18 Years In Education Later, I May Have To Move On

18 years in education is not a short time.

I am seriously contemplating a move out of it.

For those who’ve known me for some time, this may seem unexpected. After all, it’s what most people I know have known me for, and know that I truly enjoy.

Thankfully, though, it’s not the only thing they know me for. I do have options.

Perhaps it’s worth talking about - why I’m thinking about leaving the education industry, at least in Singapore.

Those who are parents or are educators themselves know that our local education system has mandated a fairly recent “update” to the way schools are handling class allocation for their students.

Essentially, each class is “mixed” - with students from different backgrounds, who have different aptitudes, and who likely have different life experiences thus far.

Each student is projected to learn each subject at their pace and at a level that is projected to cater to them.

The intent behind it was noble. The marketing to the public was focused on the positive. The educators themselves were informed way ahead of time and deemed prepared.

The results are, to put it lightly, not great. Even taking into consideration the usual teething problems at the start of any huge change, there is a clear lack of support and knowledge of handling rising issues.

It all looks to me like a poorly-thought-out grand experiment and I’m not confident that it will yield the hoped-for results, at least not within the next 5 - 10 years.

Some schools had piloted the move since a couple of years ago, but, as of 2024, this is now a nation-wide programme.

As an educator for nearly 2 decades, I’ve had my share of difficult audiences.

What I haven’t faced in that time is the sheer number of difficult audiences over such a short time.

I cannot speak for the teachers in the schools, but, from my interactions with them, they, too, are facing difficulties.

Add this to the tremendously unfair practices around getting school programmes, which I have talked about before, and this becomes a serious push factor away from this sector.

Yes, my current employment revolves around this sector, and a move away from it will likely entail an end to this state of affairs.

It’s not an easy move to make, and I don’t relish the potential problems that doing so will bring.

That said, I am nearly at my limit with the current situation and, unlike teachers who are bonded to the system, I can much more easily make a move. I believe that, this time, I likely will.

Crisis in the Middle of Your Career? There Are Ways Out!

Mid-career crises are particularly tumultuous.

There is the apprehension of what is to come, along with worrying that you won't have the time, agility, or support to transition into a different industry.

There is also the backwards-gazing of what once was, along with the dying hope that things will go back to the way they were.

And it's very easy to get caught between the two, nostalgia and uncertainty, resulting in a stagnant but sinking situation.

As with getting caught in quicksand, the first thing to do is to calm yourself. The more you struggle, the faster you sink.

The next thing to do is to slowly change your position. For quicksand, it's recommended that you try to get into a supine (facing up) position. In your situation, it may be breaking your silence and exploring options.

Then, finally, try to drift towards a safe spot.

If you have the benefit of supportive people around you, and you likely will if you break your silence, they can help you.

Ask them for for thoughts, ideas, even referrals if they can provide them.

You can face a crisis alone, but that's a choice you make.

You don't have to.

I Had Childhood Ambitions. I Didn't Become Any of Them.

When I was a kid, at different points in time, I wanted to be a Cook (I didn't know the word Chef), a Librarian, and a Scientist (specifically, an Entomologist, one who studies insects).

Perhaps as a way of fulfilling at least one of them, I would stay in the kitchen to watch my mum cook. Though I didn't take notes or ask a lot of questions, I still remember and use a lot of the techniques she used.

Being a Librarian is still somewhat appealing to me, though I can't say I'm going to be great with putting books back on the shelves. I've always been a messy reader, with my books all over the place.

I almost never put them back in my book cabinets (yes, plural) until I'm sure I won't be reading them for a while, or forced to do so. I suspect I'll have trouble maintaining a neat library.

And, although I liked observing insects, especially praying mantises, I didn't want to touch them. I've recently learned that it's because I've always had sensory issues.

So, a career of studying something I cannot touch is a bit... Difficult.

Oh, the picture attached is of one individual of a couple of colonies of mantises I found in East Coast Park, where I go on Photo Hunts. I go back and check on them about once a week or so. This one is about 2 months old.

Today, I'm an Educator, Consultant, and Workshop Wrangler.

I would never have imagined as a kid that I'd be here. And yet, this has been my work for over 15 years.

Funny, isn't it, where life takes you?

Should I Start A New Instagram Account for Professional Purposes?

Over the past 2 years or so, I’ve been actively taking pictures while I’m at school workshops and other public events. Of course I have older pictures, but I never took them with specific purposes in mind.

I believe I have gathered enough to start putting them together into an online portfolio of my work.

Most of the major topics that I cover have been photographed to some degree (some more than others, of course, due to differences in frequency).

So, of course, the next step is to decide what platform I should make the portfolio on.

Since it’s mainly pictorial, I thought about using Instagram.

The reason I don’t use my personal account is that I’d prefer to reserve it for my truly personal life and interests - namely food, travel, and photography.

As such, I’ve registered another Instagram account and I plan to start posting soon.

It’s definitely going to be slow-going, but I figured it’s worth a shot.

After all, it’s better to put up a short blog post than none at all.

Let’s get started soon!