WEERA BHUMMARA

My teaching philosophy is centred around empowering my students to become active citizens of the world. As they navigate their desires and identities in a globalized environment, they must develop a foundation of critical thinking, understanding, and knowledge through the English medium, their second language. I encourage them to be flexible, open-minded, and sensitive to their learning process and how they perceive others, fostering a sense of empowerment in their educational journey. 

As an English teacher of 7 years to non-native speakers, I aim to be the teacher I hoped to have encountered as a kid, where textbooks are not the only way knowledge could be transferred. Hence, I routinely use various texts and mediums to help get my lesson content across. I take pride in readapting Eurocentric English textbooks into a more palatable Eastern context focusing on identity creation and expression. I also take in current affairs and infuse them into the lesson to take a step further away from the static textbooks.

I have a differentiated intervention approach when designing my lesson plans to maximize students' learning potential by considering their backgrounds. As most of my students come from China and study at various international schools in Singapore, I link the learning with their lives and needs. Their needs vary, like passing a summative or formative test, of which they would inform me of the details. I would use backward design coupled with more bottom-up learning to reinforce the curriculum they were supposed to have been educated in at their schools. I typically engage in small talk before the lesson to get a feel of their current weakness or challenges faced at school; this may range from project works in the English medium or outside tests like IELTS, whereby I can design assignments that suit their current needs. This helps with the students' engagement, as they feel their needs are being looked after. This personalized feedback helps them perform more confidently, and their improved grades show whether I have achieved my goal. Their continual patronage and endorsement provide me with feedback on my success. 

I promote student inclusivity and engagement by operating on their level to address issues that might result in hot moments if not tackled. I often provide a different perspective and discuss matters like the water from Fukushima being released back into the ocean. I do this to prevent hot moments and promote inclusivity, as they will encounter Japanese students or people in society. It also helps to channel their interest and promotes a healthy discussion with an inclusive learning environment. 

My biggest strength as a teacher is the knowledge I do not have, nor do I claim to be a foundation of wealth that the students can rely on for an instant answer. I often like to co-create an answer with the students rather than telling them outright what is in my mind or what is the most appropriate answer, as this will create over-reliance on the teacher to be always correct about everything.

Plan, develop and design an engaging curriculum focusing on teaching English and inculcating the importance of learning through interaction.

o        Interacting with parents on students’ progress. 

o        Conducting and planning holiday camps. 

o        Conducting English Language Courses for children aged 7 to 18 years old. 

o        Conducting intensive lessons for entry into Singapore's various foreign system schools. 

o        Interview techniques for application into foreign systems schools. 

o        Examination techniques and writing skills for the Admissions Exercise for International Students (AEIS) Exams into Singapore schools. 

o        To conduct lessons according to centre goals.

o        Conducting online and classroom lessons.

o        Conducting Summer programs for overseas students who wish to join IB curriculum schools.

o        Doing research and carrying out online talks through platforms like WeChat and Little Red Book.

1. Harvard BOK Higher Education Teaching Certificate             April 2024-June 2024
2. Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (London Teacher Training College )  Pass with Distinction-A                                             Jan 2016-June 2016
3. Bachelor of Social Sciences (Sociology) with 2nd Upper Honours  Jul 2003- Feb 2008