Stories to tell by Syaza Suraini - A Personal Portfolio

stories to tell by...

Syaza Suraini BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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Nur Syazadiyanah Suraini

I believe that a well-designed environment, in term of functionality and productivity boost, is not necessarily a luxury but a right for everyone.

In 2018-2019, I was called to serve in a high-need school with Teach For Malaysia as a fulltime teacher upon my graduation in architectural and design studies. I successfully obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education too through the teaching fellowship. I have some anecdotes to note, some stories to tell, as I learn to teach. I continue to serve within the education sector through my present role in Edvolution, working directly with the system leaders in JPN Perlis. At the same time, I am pursuing my postgraduate degree in the built environment.

I am passionate about physical learning spaces and how it influences teaching and learning behavior. I am constantly on the lookout for more opportunities to get first-hand experience in schools while giving back to the community with my niche. I hope to get a thorough understanding on the Malaysian school building programme and policy, to implement a feasible environmental design especially in the Malaysian public schools.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

ABOUT ME

02 EDUCATION

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2011 IIUM 2016

2018 IPGM 2019

2020 USM NOW

International Islamic University Malaysia

Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia

Universiti Sains Malaysia

Kampus Bahasa Melayu Postgraduate Diploma in Education Bahasa Melayu (Sekolah Menengah)

School of Housing, Building and Planning Interior Design (Theory in Design)

Center for Foundation Studies Architecture and Environmental Design Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design Bach. of Applied Arts and Design (Hons) Interior Design Major

Intentional Redesign of Malaysian Public Schools through Stakeholders Engagement

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

Convocation Awards

Undergraduate: Rector's List Best Student (Faculty) Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design Best Student (Department) Applied Arts and Design Postgraduate: Distinction A for Teaching Practicum Bahasa Melayu (Sekolah Menengah)

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STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

EDUCATION

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WORK EXPERIENCE

Design

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Teach 01 Interior Designer Maju Jaya Design

Coach 02 Fellow/Teacher Teach For Malaysia/ Ministry of Education

03 Senior Associate Edvolution

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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Syaza Suraini Continuously on the move to bridge my passion in physical environmental design and my interest in education.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

I made sure that my 2-year teaching stint does not stop me from developing my skills and interest in designing.

I was selected as one of the first participants to join the inaugural Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Boot Camp 2019, a regional workshop organised by Me.reka & Biji-Biji Initiatives.

My team worked on a design proposal to provide an alternative education solution to the underprivileged kids in a shelter home.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

YSEALI Design Bootcamp

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I went the extra mile (literally!) to Surabaya, Indonesia in 2019 with my friend Aisyah, another TFM fellow who majored in psychology to present about our study on the multisensory interior for the environmental experience of kids with Down syndrome.

In a gathering of experts talking about the practical innovations in pedagogical strategies for students with special needs, I have to be honest, I was not very confident bringing up such conceptual architecture and design topic.

FIND OUT MORE: But hey it was well-received! We came with the intention to share, and managed to bring back invaluable experiences, new connections and... the best presenter award!

I was invited to share my experience with my colleagues in the school. Ask me about it! I'd love to share more.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

International Conference on Special Education

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International Conference on Teacher Education I asked if I could present a published paper, just wanted to take this opportunity to speak about school design among educationalists.

I gave a little twist to my previous presentation on the same topic - instead of explaining what a "multisensory interior" is, I did a little multisensory test with the audience for them to feel first-hand what is it like using our senses when learning.

Click to watch a snippet of the presentation

I hope with this experience, my audience - teachers and lecturers alike, would be more mindful of their surroundings in creating a rich experience for their students.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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Reimagining Spaces A SMALL INITIATIVE FOR A CONDUCIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

BEFORE | Audio-Visual Room

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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PLANNING I tend to see myself as Diyanah the teacher and Syaza the designer.

I carefully planned activities that would encourage teamwork among my students with additional focus on their movement within the classroom to enhance my lesson delivery. Given limited facilities, I experimented with multiple seating layouts to observe its effect on students’ participation.

