Teaching Moments 1

28 December 2013 It is coming to the end of the year 2013, another day to the end of my teaching career, the last day being 1st Jan 2014. There are still no news on my application to be a Contract or Fexi Adjunct and it seemed that the last days of being a teacher, after 38 years, is truly real. Again looking back, there were moments and experiences which were encapsulated in one's mind clearly and would not be erased.
Here are some:
Teacher-Pupil Moments
1. I cannot forget the time I met a former Mono8 pupil in the late 80s. During those times, the Mono8 from Nam San School would come to Woodlands for their weekly Technical lessons. They stayed with us for the whole morning, doing Woodwork and Metalwork. They were the 'forgotten group' as the primary school did not know what to do with them. When they came for lessons, they brought their boisterous behaviour along. No lesson plan worked, you just have to keep them occupied. Once a while, the technical teachers would have to go out of school to haul them back as they caused problem outside the school during their breaks. One year later, I met a pupil in the streets. He proudly told me that he made it into the VITB to study Electrical Fittings. That was the MOMENT, as I could see his pride in his eyes, saying that he made it!!! He should be in his 40s now.

2. How did you feel when a pupil remembered you in his death bed? Zhi Hong used to follow me for my morning run before school when I taught in Si Ling. He often looked for me, wanting to talk to me. Once, I and Kenny Jones (an expat teacher) sponsored his class soccer jerseys and they won the interclass. It was an Irish green shirt. I did not know that he mentioned me very often to his family members. Nor did I know that he had a brain tumour. He died during the operation. During his wake, I came to know that he told his parents about me. In the coffin, he was wearing the green jersey. That showed how much he valued it!!!! That was the MOMENT!!!! Sadly, sometimes in my business, I regretted that I did not have much time for him when he wanted to talk.

Work review Moments: It could be dreadful or a delightful moment when one leaves the office after Work review with the RO. For me, there were equal numbers of 'disgust' and enlightened moments. 'Disgust' moments were when the RO harped on your AFI (Areas for Improvement) rather than building from your strengths. They tend to focus on results rather than the process, rather than on what actually was done by you. The worst was when they made use of the EPMS as though it was a Bible in preaching. These ROs are usually those who do not know you or know what you are doing.

Margaret Drive reminescence

The cinemas cum bowling alley. This was the exact spot where the 2nd level flat of 242A was built on. The four storey SIT block was one of the many in the neighbourhood.  I have a dumb and mute friend by the name of Micheal who stayed on the 3rd storey.

The entrance of my primary school, Birkhall Road Primary

This field was exactly the same as I have played on during my Birkhall days in the 60s. It was really big and it was really good for hatam bola as we could run and roll on the tall grass during recess.

The Queenstown Polyclinic. There was a bus stop nearby where my father alighted from the bus daily

Opening Ceremony of Queenstown Polyclinic in the 60s

Queenstown Library circa 2011

 The famous Block 39A circa 2011

 NTUC Fairprice Supermarket 2011

The site where  NTUC Fairprice was circa 2013

Below are the images of Birkhall Road School in the 60s. The riot police suggested the tumultous period of racial disharmony back then.

View of the shanty stall that used to sell coffee and titbits along Margaret Drive

Queenstown in its heydays

I lived in Margaret Drive from about 1959 to 1963 at 242 Margeret Drive, one of the 4 storeyed SIT blocks. The large canal was behind my house. The market was on the right side of the block. It was torn down soon after I moved to Bukit Ho Swee in 1964. A cinema was built on the very site where my house was.
It was in the Margaret Drive area where many of my classmates lived especially those who attended Birkhall Primary and Tangln Integrated Secondary Technical School (TISTS).
If you visit the area now, you will see vast empty spaces ready for development. Already, the Dawson Road area is full of new blocks now.

Sec 4C DT Class of 2013

Last Day of official school for graduating classes 11 Octo ber 2013

After 1800 hours 2nd September official Coursework deadline

This is the last group of D&T pupils that I took in my lifelong career. The D&T syllabus started in 1988 and every year, it was a mad dash for the final deadline even though the process was planned well. Now, no more meeting deadline and no more 'above expectations' targets set with the ROs.

