8 minute read
Art of Adapting
The Art of Adapting
The pandemic has forced many of us to adapt to a virtual life. Trying to pivot life virtually can be a struggle as we are all learning how to adapt to this new way of life together. KLASSics decided to take a look into the lives of teachers, students and our alumni to see how change has affected their daily lives.
Julia Armstrong Former staff, 2006 - 2014
The Art of Teaching
Ms. Armstrong, former teacher at KLASS 2006 - 2015 and now a Deputy Head of the Biology Faculty at Kellett School, The British International School in Hong Kong tells us how she adapted to the sudden pandemic that brought us all into the virtual world.
Tell us about yourself. I am a biology teacher, avid hiker and world traveller! I am inquisitive about new cultures, enjoy eating new foods and, perhaps more importantly, I like making genuine connections with new people. I love learning new things – at the moment my passion is for learning about cognitive science. The brain is fascinating!
What method or activity have you had to implement to adapt to virtual teaching? Teaching virtually has meant adapting almost all of my resources. It has also made me reflect more on how I explain things. I have used Screencastify a lot to pre-record some lessons – it’s been interesting listening to them back and thinking – how can I make that clearer? Zoom is also an integral part of my lessons when teaching remotely too – it took some getting used to but now I’m a whiz with polls, breakout rooms and spotlighting! I am always looking out for new ways to engage students when I’m not in the room with them – which is exciting and it has developed me as a practitioner even more.
What is the funniest moment you have encountered when teaching virtually? Probably those moments when a student’s mic hasn’t been turned off and they’ve openly groaned about having ‘homework’ to do, or a parent has walked into the room and not realised their child is having a lesson. It’s always fun to see a mortified teenager on screen!
Andrew Howard
Head of Sixth Form Current staff, 2016 - present
Mr. Howard, current teacher and Head of Sixth form (KLASS 2016 - present) shares with us his take on tackling virtual teaching.
Tell us about yourself and what you teach at Alice Smith. My name is Andrew Howard. I am very old and teach History and look after the Sixth Form at Alice Smith.
What inspired you to teach and choose Alice Smith? My wife and I were living in Shanghai and wanted to stay in Asia but wanted a better school for our three boys. When we asked around about the best schools in Asia, three names kept coming up, Alice Smith was one of them. We haven’t been disappointed.
Share with us your experience of virtual teaching that has been ongoing for more than a year now. Virtual teaching was horrendous to start with but I now enjoy it more than being in school! :)
How did you adapt to the new way of learning and teaching as a family while having to parent and teach together, especially when you and your wife, Nicola are teachers? My wife is one of the Vice Principals at the Secondary Campus so she had more power than me when we decide who would escape the children and get back into school. We also got a dog and a play station which helped a lot with behaviour management at home.
What would the students be surprised to find out about you? My hobby is pushing a heavy bar from my chest up, whilst lying down on a bench.
If you could retire now, what would you like to do? Pushing a heavy bar from my chest up, whilst lying down on a bench. More.
If you could pass any wisdom to your students, what would you like to share with them? Care less what people think, marry well and if you are good at something work hard at it.
This is the journey of our alumna, Charissa Lee, the former scholar and alumna (2017-2019) of The Alice Smith School. She is currently pursuing her undergraduate studies at the Wesleyan University, United States. Read on how she had to cope with different time zones and her advice to fellow peers.
In April 2020, I was forced to leave Wesleyan and moved back to Malaysia due to the pandemic. Upon arrival back home, I was sent to the Grand Millennium Hotel for the 2-week quarantine. I attended all six of my classes online; I started class at 9pm and ended class at 10am the next morning.
For the next eight months at home, my schedule was similar; starting class at 9pm and ending class at 4am. This has negatively affected my mental health because I was not getting enough rest and I felt a great sense of isolation and frustration. Nevertheless, my family has been extremely supportive, making my virtual learning as easy as possible. I am now back in the States for my studies. Wesleyan had done a good job in managing the pandemic and I believed that it would have a positive impact on my mental health by being back on campus.
My advice for students who are trying to cope with different time zones and virtual learning is to have a defined routine and schedule, speak to your family, friends and therapists, and be honest with your teachers/instructors so that they can understand your circumstances and accommodate your needs.
Charissa Lee
KLASS Scholar and Alumna 2017 - 2019
Currently studying: History and Dance at Wesleyan University, USA
The Art of Learning
This is the journey of our alumnus, Hong Yau Yap (2011-2018). He is currently pursuing Medicine (MBChB) at the University of Leicester. Read about how he manages the challenges of being a front line worker in the UK and his experience of being vaccinated.
Being a medical student on clinical placement meant we had to be in hospitals and GP surgeries along with healthcare staff throughout the pandemic. I had multiple contacts with COVID positive patients whilst on placement but was fortunate enough to not be infected. I made sure to wear PPE when in contact with patients and to be aware of the constantly changing situation around me - which patients were COVID positive, which were awaiting their COVID results, which wards are under quarantine etc. Although we were all on edge, I thoroughly enjoyed my clinical experience.
As we are in constant contact with patients, we are considered to be frontline workers and I was offered the vaccine by the GP surgery I was placed in. It would depend on the location you are placed for the type of vaccine you’re allocated in the UK. I, personally, was given the Pfizer vaccine. I did not experience any side effects and I haven’t been infected with COVID-19 since so I can assume that the vaccine is working. But I am still following the safety guidelines set up by the NHS so nothing has really changed much for me in regards to day to day life. Hong Yau Yap Alumnus 2011 - 2018
The Art of Survival
KLASSics caught up with Dr. Navin Roshaan Jayasingam. As a medical officer, Dr. Navin was informed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in October 2020 to serve in Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) in Kota Kinabalu as part of a coronavirus response team that was being sent to address the alarming increase in coronavirus cases in Sabah.
Dr. Navin Roshaan Jayasingam Alumnus 2005 - 2009 Treating the Coronavirus in a Prison
It has been a full year and seven months since the emergence of the coronavirus. This invisible and virulent cousin of SARS pervades through developed and developing nations and continues to take many lives even today. This pandemic has not only had an impact on humanity in terms of health, but has blighted economies as well as societal structures and norms on an unprecedented global scale.
For most affected areas, the majority of patients survive with sensible triaging and treatment and can integrate back into the community. However, there are some victims of the disease who survive but unfortunately continue to suffer from complications resulting from the infection, for instance, permanent organ damage, some of which require long term treatments and follow ups.
Frontliners, which include doctors, nurses, policemen, cleaners, engineers, blue collar and white collar workers who work on essential service sectors such as health, food, energy and water, are required to continue maintaining the basic functional requirements of every society and to also adapt to the frequent changes in rules and regulations set by government agencies in response to the peaks and troughs of coronavirus cases.
As a medical officer, I was informed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in October 2020 that I had been assigned to Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) in Kota Kinabalu as part of a coronavirus response team that was being sent to address the alarming increase in coronavirus cases in Sabah.
After a whole week of stressful preparations and a two-and-a-half-hour flight across the South China Sea, I finally checked into a hotel and reported for duty at HQE.
To read more on Dr. Navin’s journey please click here.
