Jun Chong

I love learning and I am curious about many things. Sharing my experiences and knowledge with the younger people gives me great joy for I am able to pass on the collective wisdom that was so generously shared with me and also see the curiosity for life sparked in the students when my lessons connect with them.

I had been a form tutor and had taught middle school science for 7 years in Saint Joseph’s Institution (SJI). I would love to broaden my experience in teaching and grow both as a person and a professional.

As a middle school science teacher in SJI, I was responsible for facilitating the learning of a foundational science curriculum so that students are prepared for either the summative assessment driven O levels program or formative assessment driven Integrated Program. I am adept at questioning and using Question Formulation Technique (QFT) in lesson to model asking questions and provide practice for students to hone their competencies in developing useful questions. The quantity and quality of questions raised in class then becomes one of the indicators that I use to formatively assess student understanding. Other formative assessments in my lesson ranges from handouts, in class role-play or prototyping experience to Ed-tech assisted quizzes.

As a form tutor, I am responsible for developing stronger rapport and supporting my form class holistically to facilitate social emotional growth as a person. I conduct the Josephian Formation Journey lessons through storytelling, role-play, boardgames and debates to facilitate awareness for their personal growth as well as intra-personal relations. I am also a bridge between the students, the school experiences they go through and their parents. Form tutors in SJI hold Parents Teachers Conferences twice a year to update the students’ development and understand parents’ perspectives and concerns.

To build rapport in all my classes, I often start by giving out ice-cream sticks to collect their names and interests but it is the daily interactions, school events like cross country, track & field meet and outdoor adventure school camps that continues to deepen the student-teacher rapport and provide opportunities to understand and support students better.

As a teacher in charge of the co-curricular program, the National Cadet Corps (NCC). I collaborate closely with a group of teachers to coordinate and advise students leaders planning and running the programs jointly developed by the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Education.

I value add to the participants’ experience in this co-curricular program by teaching additional martial arts basics and hold regular debriefing sessions to support the leaders’ growth.

In addition to classroom teaching and in school experiences, I led a food security learning journey for Year 3 Integrated Program students that comprises of a pre-trip classroom lesson and a visit to the Singapore Food Agencies aquaculture research hatcheries on St John’s Island followed by a overseas visit to the Farmers Field School in central Vietnam to learn about their sustainable farming program for ethnic minority students.

Last of all, as an individual with many interests, I collaborated with colleagues to hold two symposiums for the Integrated Program and International Baccalaureate Students so as to raise awareness for societal issues beyond the curriculum. One was about the built environment and its impact on humans while the other was about non-traditional treats that Singapore faced as a nation-state.

In my own capacity, I helped kick start the tinkering culture by holding “Maker’s Jam session” that lead to the development of a making program called “Innomakers”. I also organize a small environmental festival called Beneath the Waves to raise awareness for the oceans.
 

Postgraduate diploma in Education attained at the National Institute of Education, Singapore