Fabius Chen | fabiuschen@nus.edu.sg
theridge news
A NUSSU Publication
In conjunction with Teachers’ Day, theridge speaks to three individuals who have experienced being both student and teacher – at the same time. They share some of the challenges they have faced, their most memorable moments and some of the important lessons they have learnt whilst assuming both roles simultaneously.
photo credit: Ou Meimin
Ms. Ou Meimin
Having won the Department of Communications and New Media’s Excellent Teaching Assistant Award in her first full year on the job, there is little doubt that Ms. Ou Meimin is revelling in her dual role as student and teacher.
Currently in her third year as a teaching assistant, she is also working on her thesis, which investigates the level of information disclosure of Singaporean youth on Facebook and whether parents teach their children about online privacy protection.
According to her, one important lesson she has learnt is that for most of the part, education is a two-way street.
“We, the teaching staff, also get to learn a lot from our students in the course of our interaction,” she said.
“This in turn gives me a better appreciation of classroom dynamics when I’m in one of my graduate classes.”
Having said that, managing both roles often leaves her longing for more time, especially when there are only so many hours in a day.
She quipped, “I catch myself wishing that there are more than 24 hours in a day, especially when students start e-mailing me more often as project deadlines – which coincide with crunch time for my own papers – draw near.”
“Colleagues tell me that I do not have to respond to all my correspondence right away but even if I choose to sleep on it, the e-mails and the work will still be there.”
All things considered, however, her experience as a teaching assistant has left Ou pondering a career in teaching full-time.
“There’s a great sense of fulfillment at the end of each semester when I see the progress of my students from their first tutorial to the end of the module.
“Also, the interaction with students and the exchange of ideas on teaching and learning with my colleagues is definitely an attractive option,” she concluded.
photo credit: Ang Hui Fang Andie
Ms. Ang Hui Fang Andie (on the left in picture)
Teaching her first class at the age of 23, one observation Ms. Ang Hui Fang Andie made was that “some of the students were the same age as me.”
And observations are something she should be rather proficient at, considering her Masters project – gathering ecological information on the banded leaf monkey – is based largely on field observation work.
“That semester was especially significant as it was my first time as a teaching assistant but everything still went pretty smoothly,” she shared.
Now in the second year of her Masters programme with the Department of Biological Sciences, Ang acknowledged that the most difficult part of being both a student and a teacher is managing one’s time.
She said, “I have to balance the work of a student, which involves attending lectures, studying and going out into the field, with that of a teacher, where I have to read up on topics beforehand and planning how to teach a lesson effectively.
“I do not wish to compromise any aspect of my field work or my teaching and so, being able to manage my time well is crucial.”
What she does enjoy, on the other hand, is being safe in the knowledge that her efforts are not for naught.
“I take pride in knowing that at the end of each practical session, the students have learnt something interesting and that they appreciate the help I have afforded them,” she stressed.
She also believes that being both a student and a teacher at the same time gives one a much greater of appreciation of the intricacies of each role.
“You begin to understand what both parties expect out of each class,” she explained.
“There is a misconception that teachers have to be able to answer any question but it is actually more beneficial when there is an exchange of ideas through the posing of questions and discussion of possible answers.”
photo credit: Chia Meng Tat Jack
Mr. Chia Meng Tat Jack
Having been awarded the Harvard-Yenching Institute Fellowship, Mr. Chia Meng Tat Jack will be leaving for Harvard University in September to study East Asian history.
But even as he prepares to embark on this exciting new challenge, the 27-year-old – who graduated with a B.A. (Hons) from the Department of History in 2007 and completed his MA thesis earlier this year – has fond memories of his time as a teaching assistant in NUS.
Over the course of three semesters, he taught two modules: HY2229/SSA2204 – Nation-Building in Singapore and GEM2005/HY2243 – Film and History; whilst working on his Masters thesis at the same time.
Looking back on the experience, he stressed that it was as rewarding as it was challenging.
“The biggest challenge was time management,” he said.
“It wasn’t easy juggling my time between my courses, research, writing and teaching responsibilities.
“However, I am very grateful to have had the privilege of teaching many outstanding students who have, in turn, also taught me many things.”
According to Chia, his love for teaching was cultivated by those who taught him in his younger days.
He explained, “I’ve been fortunate enough to have wonderful and inspiring teachers throughout my education.
“It makes me realise just how important teachers are and therefore, when I take on the role of a teacher, I will give my best to my students.”
His best was enough for one of his students who described him as “a very effective tutor who is able to bring a seemingly ‘dead’ subject like history to life” – a comment which he singled out as one of his most memorable teaching experiences.
“I was very touched when I read this comment,” he said.
“I certainly hope I can continue to ‘bring history to life’ and inspire more student to fall in love with the discipline.”
Awesome. Can never have enough good teachers and students.