So you want to be a General Paper teacher? |
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To aspirant GP school educators, do you know what is required of you, duties and abilities-wise? A current GP teacher (identity kept anonymous as per his wishes) who teaches in one of the top 5 Junior Colleges provides the answers within an online forum post: |
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" I've been teaching GP for more than a decade. Consider the subject which requires critical thinking, writing and General knowledge of world affairs. In short, besides having knowledge in the social sciences and history and politics, you need to inculcate sound reasoning skills and is therefore a fairly big jump from 'O' Level English. Your difficult task is to help students bridge the gap where 'O' level English has for a long time (until recently) been focused on narrative prose. The essay questions are discursive/expository in nature while the comprehension passage(s) are also the same AND involves a last question involving your examination and evaluation of the writer's ideas (called an Application Question). A committed GP teacher does a lot of reading for new ideas and to make sure they are up to speed with current affairs. Above the usual CCA/marking and administrative duties, you write testimonials AND vet the testimonials of other teachers AND in my college write letters of Recommendation for students who intend to study overseas. (because they assume GP teachers have the wherewithal to write good ones) The normal perception is that a GP teacher does nothing but just talk their heads off. A good one does much more. For one, you can't fake a passion for understanding the evolution of ideas and socio-political events. FYI, the deadlines for marking are really tight. It can be overwhelming in addition to the other admin duties and dept meetings. Do I like what I'm doing? With a passion, especially if you spend time cultivating a good relationship with your students." |
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THANK YOU MR GP TEACHER FOR ALLOWING US TO REPRODUCE YOUR POST HERE. The Czar (Site Founder) Dated 20 December 2013 |
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