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Putting less stress on learning
By Chen Ye |
December 29, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE fact that students don't like school much is the essence of the problem for teachers. However, one teacher believes in the quote generally attributed to Mark Twain: "Don't let school get in the way of your education."
Andrew Tham, who is from Singapore where people are obsessed with education, thinks once a student enjoys studying then they will fall in love with school.
"I don't like pushing my students to learn, and I like to tell them to cherish their sleeping time," Tham says.
He thinks that normally students have a lot of things to do every day such as homework, hanging out with friends and parents or playing video games. They don't realize that if they got more rest they may have a better physical state of mind, and study may become easier.
He is currently teaching Applied Statistics and ecology-related topics at undergraduate level.
"I didn't start out as a teacher fresh from college," says Tham. Prior to teaching, he has worked in financial services, law enforcement, nature conservation and biological research.
This previous work experience has helped him become a knowledgeable person, and he doesn't consider himself as a career teacher because he may switch to another profession after his stint in Shanghai.
"I was born in a tropical city, so I like to try different things and probe the secrets of society because enthusiasm, courageousness and bravery are already in my blood," says Tham.
Being a teacher working in Shanghai, Tham is still clueless about the Shanghai dialect, but he is good at English and Mandarin with a smattering of two or three other languages.
"I like to encourage students to raise questions in class," says Tham. A typical Tham lesson very often includes going off on a tangent in response to these questions and most students like this.
As Tham also teaches AP and IB Biology, he likes to share his personal experience in biological research.
But it's not only his academic knowledge he likes to share, he also contributes advice from his general living experiences.
Tham recalled one of his most memorable moments was finding himself waist-deep in the middle of a river after getting caught in a tropical flash flood while on a field trip with his students to a neighboring country.
"I still remember I desperately clung to a boulder as the water rose, and prayed that my students would not drown," says Tham.
It was a relief when everyone got out safely although Tham ran into trouble with the immigration office on the way home.
"It was so great because all my students were safe and sound, but it was so bad that my passport was soaked and illegible."
At the end, Tham taught his students a real lesson - never forget to waterproof all your personal belongings while on a trip.
This is his first time as a teacher in an international school in Shanghai, and he found out that there are numerous differences between the public school system in Shanghai and his home city.
His biggest difficulty in Shanghai is how to understand students who have different education backgrounds and cultures.
When he's not working, Tham has to take care of his familywith his wife.
"I am a father with three adorable kids, the eldest one is five years old, one is three years old and the other is around one year old."
He appreciates a lot about his family and his wife.
However, he says he often annoys his wife as he always forgets to put household appliances back in the right order.
"I enjoy the time being a teacher here in Shanghai, and I am still looking forward to exploring the beautiful world."
Andrew Tham, who is from Singapore where people are obsessed with education, thinks once a student enjoys studying then they will fall in love with school.
"I don't like pushing my students to learn, and I like to tell them to cherish their sleeping time," Tham says.
He thinks that normally students have a lot of things to do every day such as homework, hanging out with friends and parents or playing video games. They don't realize that if they got more rest they may have a better physical state of mind, and study may become easier.
He is currently teaching Applied Statistics and ecology-related topics at undergraduate level.
"I didn't start out as a teacher fresh from college," says Tham. Prior to teaching, he has worked in financial services, law enforcement, nature conservation and biological research.
This previous work experience has helped him become a knowledgeable person, and he doesn't consider himself as a career teacher because he may switch to another profession after his stint in Shanghai.
"I was born in a tropical city, so I like to try different things and probe the secrets of society because enthusiasm, courageousness and bravery are already in my blood," says Tham.
Being a teacher working in Shanghai, Tham is still clueless about the Shanghai dialect, but he is good at English and Mandarin with a smattering of two or three other languages.
"I like to encourage students to raise questions in class," says Tham. A typical Tham lesson very often includes going off on a tangent in response to these questions and most students like this.
As Tham also teaches AP and IB Biology, he likes to share his personal experience in biological research.
But it's not only his academic knowledge he likes to share, he also contributes advice from his general living experiences.
Tham recalled one of his most memorable moments was finding himself waist-deep in the middle of a river after getting caught in a tropical flash flood while on a field trip with his students to a neighboring country.
"I still remember I desperately clung to a boulder as the water rose, and prayed that my students would not drown," says Tham.
It was a relief when everyone got out safely although Tham ran into trouble with the immigration office on the way home.
"It was so great because all my students were safe and sound, but it was so bad that my passport was soaked and illegible."
At the end, Tham taught his students a real lesson - never forget to waterproof all your personal belongings while on a trip.
This is his first time as a teacher in an international school in Shanghai, and he found out that there are numerous differences between the public school system in Shanghai and his home city.
His biggest difficulty in Shanghai is how to understand students who have different education backgrounds and cultures.
When he's not working, Tham has to take care of his familywith his wife.
"I am a father with three adorable kids, the eldest one is five years old, one is three years old and the other is around one year old."
He appreciates a lot about his family and his wife.
However, he says he often annoys his wife as he always forgets to put household appliances back in the right order.
"I enjoy the time being a teacher here in Shanghai, and I am still looking forward to exploring the beautiful world."
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