Annex A Mdm Dianaros Bt Ab Majid Haig Girls School Mdm Dianaros bt Ab Majid is a dedicated Lead Teacher at Haig Girls School. With a strong passion for teaching and learning, she believes that all pupils should be given enriching learning opportunities. She strives to engage them through multi-sensory classroom experiences which focus on the holistic development of every child. Mdm Dianaros oversees several curriculum innovation programmes in her school, including the school s Integrated Project Work (IPW). To develop her pupils to be future-ready, Mdm Dianaros and her team infused 21 st century competencies into the IPW programme in 2010. She spearheaded an IPW project where her pupils were engaged in field work to study the traffic situation in the Joo Chiat area. It was a proud moment for the pupils when they presented their proposed solutions to then- Member of Parliament for Joo Chiat Constituency, Mr Chan Soo Sen, as well as representatives from the Land Transport Authority and the Traffic Police in 2010. Mdm Dianaros also oversees the infusion of Holistic Assessment into the curriculum. She works closely with the teachers to craft assessment tasks and rubrics, as well as with the school management to systematically infuse assessment into the curriculum. As a Lead Teacher, Mdm Dianaros worked on various cluster-based and zonal projects, and conducted sharing sessions at various platforms for the professional development of her peers. She has also shared at international platforms like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation-Regional Language Centre (APEC-RELC) Conference 2010 and the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice (CRPP) Re-designing Pedagogy Conference 2011. Mdm Dianaros is an excellent leader and mentor to her peers and a caring and inspiring teacher to her charges. 1
Miss Han Tui Kin Serene Monfort Junior School Miss Han Tui Kin Serene is the Science Level Head at Montfort Junior School. She believes that every child can learn and is committed to bringing out the best in each pupil. She helps her pupils connect classroom learning with the real world through engaging lessons. To encourage her young charges to work towards their goals, she wrote personalised letters and cards to them. Miss Han adapts her teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of her pupils, especially those with learning difficulties and those who come from a disadvantaged background. She convinced these pupils that that they too could have dreams and that they could make their dreams a reality. As a Level Head, Miss Han worked closely with her Head of Department to redesign the Science curriculum, injecting activities that promoted curiosity and creativity. In 2007 and 2009, she organised a Cluster Science Fair and competition for pupils from the cluster schools to provide them with opportunities to showcase their projects and encourage them to put their experimental skills into practice. A lifelong learner, Miss Han constantly seeks to apply her knowledge acquired from her Masters programme in Science Education to her professional practice. For example, after participating in an overseas learning journey on Holistic Assessment in Melbourne, she contributed to the school s efforts in holistic assessment and shared what she knew with her colleagues, as well as with teachers in the cluster schools during informal teachers sharing and cluster presentations. Miss Han is an inspiring teacher and her deep commitment towards her pupils is highly commendable. 2
Mdm Chua Mui Ling Woodlands Ring Primary School Mdm Chua Mui Ling is the Head of Department (Mathematics) at Woodlands Ring Primary School. Teaching has been her calling since young. She believes that teachers must be genuinely concerned for their pupils. In fact, Mdm Chua still demonstrates this belief as she continues to care for some of her ex-students who have long since graduated from the school. In 2008, Mdm Chua, together with a colleague, initiated an affirmation card as a motivation scheme to encourage her pupils to do well in their studies, and to be exemplary in their conduct. She also encourages her pupils to give back to the community by participating in various community service projects. For example, she inspired one of her pupils, Deborah, to spearhead a large scale donation drive for the earthquake victims in India in 2001. To share her love for Mathematics with her pupils, Mdm Chua uses creative teaching methods to spark their interest in the subject. She initiated the Mathematics Learning Support programme to encourage pupils to coach their peers and support one another in the learning of Mathematics. She motivated her pupils to work hard and spurred them on with words of encouragement when they faced difficulties. Mdm Chua also continually seeks to develop herself professionally. She completed her Masters in Mathematics and Mathematics Education in 2010. Armed with the knowledge gained from her Masters programme, she conducted a research project on teachers professed beliefs about Mathematics teaching and learning. She also presented a Mathematics research project on the use of manipulatives in solving non-routine problems in Mathematics at the North Zone School-based Communities of Practice. Mdm Chua is a mentor to both her pupils and peers. Her passion for teaching and commitment to her pupils are highly commendable. 3
Mr Ganesan s/o Raman Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary) Mr Ganesan s/o Raman is the Head of Department (Mathematics) at Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary). He believes that every child has the potential to succeed in life. He is committed to his students learning and well-being and works tirelessly to ensure that no child is left behind. He has touched the lives of many students, including those with behavioural problems, through his love and commitment to them. Mr Ganesan firmly believes in the value of service learning. He has led his students to take part in various community service projects and overseas learning trips, such as fund-raising for World Vision. These community projects provided the students with opportunities to appreciate the role they played in the larger community and in turn, helped shape their character and honed their life skills. In 2009, Mr Ganesan led a team of Mathematics teachers to carry out curriculum innovation for the Teach Less Learn More (TLLM) Ignite! 2 project. He continues to play the role of a curriculum leader in the Professional Learning Community, leading two teams of Mathematics teachers to explore and use different pedagogical approaches in the classroom to better engage learners. He was also instrumental in planning and organising workshops and learning journeys on the teaching and learning of Mathematics for teachers from the secondary schools in the cluster. Mr Ganesan is currently pursuing a part-time Masters in Education (Mathematics) programme at the National Institute of Education (NIE). He makes it a point to share what he has learnt from the Masters programme with teachers in his school. Together with his colleagues, he seeks to create a lifelong learning culture in the school. Mr Ganesan s dedication in realising the potential of his students and his passion in developing teachers make him a truly outstanding teacher. 4
Mr Chong Jack Sheng Woodlands Ring Secondary School Mr Chong Jack Sheng is the Head of Department (Character and Citizenship Education) at Woodlands Ring Secondary School. He firmly believes in relationship building as the fundamental factor in effective education, and engages students in critical inquiry to help them make sense of the world around them. Under his leadership, Character Education lesson packages were customised to include values education, social emotional competencies, career guidance, sexuality education and cyber-wellness. In 2009, he initiated an in-house Citizenship Ceremony to explain the significance of receiving new Identity Cards to the school s Secondary 3 students. This event also drove home the important message that each of his students should be an active and concerned citizen. Mr Chong was commended by the Immigration and Customs Authority for his innovative idea. Mr Chong adopts creative strategies to make his Biology lessons interesting for his students. He is able to develop in his students a deep understanding of Biology by sparking and sustaining his students interest in the subject, Mr Chong goes beyond his area of work and voluntarily serves as the Lower Secondary Academic Head. He sees it as his mission to develop students from the lower secondary levels into self-directed and confident learners. In addition, Mr Chong also makes home visits to understand the needs of students who have stayed away from school. He is noted for his generosity in helping students and his ability to reach out to those who are in need of support. As a skillful teacher with strong leadership qualities, Mr Chong inducts, coaches and supervises untrained and Beginning Teachers. He contributes to the professional development of his peers through the sharing of innovative practices at local and international platforms. Mr Chong s determination to polish any star that comes his way into a shiny one makes him a role-model of the teaching fraternity. 5