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A2-Robust infrastructure is crucial  to support online professional development .

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A2- Facilitation of best practices  to resolve online learning .Teachers not only have to support  students. Teachers have to support parents at home too.

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A2 - Breakthrough Thinking & Collective knowledge .Push boundaries for things that we have never tried in the past but now we have to .

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A2 -Relationship Building . Enhancement of soft skill with stakeholders .Empathise with the need of schools.

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A8: sharing of good practices across branches and divisions

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Group B16 - We should be kind to ourselves because even though it is a "new normal", it is fundamentally "new" and that everyone is still unfamiliar with the norms and practices involved. It is also important to reflect on the experience so far for learning points and keep swimming in the face of adversity. We should also hold onto hope for the future and accept that not everything about the "new normal" is in our capacity to change.

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A9: Specialists should collaborate with one another across divisional/ disciplinary lines to develop holistic, multi-lens solutions for the issues our stakeholders face.

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A9: open sharing between divisions and branches

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B15: SS should work collaboratively together and support each other in the work we do.
- sharing of resources and expertise
- sharing of ideas

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B11: willingness to embrace new possibilities and have a new mindset
How we can harness technology to bring about new learning
Need to build capacity so that no one is left behind

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A8: openess to try out new things

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A9: Pay close attention to the lived experiences on the ground to find out the challenges faced by teachers and students, and provide the necessary support.

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A23: Important to look for opportunities for synergy across branches.

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A1:
Key takeaways -
1. As SS, we will continue to exercise our thought leadership, and in the new normal, this has morphed to some extent , where we encourage greater contribution from schools and teachers

2. As SS, we also model what we want to see in our schools, Eg modeling of blended learning, in how we carry out PD

3. ‘Adversity brings out the best in people’ - our educators are nimble and this new normal has brought opportunities in greater collaboration as well as new ideas in t&l

4. Working from home May lead to an extension of work hours, ie must ensure that we do not overwork ourselves as we strive for the best for schools, branch leaders have also become more accessible with new ways of working

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A9: What is the "new normal" exactly? Specialists should work together to analyse, describe and identify the elements that make up this phase, and construct an understanding that is multifaceted and nuanced.

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B15: To keep our ears on the ground and hear from various stakeholders (teachers, students, parents, etc) so as to keep ourselves informed of the work we do

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A23: SS as thought leaders and also culture builders together with Branch leaders. So a need to have discussion space for SS and Branch leaders about the kind of branch or unit culture we want to develop and how to do it together

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A23: Good to consider how to set aside protected time for SS to engage in deep thinking or in conversations with other SS to build synergy

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A20 - Listen intently to school colleagues and support schools to shape the new normal

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A22- to be more ready to form relationships and take on new roles as we work and learn fr one another, regardless of our appointments.

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A24 - Mutual respect is important. Valuing the views of all, in recognition that we are all striving for the same goals. Hearing the views of all is key to this, as is valuing and affirming all for their work and contributions. Building relationships leads to trust, which is key for facilitating this.

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B12: we need to rethink our assumptions about how PD and T&L is conducted. To fully show the effectiveness of e-platforms, we need to gather data and evaluate its effectiveness. We would also need to adjust our presentation modes to be more engaging.

In terms of relationships, we appreciate the relationships a lot more. But the irony is that while distances between colleagues have become further, the relationships globally has become closer, e.g. we can engage overseas speakers online more easily than to fly them over and do all the admin work to fly them over.

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A24 - SSs/LSs can be included in management meetings to hear their thought processes and to involve them in key decision making.

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A20- Everyone’s role (BL or SS) is equally important and good teamwork is essential to bring forward sound decisions.

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A3: Collective empathy that everyone is going through rapid changes at work. Leverage on this reciprocal relationship between management and SS, and build on this for the future.

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A22 - BLs & SSs have a complementary role in Curriculum & Thought Leadership where BLs bring breadth in terms of context & change management process while SSs bring depth and domain expertise to the synergistic relationship that makes new possibilities happen.

