotic. Here are my reasons why...

Term 2 is the Best

1. Settled-down Students
In Term 1, many students are still reeling from the shock of waking up in the morning at 6. Many of them would also have to get used to a new form teacher's routines. There would be some struggle between handling the new workload and the new teacher. This is also the time when they are most likely to try and 'test' the new teacher to see how much they can get away with. For a teacher, class management would be critical during this period as how you react towards them may determine how smooth your year with this class is!

By the time Term 2 comes around, the students are already settled down to school routines and know the conduct and behaviour that is expected of them. If you have already set your foot down firmly in Term 1, managing the class should be easier in Term 2.

2. Lighter workload
The workload for teachers is still relatively low compared to the mayhem of exam preparation in Terms 3-4. In Term 2, you would be preparing the students for half a year's work to be tested in SA1. Compare this to Term 4, where you may be revising a year's work for SA2. The issue of timing also comes in, which brings me to the next point...

3. Less school days in Semester 2 
Many teachers feel very harried during Semester 2 and this is also the period where you see everyone deep in piles of marking. Why does it feel so? That's because there are significantly less days to cover work in Semester 2 than in Semester 1 and a simple calculation illustrates this.

Assume that School A carries out CA2 in Week 9. If we assume that English is on a Monday followed by the other subjects, that leaves 8 weeks to prepare. Factor in the National Day holiday, which loses one day due to public holiday, the day before, because that's a half day and the day after, which is a school holiday. Now we have 3 days potentially lost from the school calendar. Subtract 1 more day for Youth day and that's almost a whole week gone! So we are left with 7 weeks for CA2!

Then in Term 4, again assume that School A carries out SA2 in week 8. Assuming English is on Monday, that leaves 7 weeks for preparation. Subtract 1 week for PSLE marking and you now have 6 weeks. Subtract another 3 days average for public holidays, you now have 5.5 weeks for SA2! That's 5.5 weeks to cover Term 4 topics and revise the past year's work! Has the panic set in yet??

Most schools would be aware of this shortfall in days and this should be covered in their SOW in various ways. Some may start Term 3's work right after SA1 in Term 2 and Term 4's work in Term 3. The SOW should also be planned to take into account of this.

Teachers may handle this by... Going into fervent and frantic marking sprees. :D Well, whatever works. Keep your spirits by remembering that after all that, the December holidays beckon after that. And to prepare, keep yourself healthy now in Term 2 by sleeping well and exercising and eating well. I cannot guarantee you would be able to do that after June!

It's been a while...

One day, I logged into Blogger remembering a dusty old blog that I used to keep. I wrote a bit about the education industry in Singapore, about the tuition industry and some little ideas about teaching. 

Then one day, I stopped. Or rather, I did not suddenly stop one day, but work caught up, the marking went up, the workload went up and then the blog was laid one side. Every now and then, a thought occurred to me about something and I would think about blogging about it but then other work intruded and the thought flew away. 

Nothing spectacular, just what happens to a lot of people, I guess. 

The funny thing is, while I was neglecting my blog, the Internet certainly wasn't. I would receive an email once in a while telling me someone had commented on something I blogged years back. I thought it was strange and then during the Dec holiday I decided to log into Blogger and see what was going on. 

The statistics told me: People were still reading parts of the blog, even after I had neglected it! The Internet and the spiders at Google were still surfacing parts of my blog and most touchingly, people were still interested in reading parts of it. Thank you very much if you were doing so. :) 

This year, I'm going to make another attempt at keeping this blog dust-free. There have been changes to the industry since my last blog post. There are big ideas I want people to think about. There are teaching practices that I want to share. I've found great resources and websites that have helped me in my teaching. I think there are things tuition teachers can use as well, so that they can be a great support to their students' learning, even if they have not been trained by NIE. There are things happening in local education that I want to voice an opinion about. 

And I know there are others out there who are interested too.

Thank you for keeping this alive and I will do my best not to disappoint. 

Signs that You Should Not Become A Teacher

Every year, a new advertisement on teachers and the nobility of teaching surfaces on TV. These advertisements are meant to recruit a new group of teachers to MOE. There could be some use to them, judging by the size and popularity of the MOE booth at the Career Fair year after year!

However, at the same time, there is a sizeable group of people who leave the teaching service. These are people who thought they could 'make a difference' but only found out that they could not handle the job when they entered the service itself. I feel sorry for some of these people sometimes, because they enter with all their hopes and aspirations. But they become overwhelmed by the children, by the work and end up counting the days to the end of their bond, leaving disillusioned.

So, before you sign on that dotted line, check and do reflections whether you are really cut out for the job. Ask relatives and friends who are in the service and ask them for their experiences in the service. Have a clear and realistic picture of the workload and expectations before you actually sign anything. Never forget that once you sign the dotted line, you will be looking at a bond period of 3-5 years. It seems like a short time, but if you are unhappy at the job, it can seem like a lifetime.

Meanwhile, in a tongue-in-cheek way, here are some ways you can assess yourself for the suitability of the teaching profession:

1. You hate kids.

I think this needs no explanation. You are going to face 30-40 children under 12 everyday. If you hate kids, no amount of pay will ever justify the job.

2. You love kids. Too much.

And yet, if you are the kind of person that thinks all children are cute, adorable, innocent and perfectly behaved, you are probably not prepared for the job either. You have to realise that, like adults, children come in many forms. You do get children who are cute, adorable, innocent and perfectly behaved, but you also get children who are mischievous, spoiled and attention-seeking. Not to mention children with intellectual, social and physical disabilities. You must realise that there are children who will not be perfect angels and be ready for them.

3. You never wake up before 12.

Assembly starts at 0710 to 0720 and most schools require their teachers to be in before that. Not to mention that in a number of years, all schools will eventually become single-session, ie in the morning. You really should be an early-riser for this job.

4. You do not like the colour red.

Nobody marks with pink or purple pens. This is an industry standard.

5. You think you can go home everyday at 12 when the school bell rings

There are only a select few I know who do this, and they are all adjunct teachers. (Teachers working on something similar to a contract basis and who are paid hourly) The full-time teachers are usually staying back for CCA, remedials, meetings and if there are none of those, they are involved in some kind of committee meetings. Nobody goes home on the stroke of the bell! The truth is that each teacher can spend something like 11 hours in school, considering how early you have to reach work in order to start lessons. Do not have illusions of laziness if you enter teaching.

That said, sometimes you never really know how you feel about a job until you do it for real. If you are considering teaching, my recommendation is to approach the schools in your surrounding areas and ask them about becoming a contract teacher. You could become a relief teacher as well, but you'd have to be ready for any school that calls you at 630am to come in that very day. A contract teacher is better because you can take on work that is similar to what a real teacher does, but you do not have the bond to keep you in the job. Thus, if you feel you are really not cut out for teaching, you can leave.

Some people may feel I am 'pouring cold water' by writing this post and discouraging people from becoming teachers. I prefer to encourage people to enter the profession realistically. It does the school no good when new teachers enter, become disillusioned, and lose all interest in the job. Rather, I would like to see more people who are clearly aware of the downfalls of the job and yet are willing to take it on nonetheless. These people will stay on and benefit us all.