Facilitation Certification Interview in less than 12 hrs

In less than 12 hrs, I will be going for my facilitation certification interview. Having been working in RP for 2yrs and 5 months, this will be another milestone in my career in the educational field.

Some of my colleagues ask if i am getting nervous, amazingly, I am not nervous at all. Maybe tml before going into the room I will be? :P

As I was reading my portfolio which I submitted 4 months ago for this certification, I was reminded once again on why am I doing what I am doing. It brought back many sweet memories with my classes and valuable lessons that I have learnt. Sometimes due to the hustle and bustle of life and the many demands to meet, I have inevitably forget the reason why I am here, this portfolio as well as the teaching philsophy statement serves as a good reminder and enable me to revisit many fundamental core beliefs that I hold on to even till now. It so refreshing to be reminded once again on what education really mean especially when I get to learn more in my current part-time masters at NIE.

As for the certification, I see it more as part of the process in my career in education. I dun have to prove to anyone how good I am , just have to be authentic and verbalise what I believe in and the experiences that I have encountered & areas to improve. I guess this is the assurance and the peace from God to just do my best and what is right in His eye. I want to experience God like how I experienced Him in the many interviews that I have been through. The confidence that is not from myself but in Him is a super good feeling!

Due the high "failure" rate and big ego that I have, I used to hold onto a lot that I must die die get it through for the first time and it shall also be my last time. But now, I see it in a very different light, whether I will be certified is secondary now. I will go with a heart to share about my experiences and also my learnings to the panel. As for the outcome, I shall leave it to God. :)


Joyce's personal teaching philosophy statement: (an abstract from my portfolio for this certification)

"I can briefly summarise my belief into three components which is seeing the value of stirring the head, heart and soul of individual learners.

In the past, like some of my students, I used to dislike thinking and was not able to recognize the value and importance of good thinking skills. Having been through the experience that I had, I recognise the importance of having a sound mind, developing good reasoning and analytical thinking skills. The realisation has enabled me to learn better and hence become a more developed individual. I draw a parallel to my past experience to what some of my student are going through that many a times it is not so much that they do not want to learn but they do not know how to. It is not so much of telling them what to think but guiding and providing opportunity to let them learn how to. As I reflect on how I have a breakthrough in my own personal learning, I am convicted that it is possible to see our students having the ability and potential to be life-long learners and also to develop their thinking skills. Having said that, my fundamental role is to provide and create environment that will harness individual’s potential, like a designer but not a “controller”. Setting an exemplary lifestyle as thinker will help me to grow and develop more as a facilitator. As the saying goes, “Thinking facilitators develops thinking students”.

In order to stir the heart of my students, there is a need to be sensitive to their feelings where students feel safe yet it is challenging enough to trigger them to think. To elaborate a little more on this aspect, basically, it is for me to understand how they feel in a learning environment which includes inter-personal interaction at different level in class, within a team and 1-1 level and how these interactions help to enhance the learning process. Firstly, I value knowing and connecting interpersonally with each student in my class, especially asking each individual about his/her thoughts, activities and opinions during the meetings. As a result of the rapport and connection established, it helps to create an environment where some students including those who were quite passive and quiet to become more willing to share their opinions and views. At the end of the semester, they see a positive change of themselves, identifying their hidden strengths and have a glimpse of what learning actually mean that it is not a chore but it can be a joy, something which some have never experienced before.

While stirring the head involves the mind and heart involves being sensitive to learner’s concerns and needs, stirring the soul to me means to see them come to terms with the importance of learning and eventually to grow in maturity in their understanding and applying what they have learnt to their daily living."

Seasons of my life then and now

What is the season that I am currently at?

I have to be aware of the season that God is bringing me now and identify the areas that I can grow in.

I am really thankful for a new care group that I am currently leading and the privilege of taking care of God's flock. I am very excited though initially I was quite apprenhensive. God's assurance of growth and to wait in expectancy for greater things to happen in His timing has rather strong and a constant reminder and motivation for me to do my best in taking care and being faithful to the people that He has entrusted under my care.

This is going to be a very challenging year for me. The season that I am currently going through is very different from 3 years ago. 3 years ago the decision to quit my first job, to stay back in Tertiary ministry and serve is a memorable chapter in my journey with Christ, this is a significant chapter, one that I will never ever forget of what God has done during that season of my life. This chapter finished well. :)

I can remember vividly a sharing by a brother that when He prayed for me, God wants to assure me that all along the years ever since coming to know Him, He has BLESSED, PROTECTED and PRESERVED me. Yes and I can testify that I have been blessed and protected by God in many ways. Blessed with physical & spiritual family who love me a lot, blessed financially, blessed in my inner being and my walk with God, blessed in my ministry and the fruits due to the outcome of obedience by His grace and many countless e.gs. God has protected & preserved this heart of mine which has the potential to fail & many time it does fail to love, fail to perservere, fail to believe. But He has believed in me and preserved me all this while and because of that I cannot help but to be grateful to Him. I want to continue to do my best to honour God and please Him. I am assured that my Father in heaven will continue to protect, bless and preserve me. :)

So what about now? I shared to my spiritual mentor about the issues and areas that I am trying to make sense of currently. This period is quite tormenting for me emotionally as I have difficulty making sense of what I am going through but I have to learn to be patient cos God will slowly help me to understand why He is bringing me through this emotionally draining period.

This is a season of a challenging lifestyle. It is an opportunity for me to grow to another level of managing my life -- work, part-time studies, ministry, family & relationship with people & business planning With the limited time I have, I have to learnt to be more discipline with lesser amount of time as compared to others to utilise what I have to the maximum. I have to adjust to a new lifestyle, I have the assurance that with good management of my time, it is very possible to be adapted to these challenges and God is with me in these.

God help me to be a good steward of what you have placed in my life. I want to do my best @ work, in my studies, ministry and spend quality time with my family and friends.

Season 2009: enjoy my studies, be a good testimony @ work & @ home (experience breakthroughs at home!), take good care of YG 1 care group and growth (quality & quantity), female discipleship & quality shpdg, biz planning, development of Events dept (Ops ministry for Uni-YA group) and most imptly to grow in my relationship with God (knowing Him at a deeper level and experience His empowerment in ever facet of my life!)

Anticipating with great EXPECTANCY in 2009!