s t o r i e s t o t e l l b y . .
Syaza Suraini
BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION
Nur Syazadiyanah Suraini 01
Ibelieve that a well-designed environment, in term of functionality and productivity boost, is a right for everyone, not a luxury only for the privileged.
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 role in Edvolution, working directly with over 150 system leaders in more than 30 districts nationwide. At the same time, I am pursuing my PhD in the built environment.
I am passionate about physical learning spaces in relation to teaching and learning experiences. With my founding of Malaysian Learning Spaces (MYLES), I am constantly on the lookout for more opportunities to get first-hand experience in schools while giving back to the community. It is indeed a long journey and I welcome collaboration with existing and new connections!
InternationalIslamic UniversityMalaysia
CenterforFoundationStudies
ArchitectureandEnvironmentalDesign
KulliyyahofArchitectureand EnvironmentalDesign
Bach.ofAppliedArtsandDesign(Hons)
InteriorDesignMajor
InstitutPendidikanGuruMalaysia
KampusBahasaMelayu PostgraduateDiplomainEducation
BahasaMelayu(SekolahMenengah)
Universiti Sains Malaysia
School of Housing, Building and Planning
Doctor of Philosophy (Fast-tracked) Theory in Design
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)
BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION
Syaza Suraini
Continuously on the move to bridge my passion in physical environmental design and my interest in education.
YSEALI Design Bootcamp
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.
Click the image to read my reflection.
International Conference on Special Education
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 Downsyndrome.
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.
But hey it was well-received! We came with the intention to share, and managed to bring back invaluable experiences, new connections and... thebestpresenteraward!
FIND OUT MORE:
I was invited to share my experience with my colleagues in the school. Ask me about it! I'd love to share more.
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.
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.
Education Estates @ Manchester
I presented various proactive actions by Malaysian teachers in high-need schools to improve their learning spaces. It was then followed by a panel discussion entitled “International Design Approaches on Education Estates” with Simon Innes, moderated by Crawford Wright.
We exchanged how things are in the UK, Germany, and Malaysia. Simon's presentation reminds me that a school is indeed a fertile ground to cultivate a sense of community.
Though short, I truly enjoyed being in a hall full of people who share the same aspiration (and challenges!) for a good school design. Click to read my reflections: English, BM
The Mayfield Project @ Australasia
As education is always evolving, many seem to want to be the expert that people listen to but how do we ensure that everyone - including the quietest in the room - gets the opportunity to share and feel heard?
It has been a privilege to work alongside 20 other 2023 Mayfielders in developing a toolkit to support authentic engagement with various stakeholders in designing learning spaces.
Project Mayfield is a biennial collaborative research project by Learning Environments Australasia (LEA) on designing learning environments. Upon project completion, I now volunteer to be on the LEA’s Research Subcommittee.
Click to read my post-Mayfield reflections: BM, English
The Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment
I was selected as one of the Top 9 finalists en-route the final selection. Having a very specific, niche interest on learning environments, I sometimes (almost always) refrain from talking about my vision for better learning spaces in public schools. Although I didn’t make the final cut, this experience has reminded me:
To be more open and speak up, so I could spread the bits of knowledge that I have on the topic
To embrace any opportunities that come my way,
To continue meeting new people, throwing more hooks, connecting more dots.
Read my reflections here: English, BM
Photos from the Merdeka Award IG page.
REVAMPING MALAYSIAN SCHOOLS
Reimagining Spaces
a pilot initiative in a high-need school for a conducive learning environment
2018-2019
Reimagining Spaces
PLANNING
I tend to see myself as Diyanahtheteacher and Syazathedesigner.
During my teaching fellowship, 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,mystudentswerealwaysthere to assist me.
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 theproject.
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.
WITNESSING
most seems requires a it becomes a earned that research of ecdotes and ince others,
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.
Proposal Pitching Deck
100% Project Crowdfunding Story
Post-implementation report (in BM)
Social media posts are tagged under #reimaginingspacesTE
The Learning Hub @ Uplands Penang
FROM A QUIET LIBRARY TO A BUZZING LEARNING HUB
During my time as a leadership coach, I also pioneered discussion on a good physical learning environment as one of the significant aspects of transforming education.
In 2022, I steered a physical design project turning a traditional library space into a new learning hub. It started with a series of focus group discussions with the school, teachers, and their students that led me to propose a set of conceptual designs.
Within 1 year, the school’s tenacity manage to turn the ideas alive!
Community Hub @ Gerik
AN INITIATIVE FOR THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY IN PERAK
In 2023, I was approached by a TFM fellow teacher to mentor him in his initiative to upgrade underutilised rooms in his school.
It all started with just a small room before the school leader entrusted him with the full authority to transform the whole stretch of the floor into a shared hub for the students and their communities.
I visited the teacher at his school to further understand his vision for the new community hub before proposing the conceptual designs.
Ruang2Gather
a pilot project by Malaysian Learning
Spaces to make more public schools redesign possible
Ruang2Gather was founded as a voluntary-based initiative that aims to empower Malaysian public schools to collaboratively design and improve their learning spaces through a series of curated co-designing workshops. By involving students, teachers, and community members such as professional design experts and local communities, it seeks to pioneer a practical approach in creating well-designed physical learning environments. The pilot project will demonstrate the feasibility and impact of this approach, paving the way for broader implementation and support. This initiative aligns with the School Infrastructure Development Initiative as outlined in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025.
#CAJELEARNSTOTEACH
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 alife-longlearning.
LEADERSHIP HUMILITY
Syaza Suraini
HOPE EMPATHY
STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION
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."
HUMILITY
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.
EMPATHY
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.
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.
MORE STORIES TOLD
"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.
"
...Withthepandemicimpactingourschools operation,nowisagoodtimetostart rethinkingabout‘building’abetterfuture throughourschoolbuildings,insteadtaking preventivemeasuresbasedonfear..."
Ihadthechancetosharemythoughtson"rebuilding"ourschoolspostpandemicinthisarticle.Clickonthepicturetoreadmore.
STORIES TO TELL | BUILT ENVIRONMENT x EDUCATION
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!
WheneverIvisitschoolsformywork,Ialsonotetheeffortsteachers maketocompensateforthelackofaconducivelearning environmentfortheirstudents.
"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!"
LIFE MANTERA
Syaza Suraini
Go for the knowledge; share and contribute.
From the littlest of action to the biggest of intention, it will benefit.