Post-Meranti Reflections:

Through the Meranti experience, I was able to take some time to reflect about my self-identity and how that affects my teacher identity. As a group, we explored how the culture, environment and system that we grew up in affects our self-concept and self-identity. I was lucky in the sense that I fitted well into the mould of the education system, and had an encouraging school culture to help support that, thus negating the effects of my disadvantageous home environment. However, I recognise that this personal experience and narrative may colour my beliefs as a teacher and I understand that not all my students are blessed with such circumstances and luck in which they could succeed in the system as well.

Similarly, when we discussed difficult issues during Meranti, such as integration, sexuality education and homelessness, we also acknowledged the importance of narratives and how knowledge helps you respond rather than react. Through the discussions, I learnt that as a teacher, I want to constantly seek out different points of view and be an insightful mentor to my students. I want to help students clarify their thinking about these issues, present them the narratives that are often unsaid, so that they can treat the issues with sensitive acceptance and respect, and eventually care more and want to act on these issues.

During Meranti, I also explored my fears of being a teacher and that is in not living up to expectations, whether it is by my supervisors, peers, parents, students or even myself. Perhaps it is derived from my own high expectations of myself in pursuing excellence in everything I do. One quote that I really liked from our discussion was that “a worthy failure is more meaningful than mediocre success”. I think while my self-identity is often afraid of failure and judgement, I want my teacher identity to be a better version of that – to to be myself unabashedly and have my actions reflect my positive values and my belief that students can achieve their full potential.