The annual Teachers Network (TN) Awards recognises the outstanding contributions of collaborators from the teaching fraternity. This year's ceremony saw the number of awardees increase to 249, almost double from 117 last year. It was the first time that the TN Awards recognised external partners who had contributed to TN's programmes and services in the new award category, 'Partner of TN'.
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| Guest of Honour Ms Seah Jiak Choo, Director-General of Education (DGE), shares how having the courage to dream inspired teacher Ms Lim Siew Gek of Ahmad Ibrahim Primary and her team of eight to successfully complete The Singapore Zoo Stories educational package. |
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“Be a gardener and grow your students to their full potential.” That was what Guest-of-Honour Ms Seah Jiak Choo, Director-General of Education (DGE), told more than 200 teachers at the 2nd annual Teachers Network (TN) Awards.
In line with the theme of the event, ‘Garden Of Dreams’, DGE likened teaching to gardening, as both activities required dedication and perseverance. “Just as gardeners nurture, condition and grow their plants to full potential, teachers should do the same with their students—nurture and care for them so they will learn and grow well.”
“Teachers must also have the courage to dream,” added Ms Seah. “They must be able to dream big for their students and inspire them to be the best that they can be. They must also be willing to develop other gardeners [fellow teachers] to cultivate other seeds [students].”
Big Dreamers
"Fellow of TN" awardee, Ms Lim Siew Gek of Ahmad Ibrahim Primary, led a team of eight CL teachers to produce the Chinese Language package, The Singapore Zoo Stories. It was a collaboration between TN and the Singapore Zoo, which was among the 28 inaugural 'Partner of TN' awardees. "Our aim was to make Chinese learning more interesting as well as encourage teachers to conduct lessons in the Singapore Zoo where one can also learn about animals and the environment," said Ms Lim, a 33-year teaching veteran.
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| Award winners and participants of the TN Awards 2006 trying out a quick exercise suggested by Ms Seah during her speech: sit still and imagine if their students were plants they were cultivating, what would these ‘plants’ be saying to them? |
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Mr Ammiel Wan of Catholic High School (Primary), who collaborated with TN to publish Challenging Maths Problems Made Easy, was genuinely surprised that he was one of two 'Fellow of TN' awardees. "I really thought I was just coming for an awards ceremony! I only realised I was an awardee when I arrived!" he laughed.
Nominated for ‘Infusing Drama in P1 and P2 curriculum’, Mdm Khairyani Bte Kamarolzaman of Henry Park Primary is a first-time winner who garnered two credits—the ‘Associate’ and ‘Outstanding Resource Teacher (ORT)’ Awards. “I am very honoured as I have been teaching for only three years. I thought my input was minimal but am pleased to know that it had an impact on others,” she said.
For her involvement as a teacher volunteer on board the SEED Buzz, Mrs Prisca Lee of Jurong Primary School was ecstatic to receive the ‘Associate’ Award for the second time. She explained, “[Receiving awards] is gratifying as it affirms your work and encourages you to work harder.” |
