Temasek Titan: Forward Together in Sports and Character Excellence
Character leadership development in sports is an integral part of the holistic learning experience at Temasek Primary School. We believe that character and leadership skills will serve our students well in all areas of their lives and as such, we are committed to building and honing these in our students. The school places great emphasis on sports providing an excellent platform for character development. Through sports, students are able to learn valuable life skills such as decision-making, teamwork, communication and resilience.
Above: Goal setting for leaders.
In addition to layering the affective domain during our CCAs, time is also set aside, typically twice a term, for all CCAs to embark on structured character development lessons conducted by the teachers in charge of the CCA.
By infusing CCE into the character development lessons, students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to help them make sense of their life experiences. The P3 to P6 students learn values such as perseverance, responsibility, respect and humility, which are aligned to the school’s values in the context of their CCA.
Above: Sharing of struggles and finding solutions
The lessons allow them to delve deeper into the perspectives of their own teammates, teachers and even famous people regarding these values. This will help them become better athletes and better people.
The students also strengthen their CCA-specific skill objectives, such as managing their expectations, persevering and giving their best in times of adversity, and winning with humility and losing graciously.
Above: Students brainstorming solutions for difficulties they face in CCA
The lessons have a blended approach where students can explore the values in focus on SLS at their own time and attempt the questions in SLS accordingly. This preparation allows them to confidently communicate their thoughts and views during the subsequent CCA session.
The school also provides various opportunities for students to develop their leadership skills by appointing students with potential as CCA Leaders. These leaders actively assist their teachers during CCA sessions. They are involved in leading discussions during character development lessons. They also co-organize events such as CCA Day with the teachers, giving valuable inputs from the students’ perspective. The upper primary students take charge of running individual CCA booths on CCA Day and work collaboratively with their peers to promote their respective CCAs, which calls for them to identify the “unique selling points” of their CCA. Apart from being CCA Leaders, students, in general, are encouraged to take on leadership roles in their respective CCAs, providing them with valuable experiences in leading and motivating others.
Above: Students having fun during the hands-on demonstration session by the Singapore Mens Floorball Team
Another way that the school promotes character development in our CCAs is through role-modelling. The Character Excellence Award event is a platform where famous athletes like Amita Berthier and Derek Wong are invited to give talks to our students. We aim to inspire our students with the life experiences of these athletes and their journey in reaching the desired levels of excellence in their respective sports. Similarly, during the Character Excellence Award event, teachers and students give due recognition to students who have displayed the school values in their CCA.
Above: Active SG athletes Sharing during the Character Excellence Awards Lunch.
In conclusion, character leadership development in sports is essential to the Temasek CCA curriculum. By teaching students the importance of character traits like humility, respect and responsibility, and by providing opportunities for them to develop teamwork, empathy and self-discipline, teachers and coaches can help students grow into better athletes and, ultimately, better people rooted in values.
Article contributed by:
Mr Ali, an ST PE at Temasek Primary School, is always on a quest to find better and stronger ways to engage students in PHE. When he is not taking care of the Temasek Track and Field Team, he seeks exciting experiences on holidays to exotic islands.
Ms Janane is a CCA coordinator in Temasek Primary who strongly lives out her belief and inspires others to join her, in harnessing CCA as a tool to instill values and good character in students.
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Back to content page - 2023 SPEA Newsletter Issue No.1 (June/July)
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