Social Studies: At first glance.

What are your beliefs about citizenship?

Citizenship denotes the link between a person and his country, and I believe that it details our own self-belief of being proud to be part of the country. This link helps us to understand the direction that the country is undertaking, as well as putting faith in each other to pave a path for future generations in the country. I believe that although citizenship is interchangeable, we will always relate back to our country of birth in some way.

What was the impact of reading Westheimer & Kahne (2004) on these beliefs?

The reading has shown me that my idea of Citizenship has no real democratic value, something which the article mentions over and over again. My beliefs that as long every citizen is helpful towards one another, society might progress, but I had not emphasized on the collective decision making which makes the bulk of what democracy is about.

What is Social Studies?

To me, as I have been teaching (an attempt to) SS for about 9 months, it feels like a blend of History, Geography and Politics. It allows students to understand certain key events that carry important lessons, and also teaches them certain hard skills (for SBQ and SEQ) which are beneficial for their future as it opens their mindset to concepts like irony, sarcasm etc.

Who controls the Social Studies Curriculum?

Though the materials for the curriculum comes from MOE, teachers are also afforded the freedom to explore more examples in relation to the topics if they are relevant and can bring more perspectives to students. There is probably more control in the hands of schools and teachers.

What is your role in relation to the Social Studies Curriculum?

My role is to bring the hard skills, as well as to content knowledge across to students in a way which will not bore them. My role is to at least ensure that they leave my lessons knowing a little more about the world and how to look critically at sources.