Teachers lauded for creating ‘safe space’ where students thrive

SINGAPORE — Her secondary school classmates had once vandalised her desk with words such as “R.I.P.” and messed up her bag when she was not around. But the bullying soon stopped, thanks to the school’s discipline master Melvin Kong.

“I remember he took this matter seriously, took the bullies to task and even concluded the episode with standard procedures on how other teachers can handle such cases,” said Ms Lau Yanling, who was bullied for being a prefect. “He made a big difference in my life.”

Now, the 23-year-old is paying the kindness forward by becoming a teacher like Mr Kong.

Ms Lau was one of 1,081 National Institute of Education (NIE) graduates who received their certificates and awards during the first of three Teachers’ Investiture Ceremonies at Nanyang Technological University yesterday. She was also awarded the Southeast Asian Mathematical Society Book Prize, which is handed to the best student-teacher in all Mathematics courses in the Bachelor of Science (Education) (Primary) programme.

Speaking at the ceremony, the guest of honour, Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng, emphasised the critical role that teachers play in their students’ learning.

“You are key to your students’ growth. Your sense of purpose, passion and care speak much, much louder than words,” he said.

“At the students’ level, what matters is … that they know and can see that you care and that you have a passion for them,” added Mr Ng, who is also Second Minister for Transport.

Ms Lau, who has started teaching at Shuqun Primary School, shares the same belief. Noting the increased cases of child suicides in recent years, she said her students’ emotional well-being is of top priority to her. “Some students might not come from very complete families, so I make sure that I’m someone they can talk to other than the school counsellors, so that they feel safe in my class,” she said.

Mr Ng also presented the Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA) to six teachers during the ceremony. One of the recipients was Mr Chiew Jing Wen, 34, a history and social studies teacher at Serangoon Garden Secondary School.

The OYEA is an annual national award that recognises young teachers for their enthusiasm and active involvement in youth development. This year, 962 teachers from 237 schools were nominated for the award.

With a personal mission to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds overcome their challenges, Mr Chiew worked closely with parents as well as industry partners, such as Infinite Studios, to expose students to future career options.

“My daily encounters opened my eyes to students who had to live through more hardships than I could imagine when I was their age,” said Mr Chiew, who has been teaching for eight years. “While they might still struggle, I felt I had a duty to help them realise they should not let their present problems become bigger than their future. I believe that, as teachers, ultimately our job is about building relationships of trust with students and creating safe environments for them.

“When they know that you give from your heart, they will open their hearts to receive,” he added.