One of my choir/sc student posted on her FB wall yesterday.
She said: its not a step DOWN, but its a step FORWARD towards your FUTURE and how u will mentor your juniors.
A new perspective to her (according to Ruby) and also me and my different views and ideas.
Guiding and molding students take a long time.
Trying to make them see things in a different view takes awhile and also how you present the idea to them.
It takes open-mindedness, passion, love, care and concern.
Now, its time to work on my form class using different ideas.
Friday, April 22, 2011
SYF
SYF which stands for Singapore Youth Festival is finally over for all the performing art groups in our school.
Clearly, improvements can been seen in our PA groups, regardless of whatever awards the groups were awarded.
This brings to mind the subject title. SYF is suppose to be a FESTIVAL, and not a COMPETITION!!!! Numerous feedback have been given to CCAB with regards to the Festival. Most teachers (including teachers from other schools) have commented how SYF is being run and importantly, how it affects EVERYONE.
CCAB mentioned that SYF is about the showcasing of the various PA groups and also a benchmark of where the PA groups are.
However, the stress level that the students and teachers go thru are almost unbelievable.
If the students are well-prepped for their performance and for whatever award that they will receive, they will or should be able to manage their emotions fairly well.
However, if the students do not get their desire awards, they will be very crest-fallen, and it is up to the teachers to comfort them and to bring up their spirit.
What is most important as a teacher is to guide the students to see the BIGGER picture out there (teamwork, communication, expectations and emotions).
I had to comfort my music student yesterday after the results were announced. Her eyes were totally red, and she was trying her best to copying her homework assignment.
I told her:
Clearly, improvements can been seen in our PA groups, regardless of whatever awards the groups were awarded.
This brings to mind the subject title. SYF is suppose to be a FESTIVAL, and not a COMPETITION!!!! Numerous feedback have been given to CCAB with regards to the Festival. Most teachers (including teachers from other schools) have commented how SYF is being run and importantly, how it affects EVERYONE.
CCAB mentioned that SYF is about the showcasing of the various PA groups and also a benchmark of where the PA groups are.
However, the stress level that the students and teachers go thru are almost unbelievable.
If the students are well-prepped for their performance and for whatever award that they will receive, they will or should be able to manage their emotions fairly well.
However, if the students do not get their desire awards, they will be very crest-fallen, and it is up to the teachers to comfort them and to bring up their spirit.
What is most important as a teacher is to guide the students to see the BIGGER picture out there (teamwork, communication, expectations and emotions).
I had to comfort my music student yesterday after the results were announced. Her eyes were totally red, and she was trying her best to copying her homework assignment.
I told her:
regardless of the award that the group receive,
think about how much you have gone thru.
How much have you learn & achieve?
How did u mentor your juniors?
How did the whole group work as ONE?
You guys sounded as ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT, and ONE VOICE.
You have come so far, you have participated in 2 syf.
You have learned so much within the span of 3years, this is just a small pebble in your life.
Look back, reflect on your learning journey.
After i advised her, i think back to how the choir's alumni advised the choir members.
We the teachers & the alumni had to "scold" the choir quite frequently before Achievement Day. There were the scoldings, the pampering, the advising, the reflection log that every choir member had to do, and the Facebook.
New media is a very powerful tool, and with many thanks to Facebook, we had the chance to communicate even more frequently with the choir. The alumni were doing their best to help their juniors, there were many quotes...there were some small scolding, and there were many GREAT ADVISES - both from the alumni and parent.
One of the most worthy sentence came from a alumni. He said:
" you need to CRAFT every note....."
Almost every choir member relate to the above sentence and tried their very best.
For the first time (or maybe the 2nd), the choir sounded as ONE HEART, ONE SOUL and ONE VOICE when they performed in SOTA. They smiled, they sang with passion and most importantly, they ENJOYED their performance!!!!!
I am really very happy for them, and how much they have learned from this whole experience. They were able to reflect on their own singing, and i hope this learning journey will stay forever engraved in their minds.
think about how much you have gone thru.
How much have you learn & achieve?
How did u mentor your juniors?
How did the whole group work as ONE?
You guys sounded as ONE BODY, ONE SPIRIT, and ONE VOICE.
You have come so far, you have participated in 2 syf.
You have learned so much within the span of 3years, this is just a small pebble in your life.
Look back, reflect on your learning journey.
After i advised her, i think back to how the choir's alumni advised the choir members.
We the teachers & the alumni had to "scold" the choir quite frequently before Achievement Day. There were the scoldings, the pampering, the advising, the reflection log that every choir member had to do, and the Facebook.
