for the whole of last year, me and my partner FT keep motivating the class and setting high expectations for them.
they did not disappoint us. they got 100% pass in chemistry (i was their chemistry teacher) and for physics (my partner FT was their physics teacher) there was only one failure and the rest passed.
100% pass in chemistry is a very good result. and their overall results for chemistry was better than the previous cohort. i was really really very happy.
i joined the school in jan 2016. and then in May 2016 their chemistry teacher resigned. and so my science HOD decided to put me as their chemistry teacher at the second half of the year when they were in sec 3.
and so in 2017 i followed up with them as their chemistry teacher in sec 4, and i also became their form teacher.
my science HOD, who is also a chemistry teacher, spoke to me alot about the class, and also how to improve their results. he really stretch me to the limit such that i always keep asking myself how to let them enjoy learning chemistry and also will score better once they love the subject.
during the second half of 2017, my science HOD discussed with me on the option of splitting the class. i support this idea. so we sit down together, analyse their psle score, their psle science grade, and the chemistry results that they have been achieving in sec 4. and so it was decided that my HOD will take the elite group (which is 15 students) and i will take the rest (which is 24 students). his job is to make sure that this 15 students will get their A1s and A2s and for my group, my job is to value add their chemistry grade and also push the failures from a D7, E8, F9 to a pass.
to be honest, both of us really work very hard. we give them weekly tests. we give them the test on monday, mark them and give them back on wednesday. we let them do numerous past year papers from other schools and do TYS. we mark their essay questions and write feedback for them, and return to them within 3 days.
the last time i taught pure chem was in 2011, and really, my SH Chemistry at that time never ever sit down with me and discuss all these strategies. last year i really grow alot as a chemistry teacher, thanks to the guidance and support from my science HOD.
and so, on the results release day, my science HOD came up to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and spoke to me softly:"they did not disappoint us. 100% pass in chemistry."
omg when i heard the news from him i was really on the verge of tearing. tearing with happiness of course.
i had 4 students, from sec 3 EOY all the way until sec 4 prelim, who keep failing their chemistry. for the o levels, 2 of them scored C6, 1 of them scored C5 and 1 scored B4. the student who scored B4 really surprised me.
and from my group, majority scored B3 (they were all in the C5 and C6 region), and i am so happy that 2 from my group scored A2. i had done my job in securing the 100% pass, as well as value adding for the students.
i am really thankful to my students for working so hard. thankful to my science HOD for trusting me to teach chemistry to the top express class. and of course the school management for choosing me to be their form teacher when they are in sec 4. thank you 4E1 2017. i will always remember all of you.