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A6:

Building an inclusive culture / partnering divisions within MOE HQ

Building an inclusive culture should begin from within HQ before we can effectively impact schools. Some areas include: (i) holistic assessment should include consideration for SPED students in the broadest spectrum and ought to involve all branches’/divisions’ work (e.g. spelling out in TLS; curriculum guides); (ii) increase knowledge of Assistive Technology for SPED students; (iii) how work that cuts across divisions could be instituted as a policy (e.g. to be included in branches'/divisions' evaluation processes)

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A24 - In forming project teams, SSs and non-SSs can both be included in the same teams, thus serving as intentional structures allowing for collaboration and the mutual sharpening of ideas, and the sharing of expertise. When people work together, they can become more comfortable with one another and therefore more open to sharing and receiving new ideas.

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A22 - New ways of working has brought about new challenges, but in overcoming these challenges, we also break new ground & seize new opportunities.

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B10 - rethink and redesign the way we engage stakeholders e.g. parents, teachers. Foster a supportive environment for people to experiment and try new things. For teacher PD, we can learn from other Ministries and agencies that also carry out adult training/learning e.g. MHA, Mindef.

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B18 - Continue to explore ways to support schools in terms of PD, designing online lessons and other aspects of work, e.g., data collection, conducting consultations. Also, we ourselves should continue to upskill by attending webinars, etc. (now that overseas conferences are not possible right now).

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A8: New opportunities to do things differently ( e.g Arts and sports education)
New ways to engage stakeholders (e.g. streamline process)

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B19:

Opportunities

1)     Scanning the horizon , Pioneering work

2)     Rethinking new model to provide services to school support

3)     Personal development and growth

4)     Stakeholder partnerships

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A7: There are good things that have come out of this COVID period. There are things we have done that we would not have done if not forced to do so. Looking back, some things can indeed be done differently. And it took a virus to make us realise so. It is a reminder for us to always re-think and re-vamp in doing the work that we do.

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B13: Key takeaways
1. To be aware of how HQ and schools, how adults and students are responding to the new norm, and address the social / rapport building / collaboration concerns that have arisen.

2. To rethink how professional development is to be conducted. Many facets to consider - participant engagement, use of tools and resources, how tools impact learning if students.

3. Be aware that what may require a smaller team to achieve, may now need more manpower and effort due to increased coordination.

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A21:  During these periods, collaboration between leader, SS and non-SS is especially important. While leader and SS could provide direction and professional knowledge, EO fresh from school also provide info on what specialist not familiar. These periods also accelerate our work to be more collaboration, we are a lot more closer within all division and ministry.

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A24 - Provide structures for SSs to share their research (e.g. branch meetings, inter-branch platforms); include the opportunity for peer critique so that the work can be further sharpened, to allow for tapping on multiple perspectives.

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Group B28:
1.   Space and time for SS to learn and unlearn beyond own discipline, focus on fundamentals, and prioritise the essentials

2.   share and reflect (allow ideas to be articulated and be critique) to deepen and think ahead - build collective wisdom

3.   Be practical and have empathy ( and be cognisant of context and challenges at ground)

4.   Proactive and lead in building capacities of staff in response of needs and have the foresight – leveraging learning of new online to better support their staff

5.   See constraints as new opportunities – optimise to engage and reach to greater diverse profiles of officers and schools

6.   Recognise trust as a catalyst to build teams and strengthen relationship, not just about building enough trust – go even further in deepening trust bcos of common experience

7.   Be Purpose-driven and not just plan-driven

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B15:
Professional open conversations improved relationship between SSs and BLs.
More understanding between SSs and BLs with the new norm
Meetings are now more focus and efficient (able to follow agenda and arrive at decisions)

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B25

Branch leaders, as well as more senior specialists to set the culture of the branch Relationships

For SS to do well. Apportion time to do deep learning

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A4

New norm provided opportunity to reflect on our common beliefs of teaching and learning of students, teacher training, HQ support for schools. New norm provided opportunity for students and teachers to be self-directed learners.  There were intentional meetups and checking in between SS and BL during the WFH situation that helped foster strong if not stronger bond. It helped bring out the strong trust and care amongst SS and BL.

