Social Commentary - Teachers

New motto for teachers

Vision statement reflects teachers' changing roles, captures common ideals

By Amelia Tan

OVER six months of discussions, 28,000 teachers were asked to identify their strengths and give voice to their vision for the teaching service. The huddling led to a new mantra crafted to guide them in their work: Lead. Care. Inspire.

While these are goals teachers everywhere should aim for, a vision statement is timely right now, when the education system is at an 'inflection point', said Director-General of Education Ho Peng, as she launched the tagline on Wednesday.

Speaking to about 4,000 teachers and school leaders at the annual Teachers' Mass Lecture, Ms Ho said the system had evolved over the past decade to a point where school managers have autonomy and teachers are encouraged to use innovative teaching and learning methods.

Schools will need teachers like Miss Lucy Oliver Fernandez, a Catholic High School literature teacher who refused to let her students' dislike of the subject deter her. She organised extra classes for the group, which ignited their interest in literary works and inspired them to go on and win trophies at the school's annual Literature Festival.

Ms Ho said: 'With the rapid professional growth of teachers, I see Singapore teachers as beginning to chart the future of our profession... Next year is 2010, we are entering a new decade. It is the next lap of the education journey.'

In that next lap, teachers now have a rallying cry to focus them on their goals. They need to lead students by giving them the chance to discover their talents, and their peers through mentoring, said Ms Ho.

As for the second part of the tagline, it was teaching in a rural primary school in Lim Chu Kang in the 1970s which taught Ms Ho the importance of a teacher's love.

One of her students was very shy and was teased by others for her untidy appearance. But she slowly gained confidence through the constant encouragement Ms Ho gave her. She said: 'The power of love and care can do so much to a kid's life.'

Teachers should not only care for the physical safety and social and emotional needs of their charges, but also play their part in moulding character.

And it is a great teacher - like Miss Fernandez - who inspires his or her students to love a subject and colleagues to become better teachers, added Ms Ho. Teachers said the vision statement reflects the changing role of teachers and captures common ideals for the whole teaching service to work towards.

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A Time for Teachers:

As Teachers’ Day is around the corner, every student is furiously racing into bookstores islandwide, hoping to get their best teacher a sweet little red pen. Truly, teacher’s day reminds us that teachers are indeed the foundation of the education system and the empowering force behind our future generations. And after 6 months of discussion, 28,000 teachers haves brought about a new motto to aid them as a guide and also as a model to tame innocent schoolchildren, in other words, teaching. The motto is, “Lead. Care. Inspire”, which reminds the teachers of the fundamental goal and aim of teaching and education.

Education, the system school children hate to love and love to hate, has been evolving these very years. In the above article, Ms Ho Peng, director-general of education in MOE, states that education had evolved over the past decade to a point today, where teachers use innovative and create teaching methods. As the system changes, students have a different view of the teaching system as well.

Said student Zhang Yu, from Ngee Ann Secondary School, “I think the education now is much more fun than in the past, as the use of computers provides as another medium for education to take place.”

Of course, what would a system be without the people executing it? It would heavily resemble that of an old man deprived of his walking stick. In education’s case, teachers! Schools require teachers that are committed and more than willing to go the extra mile for the student. Such example of a teacher is Miss Lucy Oliver Fernandez, a Catholic High School literature teacher who refused to let her students' dislike of the subject deter her lessons. After organizing extra classes for her pupils, she inspired them to take part at the school's annual Literature Festival, winning several commendable prizes.

Teachers should not just fulfill the social and emotional needs of his/her students, but also have to play a role model, essential to mould and develop their leadership qualities. Being role models, fellow colleagues could also learn to be more understanding towards the students, and take the first step in knowing them better. Ms Ho believes that it is a great teacher like Miss Fernandez, who has the ability to inspire his or her students to love a subject and colleagues to become better teachers.

Ms Ho also stated: 'With the rapid professional growth of teachers, I see Singapore teachers as beginning to chart the future of our profession... Next year is 2010, we are entering a new decade. It is the next lap of the education journey.'

True enough, teachers now have a motto to rely on to achieve their goals, by leading, caring and inspiring students. In light of this decade, education has already been highly prioritized amongst their parents, with technology and scientific advances; it is no wonder that education has become an important goal in life. Furthermore, teachers, the facilitators of such knowledge being passed down, are the key source where most students learn from. As such, this new age and motto will truly, bring about a significant change in the education system, as better teachers will emerge as role models we should look up to. Its time for me to buy my red pen.