Fortunately, my students were always there to assist me.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

Reimagining Spaces

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I displayed the greatest increase in the Tripod survey for ‘Engaging Learning Environment Established’ to 63% favourable from 56% in the first year of the fellowship.

PITCHING Together with my TFM Collab - a fellow fellow in the same school - we pitched about the project to various internal and external stakeholders to obtain enough funding and materials to kickstart the project.

Backed with hard data and passion to make a change, we pitched to everyone - NGOs, students, teachers, parents, architects, you name it!

The results?

RM12,000 funded in less than 2 months!

The redesigning was well-supported by the school administration, Parent Teacher Association, School Media and Library Liaison, YTL Foundation and Tenaga Nasional Berhad among others in the architecture and design field.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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WITNESSING We made it! Many months prior to this, it almost seems impossible. Pitching an imaginary concept that requires a huge sum of money is a tough row to hoe. "What if it becomes a white elephant project?" asked one of the parents. I learned that having an extensive backup of data, rigorous research of theories and experiments, added with personal anecdotes and passionate belief play a huge part to not just convince others, but ultimately myself, that this will all be worth it.

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TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK With the completion of the project, I have witnessed trust, hopes and miracles in those students who spent their time, energy and RM2 pocket money to make the project a reality.

CLICK TO READ MORE: Proposal Pitching Deck 100% Project Crowdfunding Story Post-implementation report (in BM) Social media posts are tagged under #reimaginingspacesTE AFTER | Audio-Visual Room

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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#CAJELEARNSTOTEACH

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I initially thought I would focus on the school design, only. How could I forget - the school building is just a framework of my students life, where the real stories unfold. As a novice teacher from non-education background, I definitely have learned a lot more than I thought I have been teaching. Through the hashtag #cajelearnstoteach on social media, I share my invaluable teaching anecdotes to carry on with my vision to give back. In this portfolio, I have compiled some of the most memorable ones yet because even though the 2-year fellowship is over, my biggest take-away is that it is indeed a life-long learning.

Syaza Suraini

LEADERSHIP

HUMILITY

EMPATHY

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

HOPE

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LEADERSHIP We had our very own first ever student-led Hari Guru-Raya celebration in the school. It caused a delayed Hari Guru celebration, it was not perfect, but it was handled by the students themselves from the very beginning. The idea to simulate open houses around the school compound by classes, and game stations for teachers, all they needed was support and trust from the adults to make their idea a reality. That became a reason for them to reach out to me.

Our Principal found that it was an excellent attempt of event management fully done by the students. "This is definitely something new in this school, and that is good. The students will bring this experience in their afterschool life - how to manage crisis, handle people, technical and unforeseen problems. This is something valuable for them, something they would want to remember."

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

#CAJELEARNSTOTEACH

#CAJELEARNSTOTEACH

HUMILITY

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A Form 4 student whom I taught English in 2019 once asked if I could hold an extra class for her after school. Her vocabulary was very limited and the spelling mistakes were pretty serious I could barely understand what she was trying to write in her essays. This student had so much to improve on, but even so much more determination.

I know drilling SPM questions would not do justice to her at this point of time. I decided to go through an elementary-level exercise without letting her know prior to the session. Toward the end, she asked if she could have the book, this was when I told her to not be discouraged by the cover - that it was for Standard 5 instead of Form 5! I wanted her to understand how important it is to know where we are at to strategise our moves in order to get to where we want to be in the future.

Fast forward to 2021, this student was about to sit for her SPM 2020-1. She texted me saying she used to fail English but managed to get a C+ for her trial examinations. She targets a B+ for SPM and ends her message with "You gave me the courage to fight. I wish you are here and I can hug you sambil menangis (as I cry!)"

