Pupil Developer = Influencer

For me, last Friday's leadership moment in the SMC was a good session of learning about how we influence people to change their behaviour.

The 6 circles picture is an easy way to remember. (here I have one in table form)

However, the best way to remember is to use it.

It is actually very much needed to be use in area of Pupil Development:

1. In Pupil Management-
The whole matter of coming up with system of consequences for wrong behaviour but also to commending and rewarding good behaviors (the fine balance of being disciplinarian and being pastoral).

2. In Pupil Support/ area of counselling-
Form teacher may come across pupils with motivation issues, not wanting to come to school, lacking the heart to study, family issues, BGR problem etc. There is a need to influence, to encourage that de-motivated or unmotivated heart, and at the same time actually lending a hand to "surpass their perceived, sometimes real disability" to move on. Sometime certain professional help must also come to provide additional influence.

3. In Character Education-
Certain habits has already been formed by Sec School, some comes in already a loner, a do-just-enough-to- get-by, a loud mouth, a self-centred person, or one who not mixed around with other race and many 'other shaped and sized' ones. The school would need to put in place Structure of BCA to help reshape some these social habits through the social pressure of numbers within the class to get class going as well as knowing that the whole class is involved and not you only are slogging alone. However, as we have seen in the recent CNY decoration competition, some class just wouldn't move. Maybe there is a lack of motivation on the Class Leader part or even FT part to address those who still ask 'What's in it for me?'

Even in CCA, it's the same issue that teachers face all the time and as such having to deal with attrition problem.

So truly, using a few of the 6 sources of influence may not work all time.

It seems to be an important skill that all teachers or even any professions that deals with people, have to learn to put all the 6 sources together to fully be able to win people over, to do what you want them to be.

Teachers: To mould the future of our nation.... so let's learn to Influence pupils effectively.

Small Birthday cake from SWC that went a LONG way

It was just a little cake that some members of the Staff Welfare Committee 2011 gave to the January 'babies'... but I think it's a very nice gesture esp when the cake has design that befits the baby. I got this design...it shows that their care for details that I am the D&T and a Handyman. I was pleasantly surprised.


Thank You SWC!!!

New acronym for D&T: SRIDAR

It was great fun to discover new ways to help pupil to remember thing better. This week, while introducing it to a new Sec 3 NT class，I discover that we can represent the D&T design process using a Tamil sounding acronym: SRIDAR.

Situation
Research
Idea conceptualization
Development
Artefact
Realization

The pupils has quickly taken onto it as it's catchy. In the past, it would have been not easy even with a pictorial representation. Even fellow colleagues have also taken on to try with his class.

Here is wishing us, the DnT unit, a fun and fruitful year ahead.

Something that got me thinking

Recently I had a discussion with my brother-in-law, also happened to be my brother in Christ too.
He said something that got me thinking...
"When the world's need match with your passion/ strength/ gift/ talent, therewith lies your vocation"

It has been great that Mr Chin, our principal has started since last year to get all teachers and staff to put in their personal mission statement within the work review. It really forced us to think deeply about whether this is our vocation, something we enjoy doing, something we believe in. Sometimes, it may also caused us to rethink our vocation and meaning in life.

As part of the school management team, we should also strive to deploy our supervisees to their strong areas so that they will enjoy what they are doing and will find the jobs meaningful for themselves. Granted there will be constraints, but we must endeavor to put officers in the area of strengths.

Sharpening one another

Year 2010 has been eventful for me, a lot of learning done. Yet still room for growing.

I was put in charge of Pupil Development Dept which was later enlarged with many more heads: it is one thing to lead teacher ICs. It is another to be a leader of leaders. Each have his/ her strength and quark. There has been a lot of moments of sharpening one anothers' iron. And I'm still learning to tap on the strong points of other and patch up the weak points of fellow leaders.

To sharpen, there will be and must have friction. Naturally we will feel good when there is positive strokes about te good stuff that were credited to us. But when we receive negative feedback about things done wrongly, we should have an attitude of humility and integrity: humbly accepting responsibility for not getting things right, not to be defensive, remembering the fault and not to repeat it.

Like what we always tell the pupils: it is OK to make mistake, but resolve not to repeat mistakes.