Work Experiences
 Chinese character writing activity | Oct 2019 |  Helping out during playtime | Oct 2019 |  Using real life vegetables as teaching materials | Oct 2019 |
|---|---|---|
 Playing treasure hunt for different chinese characters | Oct 2019 |  Collage art activity | Oct 2019 |  Food printing activity | Oct 2019 |
 Matching numbers activity | Oct 2019 |
Preschool Enrichment Teacher: BibiNogs @ Tides
October 2019
What I did:
I was tasked to help out with the younger age group during the first few weeks and taught the 5 to 6 year old class for a week, acting as a relief teacher. I helped as an assistant teacher during other sessions, keeping the children engaged, redirecting their attention to the lesson and encouraging their participation. I had to engage with parents during sessions that included parental involvement.
I was also tasked to create a video to advertise the enrichment centre and it was to be placed on their Facebook page, with the video reaching out to around 2100 views.
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Challenges I faced and how I overcame them:
1. When I was asked to take over the 5 to 6 year old Chinese class on my own, I only had half a lesson of observation. From there, I was given lesson plans and 2 days worth of art and craft work, in which they were to have an art and craft session every lesson. As I was unsure of how to conduct the lessons as to how their teacher would, I came up with my own art and craft activities and made sure I asked the other teachers if what I was doing was feasible. I also observed that the 2 children in the class were both very active and outgoing, often unable to sit down and listen to something they have gone through before. From there I improved on my lesson and came up with hands-on games such as the treasure hunt, number matching race and using real-life materials or toys to redirect their attention to complete more mundane tasks like writing.
2. Another challenge faced was trying to ensure minimal conflict between the 2 children. They would often argue or fight over toys or seat positions and much more. Applying what I learned in school, I used different classroom conflict resolving techniques such as guidance talk and classic conflict management strategy.
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Result:
As a result, the children were very engaged in the activities, hardly deviating from tasks given or asking for an activity change. Many times, they would even ask if I could facilitate the same activities again the next day. They also understood what I expected of them and would try to solve conflicts on their own.
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What I learned:
From this experience, I learned that I have to flexible as a teacher. I also learned that to make learning more engaging and fun, we should cater to the different learning styles of children. Lastly, I learned that in solving conflicts among children, it is always important to listen to the different perspectives each child has.