Autonomy in the Classroom Case Study: Forgery and Financial Crime

One of the modules I teach my students covers lessons on Forgery and Financial Crime.

One of the activities involves my students examining currency notes from different countries around the world, as well as bank cheques.

They perform the examinations with UV lights and a digital microscope. Of course, I show them what safety features to look out for before they go at it.

Here’s the thing:

I’ve had teachers from the schools I teach at expressing concern over the fact that I’m “distributing money” and worrying that I won’t get it back.

I tell them that I’ve done this for years and I’ve never lost a single currency note or any apparatus used for this activity.

All I do at the start of the activity is tell my students matter-of-factly that I want my currency notes and bank cheques back at the end of the session.

I don’t mention this again until it’s time to return everything.

There have been multiple cases of students trying to raise a reaction in me by playfully threatening to walk off with the currency notes. I simply smile (now quite hard to see, because I’m wearing a mask) and tell them that, when they’re done, they can put it back on my table.

The point is this: Students will test boundaries and they will test you. They often do this in order to feel you out - to see whether they can look up to you, treat you as a friend, or to see if they should avoid you.

It is up to you as a teacher to set those boundaries and stick to them. It is also up to you to express confidence in your students and their moral values - that they will do the right thing, given the opportunity.

Students don’t need to be nagged or coddled. They are fully capable of doing the right thing at the right time in the right way. Give them the space to do so.

To help your confidence, I haven’t lost a single currency note.

You Don't Have to Go To Teachers' College To Teach What You Know

Nobody is born knowing how to instruct / teach others.

I suppose that's why there are teachers' colleges and institutes. And, doubtlessly, they produce some excellent educators.

At the same time, most of us won't need to know education history, theory, or philosophy in order to share our know-how with others.

These things certainly have their place and purpose, but they aren't very useful if all I want is to show someone how to do something that I happen to be good at.

Are You Ready to Start Teaching Your Workshop Without Worry?

When I first started teaching 15 years ago, I had no idea what in the world I was doing.

 Yeah, I sat in on an experienced senior’s workshops a couple of times, I had written my lessons out, and planned my slides.

 As best as I knew how.

 But I still felt totally out of my element the first time I did it.

 I didn’t know what to do, where to place my hands, when to move on to the next slide, or how to get my students to start or end their experiments.

 I even nearly forgot to start off with the customary “Good Morning, class.”

 It wasn’t a great experience, and I didn’t have much fun.

 By its end, I was a ball of nerves and wondering if I’d made the right career decision.

 Fast forward to today, I have my workshops designed the way I will run them.

 I know where everything is and needs to be.

 And I have my timings down to a tee.

 Of course, there will always be some factors outside of my control, and some unknowns.

 But everything I can control, I do.

 Everything I can find out, I do.

 And I have made contingency plans for the unlikeliest of unforeseen circumstances.

 Thankfully, I’ve almost never had to use them.

 I often wished that I had learned then what I know now.

 I wouldn’t have struggled as much, and I would have become much more effective earlier.

 Not to mention that I wouldn’t lose so much energy being worried and nervous.

 And this is why I designed a mini-workshop - Start Teaching Your Workshop Without Worry - to help new and aspiring educators / trainers, both to address their most pressing concerns, and to start at a higher level than I did when I first started out.

 I’ve found that, by focusing on a few basic principles and key areas, anyone can get a huge headstart:

 So, in this mini-workshop, we will go through together, in 90 minutes:

1) The 3 Most Important Parts of your Workshop – just follow the steps I lay out for you.

 No more worries about what to do next or how to start!

2) What to do, When to do it, and How to do it

 So you look Calm, Cool, and Collected in front of your learners.

3) How to be FULLY Prepared – using the scripts and templates I’ve prepared for you.

 By the end of the mini-workshop, you’re going to feel a confidence you’ve not had before about teaching your own workshop.

And all those worries? They’re going to melt away because you’ll be armed with what you need to run it well.

 Now, all you have to do is click here: www.tinyurl.com/teachwww

 See you on the inside!

Developing Curriculum In These Uncertain Times - Preparing For The Future

So here we are, in the middle of a slowdown (not quite a shutdown yet) in Singapore.

Schools are closed, as are many retail stores.

Food outlets, markets, and supermarkets are still open, to ensure that everybody can still buy food and necessities.

This would normally be a very busy period for freelance trainers in schools. However, since the schools aren’t open, all programmes have been postponed, cancelled, or unconfirmed.

There is an upcoming one in mid-May that I am developing curriculum for, but there is this sense of uncertainty. What if the schools are shut for an extended period of time?

Well, I can worry, or I can just forge ahead and do what I’m supposed to.

Even if this school doesn’t go ahead with the programme, the curriculum can still be used for future school programmes. Since the topics are gaining popularity, it shouldn’t be a problem to secure future projects.

So, instead of wasting time worrying about whether or not I will get to use it, I’ll just have it ready.

Well, back to work, then!

Preparing for the future requires present sacrifice!