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B19
- Having an arrangement with branch heads to protect time for SS work –to advocate for work across teams and branches

-        Intentional practices for discussion between BLs and SSs through meetings

-        More active participation as content experts = more learning and exchange of ideas [through online meetings – increased frequency of meetings].

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Group A3:
Q1:

- To rethink about how we used to do things.

- To use technology to enhance respective areas of work.

- To try to understand recipients’ (be it teachers or students) experiences.

- To provide support for this transition to the new normal collectively.

Q2:

- Flattened structure – as a result of the immediacy in the expectation for us to respond, the requirement for us to deliver work quickly – Relation between SSs and BLs become closer and tighter, and have stretched everyone quite a bit.

- Reaching out and communication needs to be more intentional and deliberate.
- the collective experience of going through this pandemic together provide greater empathy towards each other

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B17 - Review our assumptions about teaching and learning and student assessment tapping on technology.

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A24 - SDCD has a learning fest example, which is a platform for ALL to share and learn. SSs can put forth research ideas before they are actualised. Other examples and structured PD on a regular (e.g. monthly) basis, branch professional sharing.

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b25 mixture of leaders, specialists and offciers for projects, to bring diversity. Build trust and open commuication with clarity of roles. In some projects, may require different role profiles to take lead.

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A5: Intentional efforts by branch/div to induct new officers (e.g., link up young colleagues with more experienced ones); try to get everyone together in fun and creative ways (e.g., through games); weekly/fortnightly check-ins with colleagues, both formal & informal; meetings have become more focused/targeted & productive, but lesser of chit-chatting/ relationship building or human touch; mindset shifts to work in the new normal to make technology work for us (e.g., save travel time for meetings) and re-think whether face-to-face meetings are still a must, if remote ones could achieve the purpose for meeting

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B17 - Ingredients to promote professional relationships - mission oriented, communication, mutual trust/understanding.

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B14
Opportunities:
1. Be open to using new modes of connecting with school partners
2. More thought put into production of high quality resources to allow for self-directed learning for both Teachers and students
3. Changing the way things are done- eg giving Teachers more autonomy to create own resources. SS role is to create guidelines and framework to provide guidance to this work.
4. Reconceptualise professional development for Teachers- use of blended learning to increase self-directedness and still keep learning meaningful

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B26

1. Understand the new reality – navigate the new contexts of teaching and learning thoughtfully to identify opportunities to define appropriate policy, structural and social responses; reframe the new reality of the education system to respond nimbly and determine the gaps for us to reach the immediate and future target states (rather than react)

2. Build capacities – Invest in upskilling the fraternity to ensure that the use of new/ alternative modes of teaching and learning and/or infrastructure are pedagogically sound; to be mindful about the assumptions we make as curriculum planners to help teacher better bridge intent and practice

3. Reinvent the model – Rapid changes entail that we be more deliberate and efficient in co-generating and co-creating our responses to the new normal, including synergising the efforts of the three tracks, so that there is cohesion and coherence in how teachers and students are supported, and how teachers support their charges. Need also  to rethink the different subject areas to define/ respond to alternative modes of learning and interaction.

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A24 - Value the strengths of both SSs and non-SSs. New officers can have good ground knowledge as they just joined from schools, and can contribute in this area. They may not be well-versed in some areas (e.g. curriculum writing), however, and would to learn from SSs in this area.

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B14
Changes not so much in intent of policies, objectives and goals, but in the modes of achieving them.
We need to be flexible in terms of implementation of policies and programmes and be open to listening to school partners.

Q2.
While F2F sessions are not possible, leaders can still provide good leadership and clear insights through other platforms, to provide timely support and guidance
Regular sessions can still be held online for officers to stay in touch with one another, to continue to have the time to bond and connect.
Some qualities such as open mindedness, respect, trust, willingness to listen are key to developing good professional relationships
Different branches should work collaboratively to deliver similar messages to school, to reduce confusion on the ground.

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A2 - Characteristic of SS in the new norm . Nimble , adaptable , compassionate