Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence
The first Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) was established in September 2015 and hosted in Yusof Ishak Secondary School (YISS). CTLE@YISS features the distinctive in situ PD model where teacher learning occurs within the context of the classroom through the conduct of masterclasses and demonstration classes. Since its establishment, the benefits of the CTLE accrued not just to the students and teachers in the school hosting the CTLE, but also across other schools as teacher participants of PD at the CTLE brought new insights and strategies to their respective schools to impact the quality of teaching and learning within their schools.
Extending from the successful implementation of the CTLE@YISS, a new Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence would be established and hosted in New Town Primary School (CTLE@NTPS) from 2021, to directly benefit teachers across all primary schools in Singapore.
Both CTLEs are supported by a tripartite partnership involving Master Teachers (MTTs) from the Academy of Singapore Teachers (AST), experts from the National Institute of Education (NIE), and teachers in the hosting school. This partnership brings together individuals with different professional expertise to offer a range of PD programmes specially designed to improve student outcomes by enhancing teachers’ competencies through PD opportunities that focuses on strengthening the research-theory-practice nexus, including experimentation with research-based curricular innovations.
The PD opportunities that teachers can look forward to in both CTLEs would include:
Masterclasses
Masterclasses are led or co-led by Master Teachers (MTTs) and teachers from the school hosting the CTLE.
Masterclasses focus on the demonstration of ‘next practice’ in pedagogical practices, with the focus on nurturing
- self-directed and independent learners
- passionate and intrinsically motivated learners
The masterclasses enable teacher participants to engage in professional discourse with MTTs on the theoretical underpinnings of the strategies demonstrated in the lessons during the pre- and post-lesson discussions.
Target audience: Experienced teachers
Demonstration Classes
Similar to masterclasses, demonstration classes are led or co-led by Master Teachers (MTTs) from AST and teachers from the school hosting the CTLE.
Unlike the masterclasses, demonstration classes focus on the demonstration of ‘best practice’ in pedagogical practices, aligned with our Singapore Curriculum Philosophy that all students can and want to learn.
During the pre- and post-lesson discussions, teacher participants can look forward to engaging in conversations on the lesson and their observations with the MTTs.
Target audience: All teachers, including pre-service teachers
Click on this link to access short videos of the demonstration classes conducted at CTLE@YISS.
Seminars and Bite-sized Webinars
Teachers interested in just-in-time PD platforms can look forward to participating in seminars and bite-sized webinars where they could engage in conversations on trending educational issues, and share or explore strategies that could be adopted in response to the issues with a panel comprising Master Teachers, experts from NIE and Teacher Leaders or teachers in schools.