Ms. HO Tsz-ying

From Dreaming to Being – My Way Oxford and to Be a Teacher

My aspiration of being a teacher began to germinate when I was a S2 student in this school – probably from the satisfaction of successfully helping others understand a knowledge point. I believe I am one of the very few fortunate ones to have decided my future pathway at such an early stage. However, the key to success definitely lies in not taking this advantage for granted. University provides access to abundant resources and opportunities other than your formal studies. To make the best out of it, you need to be proactive. During my undergraduate years, apart from studying, I constantly engaged myself in voluntary teaching for local non-government organisations and education-related programmes held by institutions worldwide. I also worked as a Research Support Fellow in my faculty for two years, to get myself involved in local educational research projects. By doing all these, I reached an understanding of the actual challenges frontline teachers face. These experiences have been just as essential as my course content and training, as they have helped me develop the international insight and consider the practical aspect of issues in education, encouraging me to weave theories into practices while taking into account the distinct societal context in which our schooling is embedded.

There have been incidences where I have come across thoughts that teaching is almost like a backup plan for degree holders from different disciplines. However, I responded with what Principal Cheng once said, "Our city needs outstanding teachers". Indeed, it requires more than the commonly held attributes to be a good teacher. My undergraduate training and years of service have helped me realise that teachers have to not just be knowledgeable in their subject, but to be wise in content delivery; to not just ask students questions skillfully, but to create a stimulating and supportive learning environment; to not just discipline and guide students, but to model the way a mindful adult and citizen should behave. The professional training and development of we practitioners starts as we enter university and there is no end date. Every little incident is an opportunity for us to reflect upon, to drive us forward and to shape us to be better teachers. Rather than having someone spot the errors and tell you ways to improve, it is essential for teachers to have this self-reflecting awareness from within ourselves, which cements so much our belief that teaching is also as much a learning process.

This is also the reason I decided to go back to university to have my professionality stretched further despite my enthusiasm in teaching in classrooms. I have a strong desire to explore more within the field of language education, particularly Language across the Curriculum (LAC). This research interest has emerged from my personal experience and my school-based observations. I hope, after gaining in-depth professional knowledge in this area through the Masters programme, I will be able to participate in teacher training and English curriculum development in Hong Kong, in order to support language and content-subject teachers in developing LAC teaching strategies that will benefit students' language learning. I remember how I spent days and nights feeling so intimidated by the interview invitation; during the actual process, surprisingly, I found myself very comfortable in elaborating on the reasons for my application and research interest, because those ideas were genuinely my beliefs. I do think it was this confidence I expressed that convinced the institution of offering me a place to study. This entire process highlighted to me that having a clear vision of your ambition is important, as much as your confidence in believing what you will achieve.

I have already embarked on my new journey with the Department of Education at the University of Oxford. My first week here was swamped by new information and induction seminars, as well as opportunities to meet people from around the globe specialising in different disciplines. I feel deeply, through interacting with my colleagues, that the most precious parts of this Master's degree journey are the intellectual exchanges as well as the interaction of the variety of cultural background and living experiences that we are bringing to one another. We need these interdisciplinary dialogues and genuine ties more than ever in the unprecedented challenging time we are in.

I am really grateful that my Master's study is financially supported by the HKSAR Government and the China Oxford Scholarships Fund. With their financial aid, I am able to focus on my studies without worrying about the tuition fees. I am also allowed greater flexibility to participate in social events with other international students during my free time. I will definitely treasure my time here at Oxford and take the most with me to contribute to the betterment of language education in Hong Kong for many generations of learners to come.