Turning 60

June 2013
Year of the Snake

The valued Purple Ez-link card

This is the year when I join the elderly/oldies in Singapore. SMRT has a unique way of tracking the population. One month before my birthday, I received a letter from them requesting for my photograph. On the exact week of my birthday, they sent me the purple EZlink card, prompto!

Retirement at Last

Picture of DT Office where I work dated 21 October 2013

At last, I received the official retirement letter from MoE which says : On behalf of the Ministry, I would like to express our utmost appreciation and gratitude for your many years of contribution. Your retirement with effect from 2 Jan 2014 has been approved. Your last day of service will be 1 Jan 2014.
Signed : DD, Employee Engagement Centre for PS (Education Development)

When I submitted my application for retirement on 1 October, I felt a sense of great relief and some apprehension. Relief that I am leaving this place and some of the people here for good. Apprehension that there will be a change of routine after more than 3 decades of work.

Though I was quite sure to ask for retirement next year, the tipping point for sending in the letter was a SMS from Mrs Teo K H on 17 Sept asking me to join her at RVH. Not sure if she knew that I am retiring or that I already retired but it came out of the blue. Thus the hurried letter to MoE, giving less than 4 months required notice. Initially, the HR insisted on 4 months notice, only later they acceded after requiring me to write a letter of explanation.

What I will definitely miss: My present upper secondary DT classes ie 3T1 and 3C. Rather sad that I will not able to see them through next year's GCE Coursework.

What was most disappointing : Was told that I am not guaranteed a Contract Adjunct teacher post next year due to the performance 'conditions'. It meant that after teaching for so so long and handled so so many types of pupils, I was told that I may not be able to TEACH again!!!!! What an irony and a blow.

35 long years in Education

As I reach the big six-Os in June this year, I could not help thinking back the 35 years spent in schools. By now, some of my first pupils would have been fathers or mothers or maybe even reach  father/mother-in law status.

When I started teaching, I never thought that I would last this long, given the ever changing education landscapes, thus needing to adapt constantly or else become irrelevant. Things were so simple then......just do your best and teach knowing that we will never reach the SEO status, thus no backstabbing or school politics.
However, whatever they changed, the souls of pupils do not. Maybe their outlook and expectations are different through the ages but their innocence and naviety are always the same, ready for the teacher to mould them.

Through my experiences, it is not what I have achieved but what I learnt from these experiences which no one could ever take away from me.
Earlier, I have blogged about my experiences in the schools which I was posted to. Here I included images and highlights during my journey.

School 1  :  Kim Seng Technical School (1973 - 1975)

Highlights : Badminton sessions organised by the late Mr Wong Seng Kwong every Saturday afternoons followed by food and drinks at Zion Road coffee shop. I could never forget the time that we have to go across to the old Great World to look for pupils loitering in the billiard saloons.

Downlights: Nil as teaching in school was so simple then.

The Metalwork teachers headed by Mr Winston Teo (back row centre) 
Standing left to right : Ms Goh S B; Yeo T H; Winston; Woo P F; Wong K S
Seated : Wong S H; Yue C S; the late Wong Seng Kwong 

One of the largest group of technical teachers

School 2 : Raffles Institution (1978 - 1986)

Highlights: Daily lunch (usually porridge and fruits) with fellow teachers at Zion Road market; weekly badminton or squash sessions; in charge of RI Soccer; NCC officer, many halfday off school because of achievements in sports and academic

Downlights:  When the rugby team hijacked most of the C Div soccer players in 1981

RI Staff photo 1981 ( I was at the back row 3rd from right corner)

Mr S Rajaratnam, DPM ; former Foreign Minister was the GOH for the 160th Founder's Day

 1983 - RI 160

ECA in RI were NCC(Land) and Soccer

National 'A' Div Soccer Champion 1978 at the old National Stadium

  Photo with pupils from Anderson Secondary. Other schools which used RI workshop facilities included Crescent Girls, SCGS and Fairfield Methodist 



RI C Div Soccer team in the early 80s. Nearly all the players were later roped into the rugby team


Ortega Cup revival

Ortega Cup 2007 held at RI Bishan. The rivalry between RI and SJI in soccer was revived after more than 2 decades. Former Singapore National Team captain Au-yong Pak Kuan in front row extreme right and above receiving the trophy from Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, a RI old boy.

