Can you tell us a little about what you do at work and how COVID-19 has changed your typical day?
I’m currently an Academy Officer at the Academy of Singapore Teachers (AST). My key roles would involve promoting and supporting quality professional development in the teaching service. Specifically, I’m involved in providing lead support as part of our courses for teachers (most of which are based on their respective subjects, in what we call subject chapters), affirming teachers’ good work by coordinating awards (like the Outstanding Youth in Education Award), facilitating discussion and partnership with key stakeholders, and providing systems support such as Ministry of Education (MOE)’s learning and development system.
On a typical day at the office, I would be working with senior colleagues and experienced master teachers at the AST campus to organise courses and other events. But now, like many others, I’m mostly working from home, or telecommuting, as it is called.
Working from home has entailed adapting quickly to learn new tools and adjust to change. But it has also prompted a renewed reconsideration of many existing practices and policies, so it is a timely occasion for deeper reflection.
What interesting things have you done in the last few months amidst the pandemic?
Early on, before the circuit breaker was implemented in Singapore, I noticed the proliferation of misinformation online, spreading fear and panic more rapidly than any viral outbreak. In response to this climate of fear, I wrote a twin cinema poem that I shared with my students. It gained significant traction online, much to my surprise. After it was publicised (ironically on social media), the poem found its way to classrooms in Singapore and overseas. I received messages from students and educators around the world, including Thailand, Hong Kong, and Canada. Weeks later, I was invited to share my poems at international open mic events like ‘We; Poetry’. I was also invited by the literary non-profit group Sing Lit Station to conduct an Instagram ‘takeover’, sharing about Singapore literature, reviewing books, crafting poems, and responding to questions.
All these were heartening signs that the act of writing—one of the most quintessentially solitary activities—has the power to forge connections by inspiring readers to consider alternative points of view and deepen their empathy for others.
One of my other passions that I have pursued, since my days at USP and NUS, is inter-religious dialogue. In the last few months, many of these dialogue sessions have gone online too. Such sessions included virtual iftars and Eid celebrations, during which my fellow interfaith enthusiasts and I had the chance to chat about faith and friendship amidst the pandemic. These were splendid opportunities to learn more about Islam as practised in Singapore. Similarly, I had the chance to give online talks to groups like Buddhist Fellowship Youth, during which I shared poems of hope and healing, as well as meditations on kindness, courage, and empathy. I also joined a youth dialogue held on Zoom with the Dalai Lama, during which he emphasised the importance of inter-religious dialogue and education. As the Dalai Lama mentioned, compassion is not a religious concern; it is for our survival.
Now is a precious moment for us to bear witness to the turbulent world around us, and develop compassion through action for the greater good.
What are some challenges that you are facing in uncertain times like this, both at work and in your personal life? What keeps you going?
During times of uncertainty, the most assiduously-created workplans and timelines are constantly susceptible to change. That means, more than ever, we need to develop what the poet John Keats described as ‘negative capability’, which is the capacity to dwell in uncertainty without any impulse to shoehorn reality into a Procrustean bed of fixed and rigid systems. Such a capacity demands empathy for others’ feelings and an understanding of others’ perspectives. It is this imperative to adopt and even embrace alternative points of view that spurs me on in my writing practice and inter-faith dialogue.
On a personal level, I do face the same kind of challenges that many in my generation would also face. As a single, it is normal and natural to feel lonely at times, especially given current social distancing regulations. Then again, one can still experience profound loneliness in the midst of crowds, or when inundated by social media. But I’m grateful for my network of supportive colleagues and friends.
I’m reminded of a quotation that I like to share—by Eddie Rickenbacker, the WWI pilot, on the biggest lesson he learned from drifting 21 days in a life raft lost in the Pacific: “If you have all the fresh water you want to drink and all the food you want to eat, you ought never to complain about anything.”
What positive things have you noticed emerging out of this global crisis?
One lesson from COVID-19 is that technology today has empowered ordinary individuals with the means to have an extraordinary impact on society. Even in an age of solitude and social distancing, there is much all of us can still do. We have witnessed an outpouring of kindness and generosity from so many organisations and individuals from all walks of life.
One of the most sterling exemplars of such social action is the Bangladeshi poet and migrant worker Zakir Hossain Khokan (Zakir once visited USP, during a dialogue session about migrant workers, organised by USP professor Dr Leung Wing Sze.) During the circuit breaker period, Zakir volunteered actively to raise funds for workers confined to their dormitories, besides arranging for essential supplies like masks to be distributed to them. When my former literature students heard that Zakir had contracted the virus, they quickly joined in to help promote a giving.sg fundraising campaign by #HomeForAll, an initiative by the Collective of Migrant Efforts, by advertising it to friends and family members. Hearteningly, the collective has surpassed its target of raising over $800,000 to provide more than 20,000 migrant workers with hot food, sanitation supplies and internet connectivity.
Many other ground-up initiatives have risen to the challenge of caring for those in need. They reveal the passion and drive that our younger generations are capable of demonstrating. They exemplify precisely the spirit of service that, like Zakir’s, can inspire us all.
Do you have any thoughts on how the tertiary education landscape in general, or NUS/USP specifically, will/should change moving forward?
Many commentators have already dwelt at length about how the tertiary education landscape will need to embrace digital transformation and online learning as a ‘new normal’. Whether in terms of pedagogy or assessment, NUS and USP will need to be nimble enough to adapt to ever-changing realities. (I recall discussing precisely this point with Prof Loy Hui Chieh in my capacity as an alumni interviewer when we were interviewing, via Zoom, prospective candidates to admit to USP!)
One important aspect to consider is that numerous studies have shown significant evidence of an ‘online penalty’ in students’ scores. While high-achieving students tend to perform well in both online and in face-to-face learning, the vast majority of students learn less and score worse during online-only courses. Low-achieving students tend to be the most gravely affected. Such findings have significant implications for how online learning should be designed and implemented; these need to be further studied. Another vital aspect to consider is equity, in terms of whether students of all socio-economic backgrounds are supported.
So I’m interested not just in what will change but what will remain the same—principles like fairness, intellectual integrity, and academic rigour. Even as the world changes, NUS and USP must be anchored in time-honoured values and principles.
What advice would you like to give to our USP community and the Class of 2020 graduates?
I would quote the teacher-writer Trevor Wright, who once asked new teachers to write down the single most important development in their learning curve. The most memorable response was: ‘I bought a filing cabinet.’ I agree with that whole-heartedly. Early on, I realised that the more organised I became, the better I would be at my job, and the more time I could devote to new activities and projects. Most teaching anxieties can be eliminated simply by being organised. I would say that the same observation applies to many other professions. Also, during these challenging times, do take care of your own physical and emotional well-being! Only when we are able to look after ourselves can we care effectively for those around us, whether they are our colleagues, family, friends, or other loved ones. Work at the pace of grace, and find your best in rest.