MLS Jan 2018 Local Attachment MLS local report final | Page 37

has taken place. I marvel at the extent the teachers would do to allow a fair
and valid assessment. This is a practice I would like to bring back to my
school. In mainstream schools, we overlook students with learning or
behavioural needs and do not consider how they can express their acquired
learning differently, other than pen-paper test. For children who are
dyslexic or have poor literacy skills, they will continuously fail in pen-paper
assessment. Did they really not learn or did our mode of assessment fail to
capture that learning?
Assessment, whether in SPED or mainstream schools, should effectively
inform the teachers of students’ progress and that information can then be
used to allow reflective teaching and learning. Through the principal, I
learnt how curriculum decisions like objectives, experiences, organisation
and assessment (Tyler, R. W.,1949) were carefully made with her team of
senior assistants. For instance, the educational purposes took into
consideration the pupils’ profile and the provision of learning experiences
was enabled through varied pedagogies and purpose-built classrooms. As a
middle manager who is a curriculum leader, I would need to lead my
department and teachers I mentor and coach to ensure alignment between
what is taught and what is assessed. I should also encourage teachers to
use alternative assessments to allow students to display their learning in
different forms.
People: Passion and belief
Teachers at Fernvale Gardens believe they can do something to value-add
to the lives of the students so that they can be independent and contribute
to the society. On the other hand, I witness how the space at Kidzania has
allowed children to freely explore and role-play what they imagine to be.
The emphasis of children’s rights: Right to Be; Right to Know; Right to Care;
Right to Play; Right to Share; and Right to Create justified the children’s
freedom and independence. It was a stark difference from what I
experienced at SPED. Most children at SPED had to be accompanied by
teachers.
At the SPED school, I was deeply moved and inspired by the teachers’
tenacious beliefs in their students to be able to contribute to society. That
vision, I believe, has become a propelling driving force to help them
overcome the challenges they face daily. Challenges they face come from all
domains: cognitive, physical, social and emotional. In mainstream schools,
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