Evaluating Intercultural Behaviour (Post #5)

It is about a year ago and I am in an NUS project group consisting of Indian, Burmese and Singaporean students. We are meeting to discuss ideas for our engineering project. In the midst of an engaging discussion, I suddenly find my train of thought derailed as I am speaking. An Indian group member is verbally agreeing with what I am saying (by saying "yes", "okay" etc.), yet she is shaking her head. This incongruity between speech and action leaves me feeling confused.

Unsure of what to make of her odd behaviour, I get straight to the point and ask her if she disagrees with what I am saying. Her eyes grow large and her expression reveals surprise as she denies that she disagrees with me. I follow up by asking her why she was shaking her head in disagreement while I was speaking. Her eyes widen to the extent that I fear they will pop out of their sockets and she vehemently denies that she was shaking her head in disagreement. The atmosphere is tense as the rest of the group observes our exchange silently.

To break the uneasy silence and to better explain my stand, I begin to mimic the head shaking movement that she did. My manoeuvre is successful, but not in the way I expect as some group members spontaneously burst out laughing after that. My confusion reaches a climax at this point. After the laughter dies down, another Indian group member offers an explanation: in the Indian culture, head movements are used to show that someone is listening actively.

In hindsight, based on my limited knowledge of a different culture, I should not have jumped to the conclusion that my group member was disagreeing with me. The misunderstanding would have been resolved sooner if I had not applied my cultural bias to the situation and had just asked her plainly why she was shaking her head. This is a lesson that I can apply as I encounter people from different cultures in my life journey.

Heal The World (Post #4)

Imagine a teenage boy, standing alone at the entrance of a shopping centre and restlessly waiting for the rain to subside. As he waits, the frozen foodstuffs contained in his shopping bags are slowly defrosting and it adds to his obvious agitation. Out of nowhere, a stranger comes by and gives the boy an umbrella. The stranger then goes his own way.

I am the recipient of that random act of kindness described above. Experiencing that made me realise that small gestures can have a profound impact on other people's lives. Having lived in Singapore my entire life, I feel that this is something that most Singaporeans need to realise and act upon.

Since that incident, my senses have been tuned towards recognising when people are in need of help. By helping others in their time of need, I firmly believe that I can cause that same realisation to blossom in others as it did in me. My personal goal is to make the world a better place to live in through the cascading effect of my small gestures.

As the British philosopher Bertrand Russell once said, "No man can be a good teacher unless he has feelings of warm affection toward his pupils and a genuine desire to impart to them what he believes to be of value." As a teacher, I can see myself going the extra mile when necessary and influencing the lives of students positively.

A Teacher By Any Other Name... (Post #3)

Summary Of General Education Officer/Teacher Requirements:

• Possess a passion for teaching
• Know how to engage students in their learning
• Be a good role model and an inspiration to students
• Able to prepare students for the challenges of life
  

(Adapted from http://www.moe.gov.sg/careers/teach/)



Application Letter:

Seah Wen Jun
Blk 728 Clementi West Street 2 #02-418
Singapore 120728

6 September 2009

Mdm Peh Tzu Feng
Manager, Recruitment Unit
Recruitment and Placement Branch
Ministry of Education
1 North Buona Vista Drive
Singapore 138675

Dear Mdm Peh,

I am writing to introduce myself as I am interested in joining the Ministry of Education as a General Education Officer. I will be graduating in December 2009 from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Computer Engineering). Hence, I will be able to start work from mid-December 2009 onwards.

Throughout my life I have taught my peers informally, be it in academics or in sports, as sharing my knowledge with others gives me a great sense of satisfaction and purpose. As a result, I find myself passionately drawn towards teaching as a career. Additionally, being able to act as a role model for others and having the opportunity to impart the right values to others is a dream of mine. I can be a good role model as I have proven myself trustworthy, responsible and dependable whilst holding the dual portfolio of Class Treasurer and Volleyball Club Quartermaster when I was in Junior College.

From my stint as Captain for my faculty's pool/billiards team, I have developed and applied leadership, organisational and management skills. These are skills that I trust will help me to lead and engage students on a journey of learning and discovery. Furthermore, while I was serving my National Service in a unit dealing with administrative matters, I was voted as the unit's Best Staff of the Year. Therefore, this proves that I am congenial, affable and in possession of a strong work ethic. With these personality traits, skills and experiences I believe I am well equipped to handle the teaching and administrative duties of a General Education Officer.

I look forward to hearing from you again and I am available for an interview at any time, except on the 2nd of November. In the unfortunate event that there are no vacancies for full time teaching staff, I would be more than happy to take on a part time teaching position. Please feel free to reach me by email (seah.wen.jun@gmail.com) or by mobile (93667276).

Thank you for taking the time to read my application letter.

Yours sincerely,



Seah Wen Jun