About Donnell Koh
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I graduated from NUS Chemical Engineering with 2nd Upper Honours. Teaching was a calling and I got myself enrolled into NIE. I was the pioneer teacher in Meridian JC when it first started and later went on to teach in Raffles JC.
Teachers make a huge difference to classroom teaching, not just what they teach, but also how they teach. Clarity is of utmost importance. A teacher needs to put himself/herself in the shoes of the students and see problems from their point of view. Only then, can students’ queries and doubts be accurately addressed. This comes from years of teaching experience.
To do well in A-Level H2 Chemistry, students need to have strong concepts and awareness of Chemistry in their daily lives as many A-Level questions are very much application-based instead of just rote-learning. Having strong concepts and clear understanding are critical for doing well in H2 Chemistry.
John C. Maxwell once said “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.” How true this is! Teachers are in the “business” of educating and moulding the lives of students. Teachers need to connect with students and students need to feel comfortable approaching the teachers when in doubt.
Teachers need to be passionate and enthusiastic about the subject they teach and get the students fired up too! To encourage students to think deeper, we need to constantly challenge them and excite them with the subject.
My Raffles Junior College class of batch 2006, 27 out of 28 scored an ‘A’ for Chemistry! This is truly a remarkable achievement for me as well as the class. After starting Twig Learning Center, about 92% of my students have obtained A and Bs consistently.
My trip to Laos as a teacher volunteer/ leader also allowed me to see how fortunate we are in Singapore. Many of us have taken education for granted. Children in the villages in Laos do not even have a proper classroom, and paper is a rare commodity. Singapore is a land of opportunities and educated Singaporeans are in an enviable position. Education is the path to greater things in life!
As a Chemistry tutor, I strive not only to help my students get good grades but more importantly, inspire them to look beyond the grades and reveal to them the secrets and discover for themselves the beauty of Chemistry!
