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Creating a lively learning culture

Ms Tsang hopes to help students become confident and self-reliant.
PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

WHEN Ms Laura Tsang arrived at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in the United States, she was excited about the buffet spread of courses available to her.

Although she was there to do a biology degree under an Education Merit Scholarship awarded by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the American system of undergraduate education allowed her to take a wide variety of classes in addition to the core biology modules.

Since she had been steeped in science subjects during her two years at Raffles Junior College, she took full advantage of the opportunities at JHU to delve into other interests like music, as well as dip a toe in subjects she had not studied before, such as economics.

She became so fascinated with economics that by the end of her three years at JHU, she had taken enough courses to fulfil the requirements for a major in economics. That was on top of completing all the biology classes needed for her Bachelor of Science in biology, as well as a number of chemistry courses she had to take because of her scholarship.

Ms Tsang, 22, will be teaching biology and chemistry when she qualifies as an educator.

Now back in Singapore and undergoing a year of training at the National Institute of Education (NIE) to be a teacher, she sees her time in the US as a period when she greatly broadened her horizons.

Among other things, she had the chance to observe how doctors worked at the famed Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

She also sang in a Jewish a cappella group on campus and took violin lessons at the respected Peabody Conservatory, which is part of JHU.

The music-lover says: “They have an orchestra which I took part in. It was very enriching to play different genres of music, experience different conducting styles and perform with world-class musicians.”

She is glad that the scholarship provided her all these experiences, which she hopes will give an added dimension to her teaching skills.

With her love of science and a place in JHU’s well-regarded biology programme, she could have headed for a career in research, but she chose teaching because she wanted a job that was more “interactive”.

After spending long hours in the lab doing experiments as an undergraduate, she was convinced that research was not her cup of tea.

Ms Tsang does not know yet the kind of school she will be sent to upon completing her training. But she is open to any posting, as she believes in adapting to the pupils she will be assigned to.

She says her NIE training and a month-long attachment at River Valley High School during one of her university vacations brought home the importance of adapting teaching styles for different kinds of students.

She had the opportunity to teach a lesson at the school, and while it went smoothly and the students were attentive, she feels that she could have done better with what she has learnt at NIE.

“I was impressed by the aptitude of the students. And with my training at NIE, I am better equipped to make lessons more challenging and interactive,” she says.

When she starts teaching, she hopes to be able to nurture students to be confident and self-reliant, and give them the opportunity to explore the world of learning, just as she was able to do in the US.

“I hope to create a learning environment in which students can maximise their potential and benefit the most from the time spent in school.”