Making Teachers Great Pt2

Previously as a part series of How To Make Teachers Great (Link)
Check out the series here! (Link)

The TED Talk video mentioned 2 things that grabbed my attention. First, how the World viewed or prioritise issues. For example, in the video, more research is put into balding in the US then Malaria vaccines. This shouldn't be a surprising result of the shift of focus. Malaria is controlled in US and it doesn't seem natural for the government to continue research when something is already 'solved'.

But the harsh fact that they, and we, ignore is that Malaria is still not cured. Poorer countries are still having Malaria infections in a large scale basis. They do not have the freedom to research and find a cure because they are not rich. Resources are not as freely accessed as opposed to richer, well to do neighbours. So that is why the rich has a 'control' on what gets solved.

One side note that I just thought is how time plays a part in problem solving. Things evolve and fall a part: Diseases morph to become resistant to vaccines, carriers change behaviour, vaccines get outdated. When a problem is tackled swiftly and efficiently, there is a tipping point where the problem just shrinks and becomes another controlled variable. Effectively, it becomes solved. Another issue that couples the rich and poor dilemma is with only limited to no access to resources, poorer countries take a longer time to solve problems.

The second item that really got me thinking is how Bill Gates related feedback as a way to become great. I resonate with him that only when we know that we are doing the wrong things that we enable the opportunity for us to learn mistakes and correct ourselves. We ENABLE it. Whether we choose to learn or correct is another issue on decision making.

And let's look at how our body function. When our body senses pain, it sends signals to our brain and we direct our attention to the pain. Naturally, we will move our body away from the source of pain to cease the act of pain. Feedback is evident here. When the signals are being sent, our body feedbacks to us and we act accordingly.

SO! What is the state of teaching that we have in Singapore? I suggest we stop referring this as another industry. It is not some other business avenue. In fact, if we do look at it that way, it shares the same concept with prostitution. We are paying people to service another human. Teaching nowadays seems heavily capitalised. People look it as a career, with the salary in mind.

Thankfully, when you have passionate people, 9 out of 10 times, they are really, really good. Why? Experience. No matter if they took 5, 10, 15 years to be of a standard we define as good, they have solid experience that goes a long way. And from what I've studied so far, you can't replicate experience. It's like cloning a sheep. It's identical, but fake.

What about sustainability? Obviously, you would want to keep them for as long as they can. So we got this money paying system called le salary to quantify the rewards of teaching. Screw that will you? Your rewards are the smiles on the kids' faces. In fact, that is all you need. Do it for free.

Have you forgotten? You really REALLY know what you love and passionate about when you would do that for free.

I would, will. I would come back to Leo Club for free. I would help Singapore Red Cross without a price tag. I would help because it's not about getting karma points or gaining hours for a scholarship application. I just want to help. Don't you?