Teaching is really about interactions – each precious interaction with a young life that could be pivotal in shaping his/her outlook on life and aspirations.
The Interactions That Inspired My Passion for Chemistry
As a secondary school student, I was a member of the school Science Club, where my seniors had provided us with mentoring and guidance on the different areas of science. I was encouraged to read widely from a selection of books advised by my seniors and I recall vividly picking up the Chemistry book.
I was enraptured – it was almost as if the world suddenly made so much sense to me. I discovered intricate links between various concepts in Chemistry, which helped to explain the phenomena observed around us.
The interactions with my seniors in my CCA had sparked off a fervent passion for Chemistry, which I continue to impart to the people around me today.
The Interactions That Inspired My Entry Into Teaching
Having thought deeply about Chemistry as a student, I was in a good position to help the rest of my classmates if they had doubts about the subject. I felt a great sense of satisfaction as I sat down with them to go through the concepts and problems and my interest was piqued as I listened to how they analysed each question and how they had constructed their understanding of concepts. It made me wonder more about how people learn and how mentoring and guidance can help guide people towards developing a stronger understanding of the concept. Interacting with my teachers had also helped me to appreciate the power of great teaching on a student’s outlook on life. I remember sitting in my classes thinking about why my teachers had chosen these activities / lesson experiences and how these might strengthen our own conceptual understanding. I also relished the opportunity to think through how I might (one day) create my own lesson experiences and worksheets to help students learn better!
A key defining moment that cemented my decision to choose teaching as a career was my Values-in-Action (VIA) project in JC1, where I organised a regular volunteering and befriending project at a children’s home near my school. It was my first experience interacting with young children aged 5-12 and hearing from them their ideas and dreams, even though not all of them may have had the means to achieve them immediately. That left a deep imprint on my mind and heart – the power of an educator does not simply lie in the transmittance of subject knowledge; the real power of interactions in education is our ability to show genuine care for our young charges, open their eyes to various possibilities for their lives and equip them with the skills and values they will need to make these possibilities a reality.
Such were the interactions that made it clear when it came to choosing careers and scholarships at the end of JC2. As I had clearly wanted a career in education and youth development, the Public Service Commission Overseas Merit Scholarship (Teaching) was my first choice of scholarship, as it would offer me an opportunity to be heavily involved in education as a mission.
What Did the Scholarship Offer?
As a recipient of the Public Service Commission Overseas Merit Scholarship (Teaching), I was immensely grateful for the various interactions and opportunities made possible by the scholarship itself.
Firstly, the scholarship allowed me to pursue both my Bachelors and Masters degrees in Chemistry at Imperial College London, which provided me with a new perspective to the subject and exposed me to different areas of specialisation within the subject. The strong focus on scientific research at Imperial College London also equipped me with a slew of experiences and knowledge that I continue to share with my students today.
Living independently overseas and interacting with people from all over the world in cosmopolitan London also allowed me to understand different cultures and perspectives. A lifelong passion that I picked up in London was my desire to learn new languages – I picked up numerous languages like German, French, Italian, Spanish and Turkish through courses in the university as well as in the cultural institutes of the respective countries.
Upon my return from studies and completion of National Service, I embarked on my teaching career, first as an untrained graduate teacher, then my Postgraduate Diploma in Education at the National Institute of Education, then as a beginning teacher and now as a Head of Department in a secondary school. The scholarship offered me many opportunities to do internships and different teaching stints that empowered me to interact with many cohorts of students and understand each of them as unique individuals with dreams to be realised. It is immensely satisfying to see how students make progress in their education and aspirations and nothing beats hearing what they have managed to achieve after they have long graduated from my class!
As a PSC Overseas Merit Scholarship (Teaching) recipient, I also had the opportunity to do policy planning at the Polytechnic & ITE Policy Branch at the MOE Headquarters, where I was involved in the planning for the broader higher education landscape, curricular structure policy at ITE and considering how post-secondary articulation might be changed under full subject-based banding and removal of academic stream labels. This was dynamic and thought-provoking work as it entailed careful consideration of many factors and viewpoints and reflecting on the central purpose of our work as educators – looking at how our policy or teaching would help our students realise their aspirations.
“Be grounded in your purpose to serve and continue to hold the belief that your work can better the lives of others around you.”
A Word of Advice?
For me, the most important mantra has always been to remain grounded in my purpose as an educator. When considering career and scholarship choices, the most important factor to consider is: does this career / scholarship align with your own purpose / mission of what you want to do in life? A scholarship is not just a chance to pursue studies, but also a foray into a career. Your purpose and mission will guide you through the many decisions to be made throughout your education and career – never lose sight of that!
A version of this article was first published on schoolbag.edu.sg, MOE’s education news site.
SOH MING QUAN
Public Service Commission Overseas Merit Scholarship (Teaching)
Bachelor of Science (1st Class Hons) in Chemistry, Imperial College London
Master of Research (Distinction) in Chemical Biology of Health and Disease, Imperial College London
Now: Head of Department in Info-Communication Technology, Yuhua Secondary School