Please share with us your professional life’s journey and at which point in your career did you aspire to pursue this FlexiMasters.

As I approached my 15th year in service in MOE, there was this desire to better myself. I had already attained a certificate in early childhood in 2020 but I felt it was only the beginning. Time was opportune and along came this FlexiMasters in Early Childhood Education in 2020, and it provided that little push in me knowing yet a little more about early childhood. It was the right amount of scaffolding I needed in my professional development.

What attracted you to your chosen FlexiMasters at PaCE@NTU?

My work requires me to work with early childhood and special educational needs professionals and I liked how the courses offered would up my efficacy as a facilitator for the teachers I worked with. To make the decision easier, there was enough information provided in the courses synopses to convince me that my time invested would not be in vain.

What were the challenges you faced when trying to complete this FlexiMasters?

Juggling three courses and my work was definitely no walk in the park. I often ended up spending my weekends just reading readings and refining my assignments. Rushing to lessons from work was also a challenge but because the lessons were so interesting and piqued my curiosity, I would rather be late for class than miss it.

Which aspect of this FlexiMasters do you like the most?

The lecturers really taught from their heart and that really inspired me. I was never made to feel any less despite just pursuing a FlexiMasters. My thoughts and personal experiences were valued. All three lecturers facilitated learning, encouraged diversity in sharing and expertly weaved their own stories in to better capture the key learning points. They had created a classroom culture of positivity and self-directedness but never once made me feel I was le to flounder on my own.

Share with us a memorable experience you had during your time at NTU.

What really stood out for me was how Dr Joanna constantly reminded us of the impact of our work in MEC902: Issues and Trends in Early Childhood Education. This course really hit me hard as she opened my world to the importance of delving deeply into issues and the steps one needs to put in place to be closer to resolving it. In all our classes, presentations were just an appetizer. The main course was the discourse that accompanied each presentation and the dessert? Dr Joanna’s own experiences. Each class was a full circle of learning. We gave, we locked horns and we gained insights.

Please share with us your future plan on continuing your education upon completing this FlexiMasters.

I have enjoyed the quality of the learning and the professionalism demonstrated by my lecturers that I am attending the final course in this FlexiMasters during this semester to get started on stacking courses in special education. I will be applying to do the full-time Master of Education (Early Childhood) in Jan 2022.

Will you recommend PaCE@NTU’s programmes to your friends and family?

I have been so impressed with the quality of the learning that I have encouraged two of my colleagues to embark on their own certificate in the upcoming semester of which I too will partake in. Similarly, I have been able to immediately put my learning to practice at one of my workshops and in my roles and responsibilities with regard to conducting studies that my reporting officer has asked me to do a sharing of my experience with my organisation.

Related stories