Many overworked teachers may beg to differ, but I have always enjoyed being an Oral examiner. Sure, having to leave all my work behind and rushing to an unfamiliar school and prompting reticent teenagers to speak up do not a fun afternoon make, but I genuinely enjoyed just soaking up the ambience of a different school. And sometimes, it was fun just listening to what teenagers had to say about their lives. I got paid an allowance to listen to people talk. What more could I ask?
GCE N(T) 2022/Day 3 Venue: Outram Sec Topic: Living in your neighborhood
How do you think this person is feeling about moving into a new place to live?
What do you think is good or bad about the area you live in? Why?
Is it better to live in one place for a long time or in several different places? Why?
To this day, I can vividly remember how the best candidate that day gave me a critical and balanced commentary of his neighbourhood, Jalan Kukoh. I don’t remember his facial expressions anymore, but the insights he made about dangerous people taking drugs and many teenagers playing speak takraw downstairs have etched themselves indelibly on my mind. Beyond describing the pros and cons, he elaborated on how his life is affected by his surroundings. He said that he cannot go home too late because he is apprehensive of encountering dangerous people. Moreover, he took a broader perspective of his life and explained how his life might change after he graduates from secondary school. He showed some awareness of adulting by using words like bills, kitchen appliances, and convenience. I could have waved him off since I had already gathered enough inputs to award him a mark. Instead, I asked him the final question about why bills are so salient in his mind because I really wanted to know. He definitely piqued my curiosity.
I remember him fondly and hope that he is doing well, wherever he may be.
From The Files of Papa Heng the Oral Examiner #1
Many overworked teachers may beg to differ, but I have always enjoyed being an Oral examiner. Sure, having to leave all my work behind and rushing to an unfamiliar school and prompting reticent teenagers to speak up do not a fun afternoon make, but I genuinely enjoyed just soaking up the ambience of a different school. And sometimes, it was fun just listening to what teenagers had to say about their lives. I got paid an allowance to listen to people talk. What more could I ask?
GCE N(T) 2022/Day 3
Venue: Outram Sec
Topic: Living in your neighborhood
To this day, I can vividly remember how the best candidate that day gave me a critical and balanced commentary of his neighbourhood, Jalan Kukoh. I don’t remember his facial expressions anymore, but the insights he made about dangerous people taking drugs and many teenagers playing speak takraw downstairs have etched themselves indelibly on my mind. Beyond describing the pros and cons, he elaborated on how his life is affected by his surroundings. He said that he cannot go home too late because he is apprehensive of encountering dangerous people. Moreover, he took a broader perspective of his life and explained how his life might change after he graduates from secondary school. He showed some awareness of adulting by using words like bills, kitchen appliances, and convenience. I could have waved him off since I had already gathered enough inputs to award him a mark. Instead, I asked him the final question about why bills are so salient in his mind because I really wanted to know. He definitely piqued my curiosity.
I remember him fondly and hope that he is doing well, wherever he may be.