Teacher's Reflections: Nearly a month in...

It's almost a month now that I've been teaching P1s. I never knew that teaching such a young group of students could be so enjoyable. Previously, my teaching experience had been with P3s, 4s and 5s. There were times when I felt like nothing more than a facilitator, a talking computer dispensing knowledge to pupils who may or may not care. Teaching p1s has reminded me of what it means to be a teacher. You teach from the heart, when you're in p1. They are innocent and perhaps, a little part of me wants to keep them innocent. Even if it takes quite a while to explain to a child what they did was wrong, I feel that P1s do listen and try to make an effort to change. This is a level where I feel I'm making a difference to their lives as well as their grades, as idealistic as that may sound.

I do worry about the pupils who have trouble keeping up with the rest of the class, and sometimes I know the others tend to get a little restless when I am teaching one or two pupils something that everyone else has already finished. Thankfully, the children are good kids who will quieten down when I ask them to, giving me time to teach those who need that little bit more guidance. And it's quite frankly a joy to see their faces light up when I cheer them for finishing a task that I know they have trouble with.

I'm doing my best to teach pupils values in this their fundamental year in Primary School. Values such as integrity, honesty, responsibility perseverance and punctuality are emphasized in my classroom.

Those with roles are learning responsibility, and everyone is taking care of their classroom and their pets, taking turns to help clean the water and feed the fish. Pupils are also beginning to show signs of learning social skills - such as what to do when someone irritates you. They are also learning that 'Mommy never pack my homework' is not an accepted excuse in my classroom, as I tell them that their homework is their responsibility, and that Mommy doesn't know what they have to bring to school. I'm very happy to say that the children are all very honest and willing to admit their wrongdoings and the consequences that follow (usually a temporary ban from the class library/aquarium and a telling off). I do ensure that I explain my reasons for getting angry with their actions, why it was wrong and what they should do the next time they are in the same situation afterwards.

All in all, being in a P1 classroom is a re-awakening of the little idealistic side of me that wanted to become a teacher in the first place. Thank you so much to the parents who have been supportive thus far, your little notes of support and encouragement do wonders for me in this emotionally-tiring job. I'll do my best for these kids so if there's any concern or worry, please feel free to drop me a note any time.