Teaching is much more than just a career. Teachers make a difference, one student at a time, imbuing them with the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed. 29-year-old Physical Education teacher, Alvin Yap, and 27-year-old Curriculum Planning Officer, Clara-Ann Khoo share with us about the joys a career in education offers.

Why education?

Alvin Yap: I actually studied Banking and Finance in university, where I was given the opportunity to intern in a financial institution. Through that experience, I came to realise that deskbound jobs weren’t for me. I wanted a career where I could interact with people and that was meaningful. I was also coaching swimming to children at that time, and that sparked my interest in pursuing a career as a Physical Education (PE) teacher. It just made sense to me, since PE had been a favourite subject of mine ever since I was a child.

Clara-Ann Khoo
Curriculum Planning Officer, History Unit,
Curriculum Planning and Development Division

Postgraduate Diploma in Education,
National Institute of Education,
Nanyang Technological University
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History, National University of Singapore

Clara-Ann Khoo: As strange as it may seem, I actually aspired to become a teacher when I was 10 years old. I come from a family of teachers, and that definitely influenced me. My grandfather, grandmother, mother, and uncle were all teachers. I fondly recall going to my mom’s school to wait for her to finish work. Watching her teach in class inspired me to follow in her footsteps. I even pretended to be a teacher in my bedroom with my soft toys acting as my “students”.

After I received my ‘A’ Level results, my parents wanted me to be a lawyer but my heart was set on teaching. I was posted to a Junior College (JC) after doing my Post-Graduate Degree in Education (PGDE) in the National Institute of Education (NIE) and after teaching for three and a half years, I was posted to MOE HQ as a Curriculum Planning Officer (CPO).

Tell us more about the work that you do beyond teaching.

Alvin: Besides conducting PE lessons, my duties include managing Co-Curricular Activities (CCA), organising sports-related school events and planning the PE curriculum, just to name a few! With my recent appointment as Acting Subject Head, I’m now responsible for mentoring and developing fellow teachers. I cannot be more grateful for all the growth opportunities I’ve been given as a teacher at Ang Mo Kio Secondary School.

Clara-Ann: Having taught History and China Studies in English (CSE) in a JC, I am now overseeing the very same subjects as a CPO. I design and review the curriculum and the syllabuses, conceptualise and conduct training for teachers, and develop resources to help teachers effectively deliver the curriculum. I also have to work closely with various stakeholders (e.g. teachers, students, and academic institutions) to ensure that their feedback is taken into account when developing the syllabuses.

Alvin Yap
Acting Subject Head, PE/CCA

Postgraduate Diploma in Education, National Institute of Education,
Nanyang Technological University

Bachelor of Business (Honours) in Banking and Finance,
Nanyang Technological University

How was the PDGE training at NIE helpful in preparing you for a teaching career?

Alvin: The Physical Education and Sports Science courses in NIE provided me with the foundation to deliver quality PE lessons. I wasn’t very well versed in all the sports, but I am required to teach most of them as a PE teacher. The sports modules gave me an in-depth understanding of the sports that I was unfamiliar with, giving me the confidence to deliver the respective lessons. In addition, the practicum gave me the chance to apply what I learnt in NIE. This hands-on experience allowed me to learn from my mistakes, giving me the chance to improve through the feedback and guidance from our supervising teachers. I must say that it was in all a very enriching experience.

Clara-Ann: I was taught how to use Inquiry Based Learning to engage students in the process of “doing history” and practising the historian’s craft to provide for a more engaging learning experience. In light of the new focus on constructivist pedagogies in the JC curriculum, this was extremely useful.

Share with us some memorable episodes from your time as an educator.

Alvin: There was a student with disciplinary issues whom I reprimanded on several occasions. Unexpectedly, on Teachers’ Day, she surprised me with a handmade card to express her gratitude and apologies for the trouble that she had caused. This was a pleasant surprise as I would never have expected to receive something like this from her after all the scoldings. I am glad that she is doing well now.

Clara-Ann: When I was teaching, 2012 was a bitter-sweet year for me. It was my first time teaching CSE, and my first batch of students happened to be a graduating batch.

This put a lot of pressure on me because I did not want my “newness” to the subject to compromise their ability to learn. Yet, I found it very assuring that the students were not only aware of my difficulties handling the new subject but they also appreciated how hard I was trying. It was also very heartening to see them grow as individuals throughout the course of the year from being students who initially struggled with the sheer amount of content to eventually becoming genuinely passionate about the subject. It was even sweeter to see their hard work pay off when they did extremely well in their ‘A’ Levels.

What advice do you have for aspiring teachers?

Alvin: Brace yourself up for a challenging yet fulfilling career! A teacher should have patience, compassion, and commitment. One thing I have learnt is the importance of building good rapport with our students. We must be able to understand and support them in order to effectively communicate and hopefully inspire them.

Clara-Ann:To echo what my mom once told me: “Success is one per cent intelligence and 99 per cent hard work”. Being a teacher also requires one to walk the talk so that they can be role models for their students. The first few years of teaching will be difficult but the view at the end of the ascent is worth the effort.