Ten years after graduating from Saint Andrew’s Secondary School, Bryan Yong went back and attended classes again—this time as a relief teacher. He told LUCK-IT how he got the gig and shares what the jobscope and schedule of a relief teacher entails.
“I was recommended by an ex-teacher.”Q: Hi Bryan! How did you end up as a relief teacher at your alma mater? How did you know they were hiring and why did you want to do the job?
A: I had some spare time after graduating from university and before starting my first full-time job and was looking for something to do in between. I had taken up other part-time jobs before (e.g. car valeting) but was looking for something more fulfilling and better paying.
What does the job of a relief teacher entail? What are your main responsibilities and side responsibilities?
Relief teaching requires you to take charge of a class when the teacher isn’t present due to certain circumstances (sick leave/on course), mainly to ensure all students are present and to keep order. If work is assigned to the class, the relief teacher will carry out the instructions given, usually in the form of readings or worksheets. Basic knowledge of most subjects would be a bonus as you will meet inquisitive students who will need help with their work.
How did you apply for the job? Did you have to do anything special in the process of applying for it?
Application is through a MOE [Ministry of Education, Singapore] portal, where you have to first create an account and thereafter furnish your details for registration. In short, the documents you need at hand are your past education result slips and personal information. Upon registering, MOE will review the documents submitted and decide whether you have the qualifications to become a relief teacher. If approved, the next thing is to make a trip down in person to your desired school to register with the school. (Proximity to the school plays a considerable part in whether the school will accept you or not.)
Applications can be made throughout the year but will only be reviewed in 2 windows, 1 January to 28 February and 1 July to 31 August.
To be eligible as a Relief Teacher, you have to possess either:
1) an on-campus Degree or be an undergraduate pursuing an on-campus degree;
2) have a diploma from a local polytechnic/IB Diploma;
3) with at least 2 GCE ‘A’ Level/H2 and 2 GCE ‘AO’ Level/H1 passes (including General Paper); or
4) 5 GCE ‘O’ level passes (including English and Mathematics) with L1B4 of ≤ 26 points.
More details on application and eligibility can be found in this link.
[LUCK-IT disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by MOE. All MOE links are provided purely because of Bryan’s enthusiasm.]
How long did it take for you to go from applying for the job to getting hired for it?
Approval can take roughly 3 weeks to 1.5 months from submission of documents. After which, registering with the desired school can take an hour or 2 depending on the availability of the Head of Departments (HODs) or Principal/Vice-Principals who will interview you to determine your suitability for the school.
Why do you think they hired you for the job?
I met the minimum requirements meted out by MOE, and I was recommended by an ex-teacher from my alma mater (St. Andrew’s Secondary School).
What is the work routine for a relief teacher like?
The school(s) that you’ve registered with successfully will call you in the morning (on the day itself) if they require your assistance. The school that I was registered to would call between 6:45am and 7am if they required me to come in that day. This may differ from school to school. Relief teachers are required to come in by 7:30am to collect the relief schedule for the day. The first period starts at 8am and the last period typically ends at 2pm or 2:30pm. There is no dictated lunch period–teachers normally take the chance to grab a bite or drink during their free periods, whenever that may be.
How do relief teachers spend their weekends?
Unlike full-time teachers, relief teachers do not have to prepare materials for class or bring worksheets/exam papers back to mark. Hence during the weekends we are free to enjoy the time at our own pleasure.
What advice do you have for someone hoping to become a relief teacher at their alma mater?
If you have teachers who have taught you in the past and are still teaching at the same school, you can reach out to them for advice on how you can go about applying to the school. If you have left a good impression on your teachers upon graduating, they may put in a good word for you with the school’s upper management.
Can you map out a recommended path for people who want to be relief teachers at their alma maters to follow?
As mentioned, apply through MOE and get yourself approved to relief teach first. Then proceed down to your alma mater’s General Office to apply as a relief teacher. Knowing an ex-teacher that you have built a good rapport with in the past is beneficial as they can put a good word in for you with the HODs/Principals who are going to interview you.
What has the experience of being a relief teacher been like for you?
The first few days/weeks will be a bit of a challenge as you have to first discover ways to teach or discipline students. But as time passes, you will pick up skills from your fellow teachers and colleagues on how to deal with more difficult students. As an ‘old boy’, students tend to look up to you as they know that you’ve once been sitting in the very seat they are in now.
Have you changed as a person since becoming a relief teacher? Or learned some things you didn’t know before?
Relief teaching has taught me patience when it comes to educating the younger generation. I have had the chance to see how both the students and the education system has changed since my days as a secondary school student 10 years ago. There are now other schemes for Normal Academic students to through-train into polytechnics without having to take their ‘O’ levels, as well as a major change in the education system to look forward to in the next few years.
If you could go back and replay your time as a relief teacher all over again, what would you do differently?
Wouldn’t change a thing, the students and teachers I’ve met really do bring back memories of those carefree days as a student.
How have you changed since secondary school? Or have you not changed?
My thoughts have definitely matured since. In secondary school you’re kept in this protected environment and things that happen around the world don’t really affect to you. I’m glad to know that the education system has opened up to give students a more worldly perspective.
Do you think your secondary school has had an influence on your personality today? If so, how? If no, why not?
Yes! Saint Andrew’s is an Anglican mission school teaching Christian values, which has definitely made an impression on me even through my young adult years.
Which 3 objects/people in your life can you presently not live without and why?
Friends, good ones. They stick with you through good and bad times and provide valuable perspective on matters to help you better see a situation you’re in.
Of all the objects you bought in the past year, which has most positively impacted your life? Why?
In this technological age it would be my new phone [the iPhone XS]. Eons faster than my previous one and with a better camera, it has made me more productive as I use my phone a lot for work/keeping up with friends.
Which person do you wish LUCK-IT would interview for you to learn from? Why?
Anyone who can give young working adults good advice on saving for the future.
[UPDATE: We have found some answers on saving for the future for Bryan. Click here to read them.]
Bryan starts working at Singapore Airlines as a Cadet Pilot this month but will try his best to answer questions on relief teaching when he has the time if you leave them in the comment box below. Aspiring pilots can also reach out to him via his Facebook page should they need help preparing for airline job interviews (at his discretion).
Photographs courtesy and copyright of Bryan Yong. Interviewer: Sy
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