Meet our Teachers - Miss Hill

Q: Hi Miss Hill, thank you for your time! Can you please tell us what year you are teaching?

A: At the moment I am teaching Year 5, I've been teaching Year 5 since I joined Dover Court, four years ago. 

Q: Why do you love being a teacher?

A: As a teacher every day is different and I love the different challenges and different inspiration each day brings. I love that I am able to to give the children exciting and engaging learning opportunities in a creative way that they will always remember, for example when we made a rap music video last year in English.

My favourite part of my job is the strong relationships I build up with my children, the mutual respect we have for each other and the fact that while we always work hard, we laugh together EVERY DAY! As much as I love it when they make me proud, I love to make them proud too and I share my successes and failures with them too.

I love the reciprocal nature of teaching. As much as I support them in building their confidence, the confidence that the children have built up in me is just as amazing.  I am very open with my classes and they are extremely supportive of me. It actually makes me very emotional to reflect on the support they have given me over the years, and that they share my nervous moments with me, offer me advice and care enough to ask me how particular things I have been worried about have gone. They are the reason I have developed so much as a person since I have been in Singapore; I couldn't have done it without them really. They truly are my biggest supporters and I can be 100% myself with them. We all put on different professional personas for different people we interact with, but I love nothing more than closing my classroom door, being with my class and being unapologetically me. My sister is a teacher, and before I decided to go into this career, she suggested it to me and I told her she was ridiculous. I couldn't think of anything more intimidating than standing in front of a room of children and having to speak. Now, I couldn't see myself ever doing anything else. I am so lucky to work in such a dynamic environment and share my experiences, both positive and negative, with the young minds I am shaping. When I wear crazy things like my heart suit, I LOVE to see their reaction and to show them that it's ok to express yourself differently than others might. I have had four different classes at Dover Court and they have all been amazing!

Q: At Dover Court we love celebrations and trips, do you have a favourite event of the year?

A: I have been really lucky to go on the Telunas trip for the last three years and every time I've been, we have had an absolutley wonderful time. Telunas is such a fantastic trip for all the children and staff involoved. It is so fascinating to see children in a context outside of the classroom. Children who might present themselves as a particular way in class, have totally different traits and strengths in a different setting and this is where you get to know the children really well. You see the whole view of them rather than just academically. You see their adventurous side or their supportive side or how independent they are.

Q: Life in Singapore is not just about teaching. Do you have a favourite part of Singapore and what do you enjoy doing?

A: I do like going on a little explore around Singapore now and again. I'm very into photography so I like to find good spots to take quirky photos, maybe down Haji Lane, have little coffee in one of the little coffee shops. I love Little India with all the colours and of course, all the main places, like Botanic Garden, Marina Bay, well any photo opportunity basically!

Q: You are emptying your pockets and you find a $10 note. How would you spend your $10?

A: I would probably go down to Fairprice and buy a jar of Nutella. The large size. Then I'd go home and eat it straight from the jar, with a spoon and with a nice glass of cold milk on the side.

Watch the 2017/2018 5LH rap here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1IMozn0gx4