It seems like it was just yesterday when school reopened for the new academic year. Now it is already the end of Term 1. I believe the coming March school holiday presents itself as a timely opportunity for us to take stock, reflect and renew.

The photograph I’ve included in this bulletin featured the work of a group of Teacher Renewal guides. The group had focused on The Heart of a Teacher and used each letter of the word HEART to represent what teacher renewal is about. They highlighted the importance of honouring our inner voice, reflecting on the teacher within us, and teaching with passion. These are points that we know are important but seldom ponder upon.

When we reflect upon ourselves as teachers, we usually surface issues like values, professionalism and commitment. Last year, we explored the Singapore Teachers’ coat-of-arms over two bulletins. Perhaps as part of our reflection on our calling as teachers, we may want to explore articulating our Personal Professional Statement. For this purpose, we can refer to the Teachers’ Pledge and Purpose of Teaching to point us in the right direction. In a nutshell; The Teachers’ Pledge:

Our Pupils, Our Passion
Our Professionalism, Our Personal Example
Our Nation, Our Pride
Our Learning, Our Pursuit
Our Partners, Our Resources

What would we like to include in our Personal Professional Statement? We may want to begin by expressing our personal philosophy of education. After which, we may venture into surfacing the theoretical underpinnings of our pedagogical approach. We may also want to be open about the reasons behind our choice to teach or why we continue to teach. We must not forget to include our aspirations as educators, not just for our students, but for ourselves. Remember that when we reflect, we are presenting ourselves with the gift of time and space to renew.