1. How Did You Progress to Become a Senior Teacher?
I have been working at W@W for 4 years now. I took each step as a learning point and every feedback as an area to grow and improve. I was 100% committed to my work, learning and growth. I stopped, re-calibrated, realigned and refocused with each learning curve which allowed me to prove my dedication through my lessons and interactions with my colleagues. I took each meeting at W@W and each focus they had in the year as a challenge to better myself while keeping the end goal in mind.
2. What Would You Tell Yourself if You Met Yourself Starting at W@w on Day 1?
In this field of teaching, you are not only enriching minds, but you are also enriching the lives of those you meet and interact with. A teacher’s job neither starts when a student enters the classroom nor does it end when the lesson is over. It goes beyond. Keep hustling and always have the right heart when you are doing your job. Learn from your mentors, colleagues, your students and most importantly yourself. It is a passion.
3. What is Your Biggest Takeaway From Being a Senior Teacher at W@W?
One of the biggest things I have learnt is that, at W@W, we are merely not teachers but we are industry experts. With the ever-changing education system in Singapore, the teachers here have to always be on the ball. Being an introvert in this position, one of the key takeaways and something that I needed to / am still learning is having good and clear communication.
Communication plays a huge part when it comes to all students, parents, management colleagues and mentees. How I communicate my expectations differ from group to group. The tone used and language is important. In addition to that, I realised that my body language when I am delivering this message also plays a part! It shows how accepting / closed off I am to the person I am talking to.
4. What Would You Say is the Strength of W@W as an Organisation?
W@W is one big family. We are there for each other from start to end. When there is laughter to share, everyone gathers. When there are tears, everyone huddles up together. There is a strong support system when you need it. If I could describe how much of a close-knit company W@W is, I would liken it to a huge crochet blanket that one uses to keep warm, with each teacher being a different coloured strand of yarn.
5. How Do You Manage Conflicts or Solve Problems Which Inevitably Arise in Your Position, and How Does W@W Support You as a Senior Teacher?
I have come to realise that being emotional or reacting with emotions when conflicts hit is normal. However, as a Senior Teacher, I remind myself to take a step back and look at it from a bigger picture – from the point of view of all the parties involved as well as the management’s POV. It helps me view things objectively and everything becomes clearer, with no judgement clouding it. If there are doubts, concerns, or when I am unsure what to do, the management is there to provide solutions and also give me the tools needed for me to grow. W@W understands the strengths and areas of improvements and provides what each teacher needs to give exposure to that strength but also the tools needed to work on our area of improvement.
6. Is There Any Other Personal Anecdote or Story You’d Like to Share With Future Teachers That Would Be Good to Know?
There was a student, a diligent young girl, who took feedback and worked on it immediately to improve. Every homework she did, she gave her 100%. Every composition she wrote, she made sure it was better than the last. Prelims arrived and she was nervous. She went into the examination hall with the expectation that she would get a high score for her composition. She gave her best and walked out of there feeling happy.
A couple weeks later, her results came out and she did not do as well as she wanted to. She scored much lower than she had hoped. The young girl lost all her confidence. She did not want to attend class; she did not think she was good enough and PSLE was just a mere couple of weeks away. Her parents were lost and did not know what to do because even their encouragement did not work.
She came into class every week reluctantly, but with each lesson, her confidence grew. She would stay back a little while after class to talk to me and to understand the potential I saw in her. PSLE went by, and she remained slightly unsure but remembered the words of encouragement and the tips given to help her.
Before long, it was time for her results to be collected. I contacted her parents on the day of the result collection and she scored AL1 for her English. More than the result she got, her parents and her were grateful for the confidence that the child gained back and her love for writing once again was reignited. It was all that they could ask for.
Working at W@W – The Experience of a Lifetime
Being a Senior Teacher at W@W is no walk in the park. However, W@W has a homely, family environment which immediately can be felt the moment you walk through the door. The students at W@W are extremely eager to learn, and lessons are always a barrel of laughs as students creatively come up with plot ideas and reenact scenes from the stories you teach them.
Teaching is a meaningful career as you will get to impact students’ lives both inside and outside the classroom in a positive way. Students come into W@W and leave feeling inspired and motivated to face the school week. As a teacher, you will experience the joys of helping your students learn not only about how to write essays and pass their exams, but also to be curious about how to observe and navigate the world around them.
Learn How to Write In a Coherent and Concise Manner with WR!TERS@WORK!
At WR!TERS@WORK, we are committed to providing the smoothest learning experience for your primary or secondary school child sitting for their English exam. With our carefully curated methods of teaching your child how to write, your child will be able to craft well-written essays in any genre with good grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.
English tuition and writing courses are instrumental for students not only in school, but to prepare them for their future undertakings as good writing is a universal necessity. Enjoy a smoother learning process with WR!TERS@WORK as we reinforce your child’s language skills and provide them with a strong foundation for academic success. For more exam tips, parents and students can explore our website and watch our YouTube videos.
If you are interested in our primary English tuition and secondary English tuition in Singapore, WR!TERS@WORK has expanded to 8 convenient locations. To find the nearest location that suits your needs, please explore our options. If you have any inquiries regarding our range of programs or class schedules, please feel free to contact WR!TERS@WORK.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
1. What Does a Writing Teacher Do?
At W@W, a writing teacher will teach students how to approach an essay using a Plot Curve. The teacher will guide students’ essay writing skills to find a plot that makes sense, craft characters with good motivations and believable actions, and wrap up the essay satisfyingly.
2. Can You Make a Career Out of Creative Writing?
Being a creative writer can yield a career of writing for advertising purposes or teaching writing to students. Writing is a highly important skill which is essential in employment, and being able to craft a piece of work using logic and eloquence can be trained from young.
3. What Makes a Good Writing Teacher?
A good writing teacher will be sensitive to their students’ needs as they will be able to tell how a student learns things best. Furthermore, a good writing teacher will correct students’ basic English language skills such as grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.
4. Why Should I Be a Writing Tutor?
Being a writing tutor is valuable as you get to impart valuable skills of your own to your students. Furthermore, teaching writing provides another perspective and you may learn new things while teaching your students, such as about how your students learn a particular subject.
5. When is the Best Time to Teach a Child to Write?
Children start reading and being able to spell before they enter primary school. By Primary 2, children will be able to craft a narrative or a short piece of writing. Writing skills can be developed in early primary school and honed further when a child approaches Primary.