Fong K H; the late Teo S B; Wong G C; Kwang T H; Sng J S; Lim C H; Lee K H;

Ang S T (Metal Instructor); Suhaimi (Wood Instructor); Woo P F

Technical Department Raffles Institution 1984
left to right : Kwang T H; Fong K H; the late Mr Teo S B; Ms Lee W K;
Sng J S (Head of Department); Lee K H; Lim C H; Woo P F

Updated 2016

It has been more than a year since Mr Tan Kim Cheng passed away. He was a legend and an institution in RI during those days at Bras Brasah and Grange Road campus. Capt Tan's commanding booming voice from the office could be heard along the corridors of Grange Road. I found out that he was a NCC officer before I became one. As a young teacher then, I looked up to him as a model teacher, feared but fully respected by every RI students. I would often found him in charge of the school when the Principal was away, since he was a Senior Assistant, and matters would still run smoothly.

RIP Mr Tan

School 3 :  Woodlands Secondary School (1987 - 1989)

Highlights:  Visited National Stadium for second time with B Div soccer team; meeting Gordon Banks with the boys; form teacher of 4D; VITB night class supervisor; conquered Mt Ophir

Downlights : official protest against Principal


The few girls of 4D who took Metalwork in 1986

 Woodlands 4D Class of 86 - My form class

Woodlands 4B Metalwork Class 1986

Sec 4D of Woodlands Sec 1986

The A Div Woodlands boys playing at National Stadium

Camp Commander of St John's Island Camp 1989

The A Div Soccer Boys took the Championship in 1987 at Jln Besar Stadium



Woodlands A Div Soccer Team in 1987 before the finals

A Div Soccer team with the legendary England goalkeeper Gordon Banks at Jln Besar Stadium

Woodlands teachers at St John's Camp 1988


School 4 : Si Ling Secondary School (1989 - 1992)

Highlights:  appointed Head of Department; organised St John's Camp; conquered Gunung Tahan with the school's first expedition team

Downlights: a messy, choatic school during that period

 Teo Y J (2nd left); me (3rd left) & Gowri (right) were the three teachers who successfully brought the group up to Tahan 

With Teo Yong Joon on top of Gunung Tahan June 1992

At Sungai Pahang river, before departing for the mountains

 Teo Y J and me with the two support staff

Organising the food supplies before heading to Tahan

 Mr Kenny Jones and me supported the 4B interclass soccer team 1990

Si Ling Secondary Sec 4B 1990 or was it 1992?

Sec 5N class, FT Mrs Ngoh

Staff at the 1991 St John's Island camp

School 5 : Chua Chu Kang Secondary (1993 - 2001)

Highlights : Pioneer batch of teachers to start the school; Discipline master for 3 years; Camp Commander for the school's first Sec 2 Camp which has 17 classes of pupils using Camp Bahtera & Camp Christine (we pulled it off without incidents; Camp Commander of St John's Island camps; pioneering NYAA in 1994; Assistant District Commander for NCC West

Downlights :  School leaders' show of power during the last few years;

CCKS circa 1996

First picture of CCKS when I reported to Ms Sum Chee Wah in Nov 1992. They were on the verge of taking down the Cross (scaffoldings) as the school was originally built for St Margaret Secondary

Pioneer batch of CCKS staff with Ms Sum Chee Wah seated centre

1998 photo of CCKS Craft & Technology Department

Left to right: Zukliflee; Ong H T; Mrs Ngoh C F; Woo P F; Mrs Helen Tan;

Koh F L; the late Yeo Seng Piow

CCKS Staff at St John's island Camp

Mt Ophir Expedition 1994

First batch of CCKS pupils at Mt Ophir 1994

CCKS Teachers and friends at Mt Ophir 1994

CCKS Taman Negara Trip 1997

School 6 : Jurongville Secondary School (2001 - now)

Highlights: survived 35 years in education service; Eden School project

Downlights:  Met worst professional crisis exam related; stepped down as HOD

DT Sec 5NA 2009 at the old workshop





Sec 2 Level camp at Tg Piai March 2013, with 2T1

Winning a design competition at Ngee Ann Polytechnic 2011

2T1 at Yellow Ribbon Project 2012