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| From
left to right: CGC Counsellor Ms Natalie Lim with
teachers - Ms La Vonda Koh, Mdm Surayah Ibrahim,
Ms May Ng and Ms Petrina Tay (from TN). |
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The desire to help students with such learning difficulties
and other problems made at least three teachers join the Child
Guidance Clinic (CGC) for a stint during the recent holidays,
under the Teacher Work
Attachment Programme facilitated by Teachers Network (TN).
Mdm Surayah bte Ibrahim, teacher counsellor at Loyang Primary
and who is pursuing a masters course in school counselling,
started with the thought that what she learned at the CGC would
be useful for her coursework. “But once here, I realised that
the skills I pick up will really help the kids
I teach. This is my 20th year in teaching and I’ve done nine
with EM3 pupils. I believe that I can help my non-readers pick
up reading skills faster – that’s one of my biggest takeaway
from this attachment.”
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But
once here, I realised that the skills I pick up will really
help the kids I teach. |
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Mdm Surayah |
As one of the senior staff members at CGC put it, the gleam
in a child’s eyes when it dawned upon him how to link letters,
words and sounds truly made all the effort worthwhile.
For Ms May Ng, who was formerly a teacher counsellor and pastoral
care coordinator before joining West Grove Primary last year,
the motivation was to gain more skills to fulfil both roles.
Interestingly she had been seconded to a special school a few
years back and observed that the children actually learnt at
a slower pace.
“In mainstream schools, however, we still need to see a change
in the children in terms of academic performance. The children
who can’t read or articulate are really quite helpless. When
they are in doubt, they can’t get help. Even their peers reject
them because of their ignorance,” said May. After her experience
at the Child Guidance Clinic, May feels more confident of helping
parents see special education in a better light, so that their
special needs students could receive the attention they need.
For a young teacher like Ms La Vonda Koh, also of West Grove
Primary, the attachment was almost a “life-saver”. She recounted
that during her contract period, she saw pupils with learning
difficulties and felt helpless, not knowing how to help them.
She added candidly, “I thought that after going for professional
training, I’d be equipped with skills to help them, along with
the other ‘normal’ pupils who didn’t exhibit learning problems.”
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The
system of referral is time-consuming. I try to put myself
into the students’ and their parents’ shoes. |
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Ms Koh |
Describing how the work attachment has helped her overcome her
struggles in teaching students with learning difficulties, she
said, “The system of referral is time-consuming. I try to put
myself into the students’ and their parents’ shoes. With this
CGC attachment, I can try to understand what their problems
are and see how to help or refer them to other resources. I
have opportunities to learn from the experts here and bring
pointers back to my classroom.”
On the current school referral system, Mdm Surayah had this
word of advice for parents: “They have an alternative. They
can also choose to come directly to COPES, which means Children’s
One-Stop Psycho-Educational Services. They take walk-ins so
children’s concerns can be addressed at a young age."
Note:
COPES is the new educational extension of services at
the Child Guidance Clinic. It provides a comprehensive,
multidisciplinary assessment and intervention service
for pupils requiring learning, social/emotional and/or
behavioural support. Families that are unable to afford
the fees can seek help from the medical social worker.
Surayah, May and Le Vonda were just three of 196 teachers
involved in the Teacher Work Attachment (TWA) Programme
facilitated by Teachers Network, Training and Development
Division, MOE, over the November – December Holidays.
For more information on
the TWA, go to http://sam11.moe.gov.sg/tn/twa_intro.htm
(intranet log-in needed).
PLUS! Read about Mr Saiful Sobuh’s experience working
with Citigroup Mumbai, India at http://workattachment.blogspot.com/ |
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