First module of the Sec 2 to 5 SRP was just over and the dept has started the 2nd module in Wk 8. So far, the attendance was quite good. By now, pupils were aware of the expectations from them in attending SRP and they strive hard to do well in their topical tests and also the SRP diagnostic tests so that they will not be identified for future SRPs. It is quite obvious that this strategy is effective in making them take their learning more seriously.
However, I faced some problems in asking around for teachers to stand in for teachers who were not able to turn up for their scheduled SRP times. Hence, for the 2nd module, I assigned standby teachers for each session and I even assigned standby duty to teachers who do not teach any Express and Normal (Acad) E Math classes. Expectations were clearly stated in the schedule as well. Initially I had some reservations about such arrangement for fear that I will get strong disapproval from the teachers. To my relief, they were all very cooperative. I am quite glad that I have a great team of teachers ;)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
PETALS
Just finished 2 full days of workshop on PETALS (Pegagogies, Experience of Learning, Tone of Environment, Assessment, Learning Content, Student-Centredness). Though it seems to be another new MOE initiative, but actually it is not. To me, it is nothing new as it is on stuff that teachers are already doing: Pedagogies, assessment, contents etc. So now when those of us who have attended this workshop go back to school, we just need to help teachers align all that they are doing with PETALS.
Some questions that came into my mind while I was going through the workshop:
1) Have my lessons fit into the framework of PETALS?
2) Have I taken care of the P, E, T, A, L aspects in my lessons?
3) How can I help teachers in the Math Dept be more conscious of how they plan and implement their lesson using PETALS?
4) Lesson Study is a powerful tool to provide insights in pupils learning and improve lesson plans. So how can I push the use of this tool in the dept?
5) How can I tap on the talent of the teachers in the Math Dept?
6) How do I measure if a lesson has been carried out effectively?
7) How do I monitor or measure the effectiveness of teaching taking place in the classrooms?
Had a small talk with P on our way home and gotten some advice from him on how can I improve the quality of teachers’ reflections:
1) Select good reflections and share with all in the Dept.
2) If possible, everyone gets at least one reflection being shared.
Some questions that came into my mind while I was going through the workshop:
1) Have my lessons fit into the framework of PETALS?
2) Have I taken care of the P, E, T, A, L aspects in my lessons?
3) How can I help teachers in the Math Dept be more conscious of how they plan and implement their lesson using PETALS?
4) Lesson Study is a powerful tool to provide insights in pupils learning and improve lesson plans. So how can I push the use of this tool in the dept?
5) How can I tap on the talent of the teachers in the Math Dept?
6) How do I measure if a lesson has been carried out effectively?
7) How do I monitor or measure the effectiveness of teaching taking place in the classrooms?
Had a small talk with P on our way home and gotten some advice from him on how can I improve the quality of teachers’ reflections:
1) Select good reflections and share with all in the Dept.
2) If possible, everyone gets at least one reflection being shared.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Session with Supt
The SMC had a meeting with our Superintendent joining us at the beginning to help us with identifying strategies that will help our school move forward and improve. Initially many of us thought our heads were going to roll as the O level results were so bad, esp. for Math results which is the worst in AI history, never before we had such drastic bad results. But, supt did not reprimand us at all. Instead she asked us questions to make us think and reflect, and even gave useful advice to some of us.
After some thoughts, I realised these 2008 batch of pupils were in Sec 2 in 2006, the year in which I was just appointed Acting Head of the Math Dept. That year was also the year which we had to make a lot of adjustments to the SOWs due to the change in syllabus. New topics were not included in the textbooks as we were still using the old texts. Some lower sec topics were shifted to upper sec and some upper sec topic shifted down. This batch of pupils was also the batch which we started math foundation which occured during curriculum time so that minimum remediation was carried out after curriculum time as teachers always feedback about bad attendance for remediation. Had the math foundation not worked for the weak pupils as when this batch of pupils came to upper sec, their lower sec foundation was not there? Or was it due to my new management that had failed? (I was not very confident of managing the dept then.)
When Supt mentioned about analysising the O level questions which will help pupils prepare themselves well for their Os, I thought have we not done that? Maybe not all teachers did but I know that some teachers do analysise the O level papers. We could have done things in solo. I feel the sec 4 teachers might have done too much for their pupils that pupils did not take ownership of their learning. Hence, for this year's batch of Sec 4, the sec 4 teachers must come together to discuss on how we should involve our pupils in analysing the O level papers rather than teachers doing it alone. We have to change our old ways of revising work with them too as the type of pupils that we have now is different from the past.
After some thoughts, I realised these 2008 batch of pupils were in Sec 2 in 2006, the year in which I was just appointed Acting Head of the Math Dept. That year was also the year which we had to make a lot of adjustments to the SOWs due to the change in syllabus. New topics were not included in the textbooks as we were still using the old texts. Some lower sec topics were shifted to upper sec and some upper sec topic shifted down. This batch of pupils was also the batch which we started math foundation which occured during curriculum time so that minimum remediation was carried out after curriculum time as teachers always feedback about bad attendance for remediation. Had the math foundation not worked for the weak pupils as when this batch of pupils came to upper sec, their lower sec foundation was not there? Or was it due to my new management that had failed? (I was not very confident of managing the dept then.)
When Supt mentioned about analysising the O level questions which will help pupils prepare themselves well for their Os, I thought have we not done that? Maybe not all teachers did but I know that some teachers do analysise the O level papers. We could have done things in solo. I feel the sec 4 teachers might have done too much for their pupils that pupils did not take ownership of their learning. Hence, for this year's batch of Sec 4, the sec 4 teachers must come together to discuss on how we should involve our pupils in analysing the O level papers rather than teachers doing it alone. We have to change our old ways of revising work with them too as the type of pupils that we have now is different from the past.
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