little by little, slow and steady - 2

At the meeting, we the teachers were informed by the principal:
ps: all to be done before the term comes to an end

- “Peers Observation”
Each of us were given a paper with questions like [what did I learnt], [how can I apply], [what suggestion can I give] etc. Anytime during our free period, we got to find a class to sit in.
Not to help up but to observe the teacher conducting lesson - to catch each other doing right and to learn from each other.

Just today, one of my colleagues already booked a timing to “see” me next week - opps I was still thinking since I’m new then maybe no colleague will want choose me.
You see, we have no schedule to follow so we actually get to choose any teacher we want to “see” so I pray that I will only have one.

- “Recordings”
@@! I almost fall off from the chair when I heard this! Haha!
Each of the teacher got to find any two lessons to be recorded - one audio & one video.
Interestingly Mrs E Tan is very understanding principal who wants to minimize our stress, she actually said that no one (not even herself) will be hearing or watching the clips except ourselves.
What’s her purpose then?

“Self-development” said Mrs E Tan.
She wants us to listen and look at the way we teach, our gestures, our speech and then evaluate and improve. She mentioned many times when we are in it teaching, we often overlook the little things/gestures we said/do or things that we shouldn’t do etc.

This is just the beginning of an extra pair of eyes in the class. Haha!
Come term 3... Mrs E Tan will enter one by one into the class to observe the teachers.
Previously she was sharing that the last time she entered the classroom to observe the teachers, she knows that the teachers will be nervous if they see her sitting there so to minimize that, she will “dramarama” to wipe tables or walk around to look for something. Haha!
But this time in term 3, she said she will holding on to our lesson plan and a checklist as she do the observation.

Why?
She is actually getting us ready for the "great things" ahead.

The reason why she is doing all these beside for "QRS", it is also to prepare the teachers as in July, MOE officers will be coming to our school to observe some teachers and so Mrs E Tan don’t want the teachers to be nervous and panic during then when pairs of eyes be watching, she is actually “training” us now.

“QRS” - Quality Rating Scale
Oh man… my first time hearing this!
Started by the MOE for kindergartens. Is still pretty “new” to most kindergartens actually but according to my colleagues, guess eventually it will be for all kindergartens.

Yes! LSK is going through accreditation.
This “QRS” is quite a pilot-program that I heard MOE is “trying out” on 3 kindergartens (LSK is one of them) and this explains why we will be having MOE staff in July. Few weeks back our school was featured in the newspaper and our principal was interviewed regarding this.

"accreditation": to certify (a school, college, or the like) as meeting all formal official requirements of academic excellence, curriculum, facilities etc
… checked from Dictionary.com


Many of you may not totally understand what I’m blogging but being an educator in this field, this is really something and a WOWOWOW.

In conclusion… Mrs E Tan has never fails to impress me with her leadership. She is really someone who thinks ahead.
Instead of panicking when MOE implement, she is taking it slow and steady.
And one thing I salute her is unlike other principal who would have put great pressure on the teachers “heavily” if MOE implement, Mrs E Tan is actually helping and guiding the teachers and definitely preparing us way in advance.

Recently I heard from one of the office staffs who been in LSK since the beginning that even before “QRS” was introduced, 3-4yrs back, Mrs E Tan was already doing many of the requirements stated (not knowing that there's this "QRS")

It came in handy when “QRS” was introduced this recent years.
And thankfully LSK wasn’t caught by surprise but instead can volunteer to be in the “trying batch”.

Mrs E Tan is taking this very seriously… all of us got to be on the ball.
In the coming July all the teachers will be attending a course regarding “QRS” as well. =)

Wooohooooo~~~ Miss Lim, are you ready?!?!?!