Always ask ourselves Q1 and Q2 first

Term 3 Week 4. I shared with Mr Chin and Mdm Rina about my learning in Naval Base Secondary School in the SAPD and wanted to make some changes in the school programs and deployment eg. Camp Week for all levels, form task force to critique Alive Program etc. Every time I went ahead with the program proposals stating the nitty gritty operational bits, Mr Chin would stop me and pose the Questions 1 and 2:

Question 1: What's the purpose/ Objectives? What pupil outcome are we trying to achieve through this program/ action?

Question 2: How can we see this outcome being demonstrated? How do know this intended outcome is achieved? How do we measure that?

We have the tendency to go straight to Question 3
Question 3: The nitty gritty operational things.

Through that session, I have learnt to think AfL again and the importance of it so that programs recommendation are well thought through so that they are always aligned with school goals.

Thanks Mr Chin.

Reflection about DDSN Mrs Yu ST

DD's message:
- Pastoral Care: if ever, should be the 1st KPI
- Pupil first! Pupil first!
- Again: the pupil don't care how much you care until they know how much you care.
- Show them care and they on their own will excel
- never let the assessment drive the decision, but rather the outcome driving the decision.

So should we change the order of KRA in the teacher's Work Reveiw? - the key being PC and then follow by Quality Learning?

But yet again, a caring teacher will care to give Quality teaching, isn't it?

My message:
What did I said, what I regret saying, what i had wished to say?

- I brought up about MOE should set C2015 assessments to shift to PC outcomes and priorities, but I was immediately 'shot down' . Initially, I regretted bringing it up. However, thinking back very soon I was glad that it has brought about Mrs Yu sharp 'chiding' that I should not wait upon MOE assessment to decide to do what is right. questioning about why is there changes in assessment assessment driving decision, "never let the assessment drive the decision, but rather the intended outcome driving the decision"

Further thoughts and probing questions to the SMC:

- "it is school leaders who will make the correct shift towards Pastoral Care and Pupil Development as opposed to Exam-oriented"

- are we, the management especially the IP HODs ready to take risk, to change Teachers' priority from Quality Learning to Pastoral Care/ Pupil Development?

- if we shift to priority to PC, what does it look like operationally in a typical subject class?

Reflective Skillful Teacher

Summarised from reading portion shared by Stephen on 5th July 2010 from "Skillful Teacher 2nd Edition"

Informed Actions:
1. Can be explained and justified to ourselves and others2
2. Are Researched
2. Has good chance of achieving what it intended to

4 lenses of Critical Reflection:
1. Pupils
2. Colleagues
3. Literature
4. Own

3 Purposes of Critical Reflective Stance:
1. Increase chance that our classroom actions are based on accurate and valid assumptions
2. Model the way to pupils the very skill we wanted to impart
3. Reenergize our teaching