Teacher Work Attachment Plus

STU Welcomes Two Educators on Teacher Work Attachment Plus (TWA+) Programme

The Singapore Teachers’ Union (STU) had the privilege of welcoming two passionate educators, Ms Sim Li Wen Zoanne and Ms Nurul Diyanah Misdi from Canberra Secondary School, as part of the Teacher Work Attachment Plus (TWA+) Programme from 19 May to 30 May 2025.

During their two-week attachment, both teachers had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the daily operations of STU and gained a deeper understanding of the union’s multi-faceted role in supporting educators beyond just workplace grievances. They were able to witness first-hand how STU advocates for teachers’ well-being, career development, and industrial relations, while also engaging in proactive initiatives such as wellness programmes, career coaching, and membership outreach.

Through their reflections, both Zoanne and Diyanah shared that prior to the attachment, their impression of STU was largely limited to grievance handling. However, this experience broadened their perspectives on the union’s holistic support for educators, from championing teachers’ voices in policy discussions to promoting professional growth and work-life harmony.

Key learning points included:

• The importance of empathetic and responsive communication, particularly when supporting educators through workplace concerns.
• The value of career guidance and coaching in helping teachers navigate their professional journeys.
• The need to creatively enhance outreach efforts to better engage the teaching community, especially younger educators.

Both educators also provided thoughtful recommendations to enhance STU’s membership engagement, such as organising staff bonding activities in collaboration with vendors, improving data-driven outreach strategies, and leveraging social media platforms like TikTok to connect with teachers in more meaningful ways.

Their reflections highlighted how the lessons learned at STU would be translated back into their schools. Zoanne shared plans to introduce more Challenge-Based Learning to nurture students’ critical thinking and collaboration skills, while Diyanah was inspired to create more opportunities in the classroom for students to develop real-world problem-solving skills and see the relevance of their learning beyond textbooks.