1 IMPACTING PEDAGOGIES & ENHANCING TEACHER MORALE

In the 21st century, teachers are constantly challenged to equip the next generation with the attributes of a life-long learner – to make the paradigm shift from ‘instruction delivery ’ to ‘facilitating learning’. (This is currently the educational landscape in Singapore due to the nation’s call for ‘Teach Less Learn More’.) As a result, the pedagogical challenge for teachers is overwhelming. Could teachers ever meet the escalating demands effectively and confidently? The IDEAS Project (Innovative Designs for Enhancing School Achievement), initially grounded in the work of Newmann and Wehlage (CORS Wisconsin-Madison), offers a process that enables teachers to examine their teaching practice, determine their strengths and collectively decide the direction in which they desire to move towards. IDEAS enables teachers to explore and articulate pedagogy both individually and collectively in a supportive, ‘no-blame ’ context, empowering each one of them as a teacher leader. This paper will track the experiences at MCS as it journeys through the IDEAS process since 2004, with particular emphasis on highlighting how these experiences result in enhancements to teachers’ professionalism, pedagogy and in improved staff morale which is evident in the findings of the Ministry of Education Forbes ’ school climate survey and the IDEAS diagnostics inventory.