just finished this after a two hour struggle.
actually, sometimes i feel quite fortunate to be a GP teacher lar. cos i rather like writing. heh.
have tried to capitalise on my strength (heartfelt) while toning down my weakness (melodramatic). haha.
a pat on ah le's shoulder. yay!
~~~~~
Teacher Work Attachment in Laos
It was definitely a leap out of our comfort zone as we boarded the plane to Laos in December 2007, not knowing the proficiency level of our Laotian partners and the content in their syllabuses. Nonetheless, as the pioneer batch of teachers attached to Laos under the Teacher Work Attachment, we were excited at the thought of interacting with a different culture and refining teaching strategies in a foreign setting. We hoped that we would do some good to the schools we were attached to!
We need not have worried. We were so warmly received by the Laotians that we felt rather embarrassed by their overwhelming kindness and hospitality. The staff of Sikhottabong Upper Secondary School brought us on a weekend excursion to Vang Vieng, paid for all our expenses and expected nothing in return. The same can be said for the teachers in Vientiane Upper Secondary School, except that they brought us to Nang Trang. On our last day, they even thoughtfully surprised us with souvenir T-shirts. The Dean and other key personnel in National University of Laos took time out to organize a dignified certificate-awarding ceremony that we felt that we did not quite deserve. Their friendliness put our apprehensions at rest and was the most awesome take-away from this experience.
In terms of teaching, we had to assess the classroom culture professionally and modify our teaching decisively. How could we make lessons lively when students were used to teacher-centred instruction and the classrooms were not furnished with IT equipment? Here, our creative juices flowed. Sandra and Karen brought experiential learning into the classroom and helped students learn nouns and adjectives by ta pao-ing food from the hotel lobby. Halimah and Dorothy had a whale of a time getting their charges to recite nursery rhymes. Since music was the universal language, Kai Le and Wee Teck employed songs to teach past tense. It helped that the Laotians were pleasant to teach. Their palpable excitement and profuse words of appreciation were a joy to behold and fuelled our passion to teach.
Detractors might point out that it is absurd to sacrifice two or three weeks of quality time with family and friends to rough it out and do more teaching (alas!). But as the saying “nothing ventured, nothing gained” goes, the rewards are innumerable. Being immersed in a foreign environment has compelled us to think more deeply about our identities as teachers as we strive to find our place in the midst of the dynamic Singapore education landscape. TWA has brought us satisfaction as we gathered authentic insights into how the Laotians teach English and introduced pedagogies which they deemed as useful. We enjoyed our roles as unofficial ambassadors of Singapore as well, bringing them to feast on our local delicacies at Simply Me, the first Singapore café in Vientiane. Most importantly, we were humbled to learn so much from them---their tenacity despite the aftermath of war, their determination to carve a better life for themselves and their companionship.
“We feel very honoured to receive you,” The vice-principal of Sikhottabong Upper Secondary School expressed.
No, no, Mr Viensawak, the honour is ours.
~~~~
I miss Laos
actually, sometimes i feel quite fortunate to be a GP teacher lar. cos i rather like writing. heh.
have tried to capitalise on my strength (heartfelt) while toning down my weakness (melodramatic). haha.
a pat on ah le's shoulder. yay!
~~~~~
Teacher Work Attachment in Laos
It was definitely a leap out of our comfort zone as we boarded the plane to Laos in December 2007, not knowing the proficiency level of our Laotian partners and the content in their syllabuses. Nonetheless, as the pioneer batch of teachers attached to Laos under the Teacher Work Attachment, we were excited at the thought of interacting with a different culture and refining teaching strategies in a foreign setting. We hoped that we would do some good to the schools we were attached to!
We need not have worried. We were so warmly received by the Laotians that we felt rather embarrassed by their overwhelming kindness and hospitality. The staff of Sikhottabong Upper Secondary School brought us on a weekend excursion to Vang Vieng, paid for all our expenses and expected nothing in return. The same can be said for the teachers in Vientiane Upper Secondary School, except that they brought us to Nang Trang. On our last day, they even thoughtfully surprised us with souvenir T-shirts. The Dean and other key personnel in National University of Laos took time out to organize a dignified certificate-awarding ceremony that we felt that we did not quite deserve. Their friendliness put our apprehensions at rest and was the most awesome take-away from this experience.
In terms of teaching, we had to assess the classroom culture professionally and modify our teaching decisively. How could we make lessons lively when students were used to teacher-centred instruction and the classrooms were not furnished with IT equipment? Here, our creative juices flowed. Sandra and Karen brought experiential learning into the classroom and helped students learn nouns and adjectives by ta pao-ing food from the hotel lobby. Halimah and Dorothy had a whale of a time getting their charges to recite nursery rhymes. Since music was the universal language, Kai Le and Wee Teck employed songs to teach past tense. It helped that the Laotians were pleasant to teach. Their palpable excitement and profuse words of appreciation were a joy to behold and fuelled our passion to teach.
Detractors might point out that it is absurd to sacrifice two or three weeks of quality time with family and friends to rough it out and do more teaching (alas!). But as the saying “nothing ventured, nothing gained” goes, the rewards are innumerable. Being immersed in a foreign environment has compelled us to think more deeply about our identities as teachers as we strive to find our place in the midst of the dynamic Singapore education landscape. TWA has brought us satisfaction as we gathered authentic insights into how the Laotians teach English and introduced pedagogies which they deemed as useful. We enjoyed our roles as unofficial ambassadors of Singapore as well, bringing them to feast on our local delicacies at Simply Me, the first Singapore café in Vientiane. Most importantly, we were humbled to learn so much from them---their tenacity despite the aftermath of war, their determination to carve a better life for themselves and their companionship.
“We feel very honoured to receive you,” The vice-principal of Sikhottabong Upper Secondary School expressed.
No, no, Mr Viensawak, the honour is ours.
~~~~
I miss Laos
posted by heng at 1:58 AM
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