# data[].attributes.body
- Teachers' competency can be increased so that they can maximise students' potential: How to do so?
- Teachers deployed to their "strengths" e.g. always the same group deployed to NT NA classes etc so they may feel burnt out: How to motivate them?

# data[].attributes.body
Every Friday morning is CCA day.
There are no curriculum lessons.
Traditionally, staff PD is in the afternoon.
Teachers gave feedback that they needed a few Fridays freed up as part of wellbeing.
The school tried to fit in PD in the other weekday afternoons.
This seems like a wicked problem.

Members shared about other PD possibilities.
On weekday mornings, carved out time slots.
Student white spaces would then be used for teachers to meet up for PLT, Dept meetings, PD.

# data[].attributes.body
- How to motivate teachers? Especially the ones who always get the C or bottom C. Some of them are passionate about their work and may have heed the advice and have done a lot more but still not getting a "better grade".
- Have communicated to the teachers regarding relativity but still wondering how to motivate them?

# data[].attributes.body
I am all for rewarding and giving recognition to those who have contributed much.
But it can be so challenging to consider and put a name for a C- grade, whereby that individual is doing good and generally well.

Shouldn't be norm reference... let us do away with that.

# data[].attributes.body
Schools practice different white space for teachers:
- Some used it for department meeting but has no other meetings after school.
- Some has 2 TTT slots blocked off for them, so they know they can use it for discussion. These 2 TTT slots are generated and placed into their timetables.
- For complicated timetables, some solutions include: Splitting up the group of teachers for each TTT to make space for them to meet.
- Use of HBL Day where no students are not around to have level meetings, PD etc

# data[].attributes.body
How do we develop Critical thinkers? Transference of skills between subjects?

# data[].attributes.body
- Teachers' quota but in reality there are some KPs in the department and some straddling 2 departments so may not have "full force" as reflected on paper.
- Now there is SBB as well, and out-of-stream subjects in Upper Sec so may need more manpower.

# data[].attributes.body
Teachers value discussion and more hands-on.
Teachers want to see the impact.
Teachers do not just want to listen to theory.
Time is not a luxury that the school has.
There is tension and trade offs.
There are assumptions that PD must be done a particular way.
Could there be more self-directed PD?
Purpose, time, intent are tensions.

Most teachers want space during the weekday to rest or to have a good meal. If PDs are draggy, it adds to the wellbeing issue. Therefore, Learning Teams were created. They are subject based, meaningful and relatable.

Everyone seems forced to do something on top of what they are doing. Hence, teachers might find it as a burden rather than a useful opportunity.

Requires a top-down AND bottom-up approach and communication.

# data[].attributes.body
- For the different initiatives/professional development courses, some schools categorised into 1. run by school or 2. run by department.
- SSD and SLs structuring the learning for school.
- Focusing on 1 or 2 areas per year to ensure that teachers are not spread too thin.
- How to track that the teachers are practicing these skills? How to know there is transfer of skills? Some schools use PLT to do so, where they discuss about strategies.
- Some schools do PLT by "interest" where teachers in the same PLT need not come from the same department or teach the same subject. But this allows for everyone to learn from each other and see how the skills can be applied in another subject.

# data[].attributes.body
Ranking, deployment, PD opportunities. How do we 'do' these?

# data[].attributes.body
- Different departments have different strengths and come together and share, moving from general direction to specific to department e.g. IBL, AfL.
- Interdisciplinary: Able to link knowledge of different subjects together.
1. Can be challenging because teachers are unsure what can be done.
2. Buy-in of teachers and perception by teachers on the time spent on interdisciplinary projects and hence affected their morale due to "burnt out"
3. Top down initiative - but due to no consultation with the ground level plus no one able to lead it due to it being new, people ended up being unhappy with the progress.

# data[].attributes.body
Personal digital learning devices for students
- pilot schools
- other schools slowly phased in; schools will conduct professional development for staff before students get their devices (e.g., HOD ICT conducts training sessions for staff, while form teachers conduct training for students; get a small group of young (tech-savvy, enthusiastic) teachers (digital natives) to lead the rest of the department)
- experience of HBL in May 2021 was better than that during circuit breaker  between Apr and Jun 2020 because the implementation of PDLP was more structured and organised, with adequate/just-in-time support for teachers
- important to have infrastructure (e.g., Wi-Fi connection, virtual meeting apps) ready before rolling out the programme
- challenging to communicate the intention of PDLP; COVID-19 and circuit breaker made it easier to push through the launch of PDLP, with support from various KPs (e.g., HOD ICT, staff who have previously worked on SLS in CPDD)
- Will there be issues when secondary school students transition to JC? E.g., different schools use different devices (iPad, laptop, etc.), different platforms (Google classroom, SLS, etc.)
- Only digitalised learning materials (e.g. notes, practical worksheets) in future? Hard copies for Sec 1 students (because they don't get the device in Term 1), but soft copies for other levels
- Issue: Should revision materials be digitalised when students take pen-and-paper assessments?
- E-assessment (trials with selected schools): O-Level humanities, N(T) Science practical
- Ground sentiments ("no choice" because we are in crisis mode); have we really understood the resistance on the ground or just using COVID-19 as a convenient "excuse" to bring forward the implementation of PDLP

# data[].attributes.body
Up to MMs to voice out and bridge the gap.
Top-down and bottom-up approach with communication.
Find middle ground. Maybe, find committed teachers (not KP) to share about how and why PD is important.