Found this write-up in my email. Didn't get the award in the end, but never mind, I know I can probably get some sats here. Haha.

I have been teaching at Naval Base Primary School since 2019. It is thanks to the supportive environment nurtured by my school leaders and colleagues that I can fulfil my calling.

I believe that I am a strong candidate for the LEAP Award 2021 due to these reasons.

I build up my students’ resilience by offering them a safe space and arming them with simple strategies. Besides getting them to start the day right by conduct mindfulness exercises, I also get them to pen thank-you to other people, such as healthcare workers and teachers. As a result of these routines, I believe that my students feel positive about themselves because they know how to take care of themselves and express gratitude to the people around them.

In addition, I enthusiastically create fun-filled experiences that will inject a sense of purpose in my students’ learning. I push them outside their comfort zone so that the novel experiences they undertake do not just enhance their soft skills, but also form indelible memories. So far, I have performed on Children’s Day with my form class and guided students to take charge of school events. For my Student Learning Space (SLS) lessons, I harness my creativity by creating interdisciplinary, idea-centric lessons that enable my students to draw connections between different subjects.

Last but not least, I advocate reflection and autonomy in my classroom. I encourage my students to reflect on what they have learnt so that they can celebrate their successes and learn from their mistakes. I always urge them to “Never Give Up” so that they will perceive learning as a continuous process of self-improvement. In my recent Self-Assessment Checklist I distributed to my English class, I also invited them to voice out the kinds of activities they would like to embark on in Semester Two. I believe that students will be more motivated when they are enabled to work in tandem with their teacher to shape their learning journey.

Through my passionate processes, I empower my students to take ownership of their lives.