FEATURE | LUMEN
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Language education can change the world that they become valuable contributors to society . While honoured to receive the Inspiring Teacher of English award , Mrs Chua continues to look towards the future , seeing the award as a platform to encourage her students to continue reading with the hopes that they will develop a sense of empathy , a rare quality in the present day and age . As educators in an ever-changing field , Mrs Chua believes that both new and experienced teachers alike must be willing to learn and remain open-minded . Education is an indispensable institution in modern society where educators must be willing to learn new strategies and adapt to the needs of the society . Educators are peopleoriented , not defined just by their teaching abilities but also by their willingness to learn from their colleagues and students , fitting in a Lasallian institution such as SJI .
Mr Alan Johnson was one of the 10 ITEA winners in 2009 . He sees teaching as a vocation ; a personal calling from God to live his life to the full . For Mr . Johnson , language education is particularly important because language is often a tool through which power is enacted either for liberation or oppression . Consequently , language mastery , can be an effective tool in helping Josephians become men and women for others .
It is therefore very important to him that students enjoy their study of the English language because this is the means by which they can enter the complexities and intricacies of language construction and production . He particularly enjoys organizing student-led seminars and Socratic dialogues on graphic novels , philosophical treatises and tweets by POTUS and George Takei .
He also enjoys bringing the theatre to SJI . Mr Johnson has been in charge of the Drama Club at SJI for well over 10 years and has always encouraged students to write original plays and stage them .
“ I ’ ve always been fascinated with the connection which language has to power , history , knowledge , psychology , philosophy and religion . In my Catholic tradition , the world begins with God and Language ! God spoke and there was light ! In the beginning was The Word ! The stories we tell of others and of ourselves determine the future we will have . I want to train my students to be master artisans of language because , as they become engineers , doctors , research scientists , bankers and entrepreneurs , how they use language will craft the world we live in . May they always speak truth to power .”
This page ( centre ): Mishaelle with her boys from “ Bookcrossing ” - where the boys were sorting out books to be distributed around various corners of the school
This page ( top left ): Mishaelle Chua at the Award Ceremony
This page ( centre right ): Alan receiving his award from Mr S Iswaran , Senior Minister of State for Education , in 2009 , with Mr Goh Eck Kheng , Chairman of the Speak Good English Movement