New media is a very powerful tool, and with many thanks to Facebook, we had the chance to communicate even more frequently with the choir. The alumni were doing their best to help their juniors, there were many quotes...there were some small scolding, and there were many GREAT ADVISES - both from the alumni and parent.
One of the most worthy sentence came from a alumni. He said:
" you need to CRAFT every note....."
Almost every choir member relate to the above sentence and tried their very best.
For the first time (or maybe the 2nd), the choir sounded as ONE HEART, ONE SOUL and ONE VOICE when they performed in SOTA. They smiled, they sang with passion and most importantly, they ENJOYED their performance!!!!!
I am really very happy for them, and how much they have learned from this whole experience. They were able to reflect on their own singing, and i hope this learning journey will stay forever engraved in their minds.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Managing expectations & whatnots
how does one manage expectation?
something unpleasant happened and while i do not wish to write about it here, i do wonder whether did i do my very best.
maybe one's best effort may not be another person's best effort.
things maybe set in stone, but it can also change with times & change with people movement.
something unpleasant happened and while i do not wish to write about it here, i do wonder whether did i do my very best.
maybe one's best effort may not be another person's best effort.
things maybe set in stone, but it can also change with times & change with people movement.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Choir & SYF
had a long talk with my Choir on monday...almost to the verge of being 'naggy' & long-winded at them, but i guess it was for the best.
After last week's choir practice and the feedback from my choir instructor, i had to find a way to talk to my choir. The feedback given to me was that the choir was being complacent. They acted this way after attending a choir-exchange during the March hols.
I was thinking long and hard, thinking how to talk to them, how to advise them, how to motivate them....so on and so forth. I even had to ask my former chair-person to visit the choir last friday to listen to them!!!! so that she can give them some advise and comments.
But i guess the worst or shall i say the best happened during this Monday's assembly program.
One of the students (most unfortunate, a student from my form class), mentioned the word 'FAIL' very loudly during the interval break from the 1st song to the next. I guess they were kind of affected by it, and luckily, they did not show it. (i think they did not show it, as i was busy running behind the stage)
The next comment which i received, and which i shared with the choir was from Mrs Chew.
Mrs Chew commented that the choir improved. When i heard it, my 1st inital reaction was 'WHAT???? Are you sure?'. Followed by the next question, which was 'When was the last time you heard the choir?' Which Mrs Chew replied with a 'last year'.
I had no idea what to do with the comment till i spoke to the choir at 4pm. After going 1 big round about my own experience and what i have gone thru in this school (changes of CCA etc), i told them about the comment given by the teacher. At this moment, i did not want to mention Mrs Chew's name. But i did ask the choir, what do they think of her? Comments that i received were...'fierce, fussy, strict, no nonsense to be given'...etc.
The students know that Mrs Chew demand the best from them, and that she can be very strict, and of course, she has many many years of teaching experience.
When I told them that Mrs Chew said that the choir improved, the whole choir was in shocked. But i had to explain to them, what it meant, and how much more they had to improved, how they performed, how they behave, and how they sound like, and most importantly, their attitude towards learning and performing.
I had to mention about the band performance, and since half the choir attended, i thought that they will be able to relate to what i was going to comment and how they can learn from each other.
.........to be continued.....(with editing)........
After last week's choir practice and the feedback from my choir instructor, i had to find a way to talk to my choir. The feedback given to me was that the choir was being complacent. They acted this way after attending a choir-exchange during the March hols.
I was thinking long and hard, thinking how to talk to them, how to advise them, how to motivate them....so on and so forth. I even had to ask my former chair-person to visit the choir last friday to listen to them!!!! so that she can give them some advise and comments.
But i guess the worst or shall i say the best happened during this Monday's assembly program.
One of the students (most unfortunate, a student from my form class), mentioned the word 'FAIL' very loudly during the interval break from the 1st song to the next. I guess they were kind of affected by it, and luckily, they did not show it. (i think they did not show it, as i was busy running behind the stage)
The next comment which i received, and which i shared with the choir was from Mrs Chew.
Mrs Chew commented that the choir improved. When i heard it, my 1st inital reaction was 'WHAT???? Are you sure?'. Followed by the next question, which was 'When was the last time you heard the choir?' Which Mrs Chew replied with a 'last year'.
I had no idea what to do with the comment till i spoke to the choir at 4pm. After going 1 big round about my own experience and what i have gone thru in this school (changes of CCA etc), i told them about the comment given by the teacher. At this moment, i did not want to mention Mrs Chew's name. But i did ask the choir, what do they think of her? Comments that i received were...'fierce, fussy, strict, no nonsense to be given'...etc.