At this moment of time, I humbled to know that all I did was giving her the initial push, but it was the student's resilience that pushes her through with perseverence.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

#CAJELEARNSTOTEACH

EMPATHY

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One major difference when dealing with students in the classroom and at the field is that every single student student who was at the padang sekolah, was there because they wanted to be there, unlike in classrooms.

As the appointed Ketua Rumah Sukan, most of them I worked very closely with are not students from my class. I may not be their teacher, but they taught me a lot of things. I learned to empathise with my students through many lenses.

One of the students in the 4x100m relay could not participate due to injuries. As much as I wanted any of my students to not give up, it is as important to me that my students know how to step back and practice self-care. At the same time, I saw grit and teamwork in the rest of the students who decided to continue with the relay, resulting in one of them having to run twice!

In another event, my tarik tali team also shared their bag of flour with the losing team for them to get a better grip, because they knew how it felt losing your grip in such war - the tug of war.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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HOPE

I received a wonderful news that one of my students is currently pursuing his studies and he was awarded a partial scholarship too. This student was notorious for causing trouble in school, but I never got to teach him in the classroom. Instead, we were connected beyond textbooks and examination papers - he was one of the selected 5 participants for Accenture Student Leadership Camp to represent the school.

While it seems like the easiest thing to do by asking my own students or the usual school reps to participate in the camp, I decided that we would give chance to those who showed great interest to try something new instead, hoping it would craft a new path for them.

He was one of them, and he seems to continue trying his best to change his life, post-camp.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

#CAJELEARNSTOTEACH

MORE STORIES TOLD

At the end of the teaching fellowship, TFM fellows were required to present a progress report to the school we served in.

I find it as an important milestone check, not only for the schools but as a point of reflection for ourselves too.

We shared our vision for the school, impact on the students and future aspirations. Click on the picture to read more.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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MORE STORIES TOLD

I was given a chance to do a week of Instagram story takeover on the @tfmalumni page.

Check them out to hear stories from other alumni too!

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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MORE STORIES TOLD

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"The demand for learning from home not only forces everyone to dive into the digital world, but it also opens up discussions about educational inequity and the possible solutions."

I was interviewed for a TFM Alumni article to speak on behalf of Edvolution Enterprise on the online pivot due to COVID-19.

Click on the picture to read more.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

MORE STORIES TOLD

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"As an educator, Syaza reflects that her experience with her brother has become her motivation to understand the significance of the physical learning environment on student motivation."

I was interviewed for another TFM Alumni article to speak about my experience having a brother with Down syndrome and inclusive education.

Click on the picture to read more.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

MORE STORIES TOLD

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"...With the pandemic impacting our schools operation, now is a good time to start rethinking about ‘building’ a better future through our school buildings, instead taking preventive measures based on fear..."

I had the chance to share my thoughts on "rebuilding" our schools postpandemic in this article. Click on the picture to read more.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

MORE STORIES TOLD

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Edvolution focuses on pedagogical and system transformation in schools. I pioneered a discussion to include the physical learning space as part of a school's transformation work.

I was entrusted with the chance to invite and moderate a session with Prakash Nair, a leading school architect based in Florida to share his thoughts with the School Leaders I am working with.

From the engagement with Prakash, I also collaborated with Janice - the co-founder of Edvolution, to outline a strategic support plan to guide schools in carrying out redesigning activities of any scale. The guideline has not been released yet as we try to get more stakeholders to be part of it.

Ask me more about it!

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

MORE STORIES TOLD

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"A teacher decided to turn his 'remedial class' into a 'remedial home' with kitchen and dining hall, living room, and even bedroom because he found that "learning from home" does not work for his students when their house is not a home. But where did he get the money from? By selling ice-creams!"

Whenever I visit schools for my work, I also note the efforts teachers make to compensate for the lack of conducive learning environment for their students.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

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LIFE MANTERA

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Syaza Suraini Go for the knowledge; share and contribute.

From the littlest of action to the biggest of intention, it will benefit.

STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

stories to tell by Syaza Suraini

BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION

syaza.suraini@gmail.com +6 012 420 9645