Becoming a teacher has always been my ambition since I was young. The love of children and my own love of learning drew me to teaching.
Tell us about your own education journey
After completing the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM), I got a scholarship to study a Foundation Degree of Arts in Supporting Learning & Teaching for a year. I continued with a Bachelor Honours Degree of Arts in Education and graduated with First Class Honours from Roehampton University in the U.K.. The Chinese language was never my favourite subject in school, however, I started to feel the responsibility of imparting the knowledge to the younger generation after seeing students struggle to learn the new language like I did when I was young. To get better at teaching the subject, I took a course and successfully received a Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages issued by the Confucius Institute Headquarters/Chinese Hanban.
What is the most memorable moment in your teaching career so far?
It has to be that “ah-ha” moment from the students. These moments are sometimes hard to find, hard to catch and hard to create in the classroom. However, the second you witness it, that’s when you realise all your hard work is worth it – an ecstatic feeling.
What do you like most about teaching?
Teaching is a job where every day is different. I have the ability to ‘spice it up’ as I work through new units in the curriculum, discover new topics to teach, explore different approaches, do differentiation, organise Chinese New Year, incorporate Chinese culture elements into delivering and help students to develop their life skills.
What is the best thing about teaching at your school?
I joined Tenby International School Tropicana Aman two and half years ago and being a pioneer teacher, I felt a sense of belonging here. We worked hard from scratch, from creating new lesson plans, organising the classrooms, setting up the culture to witnessing the growth of the school. The parents are exceptionally supportive in school events and activities, strengthening the school community and enhancing communication. Their involvement and trust towards the teachers makes me feel excited, confident and driven to teach every single child in school.
Who or what inspires you?
Along my teaching journey, I have met many people who inspire me in different ways. My parents taught me to be kind and shared all sorts of life-experience stories and their philosophy which has helped me in making connections in my teaching. My seniors who changed my mindset from traditional teaching to inquiry-based concepts.
Tell us about your online teaching experience. Did you face any challenges?
Having to alter the lesson plans, difficulty in catering to learning styles, being “dramatic” and creative to engage the students virtually. As a form tutor, I also needed to be consistent with monitoring students’ discipline, manners and support their pastoral care.
What lessons have you learnt recently in your job?
Don’t change your expectations, change your approach. Maintain high expectations for all learners but understand that students are struggling more than ever. Students will need extra support and flexible deadlines rather than consequences.
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