The students know that Mrs Chew demand the best from them, and that she can be very strict, and of course, she has many many years of teaching experience.
When I told them that Mrs Chew said that the choir improved, the whole choir was in shocked. But i had to explain to them, what it meant, and how much more they had to improved, how they performed, how they behave, and how they sound like, and most importantly, their attitude towards learning and performing.
I had to mention about the band performance, and since half the choir attended, i thought that they will be able to relate to what i was going to comment and how they can learn from each other.
.........to be continued.....(with editing)........
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
My form class, the notorious 3t2.
No doubt they have been very playful, with a couple of them giving me grief etc, I am very proud of them for what they achieved yesterday.
No doubt they have been very playful, with a couple of them giving me grief etc, I am very proud of them for what they achieved yesterday.
As some or actually 6 of them had to go out for their cca training, my form class were only left with 11 pupils to row the dragon boat. and 2 pupils did not turn up last minute.
but nevertheless, with only 9 pupils rowing the boat, they did not come in last. They were very happy n they actually called me up when they finished the race.
They were so eager to find out whether did they qualify that they msg their PE teacher.
And do they DID!!!!
This morning, I had to emphasize on the importance of Teamwork and No Backing Out to the whole class.
Think they understand what I was trying to say as I went thru numbers with them and also congratulate those who turned up yesterday for the heats.
And yes, according Lilian (their PE teacher), they were Formidable yesterday = )
And I am very proud of them = )
*although there are quite a number of issues n problems in my form class, I try to stay Positive for them*
Sent from my iPhone
Sunday, February 27, 2011
quote for the day
just read this from a blogger's entry
Persistence is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely, and the likely definite. – Robert Half
such a powerful quote & so meaningful
Thursday, February 24, 2011
evolving & reflection
attended a symposium @ SOTA last week to understand their curriculum,
to attending a seminar for Arts & Music teachers by STAR.
STAR was started early last year, together with PESTA and also PERI for the primary school pupils.
SOTA
- one of the basic requirements to get into SOTA is to make sure that you qualify for the express stream, and also prove to the panel that you can you offer during the audition
- its not easy as they only take in 200 students per year
- interesting conversation during the Q&A: a primary 6 student asked whether is there any CCA in SOTA. The answer was NO. WHY? reason being that everything is build into the curriculum, so that students are actually exposed to the 'CCA' but in a fixed timetable.
-typical school hours for the SOTA students -> 8-5pm
- Dance students - > 8-9/10pm, as the students need to cool down their body with the help of a physiotherapist
- sharing thoughts by the Visual Arts Presenter: SOTA do not send their students for SYF competitions. They do not see any need in it........SOTA is very different from the mainstream schools.
- I found out that SOTA is under the charge of MICA
STAR
- a new academy for Art and Music teachers, where support will be provided for them, and to provided training that will enable the teachers to be a even better teacher
- sharing of thoughts
-providing support
-training
-overseas cultural exchange programme
-masterclasses
-changing of ideas, and most importantly
-Community of Practice
COP
- exchange of ideas, peer support, discussion, reflection etc... ...
think it is going to be a HUGE thing as the principal of STAR was giving quite a number of examples on how to create a COP group.
-I will try to find out more about COP, and its impact on us\
to be continued....
to attending a seminar for Arts & Music teachers by STAR.
STAR was started early last year, together with PESTA and also PERI for the primary school pupils.
SOTA
- one of the basic requirements to get into SOTA is to make sure that you qualify for the express stream, and also prove to the panel that you can you offer during the audition
- its not easy as they only take in 200 students per year
- interesting conversation during the Q&A: a primary 6 student asked whether is there any CCA in SOTA. The answer was NO. WHY? reason being that everything is build into the curriculum, so that students are actually exposed to the 'CCA' but in a fixed timetable.
-typical school hours for the SOTA students -> 8-5pm
- Dance students - > 8-9/10pm, as the students need to cool down their body with the help of a physiotherapist
- sharing thoughts by the Visual Arts Presenter: SOTA do not send their students for SYF competitions. They do not see any need in it........SOTA is very different from the mainstream schools.
- I found out that SOTA is under the charge of MICA
STAR
- a new academy for Art and Music teachers, where support will be provided for them, and to provided training that will enable the teachers to be a even better teacher
- sharing of thoughts
-providing support
-training
-overseas cultural exchange programme
-masterclasses
-changing of ideas, and most importantly
-Community of Practice
COP
- exchange of ideas, peer support, discussion, reflection etc... ...
think it is going to be a HUGE thing as the principal of STAR was giving quite a number of examples on how to create a COP group.
-I will try to find out more about COP, and its impact on us\
to be continued....
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