EDITOR'S NOTE
It's been quite awhile since our first newsletter. RTRC has encountered some changes; one of these changes is our move to our new premises. We hope that this move has provided you with a better learning environment.

Although some changes can be quite stressful, we should refrain from asking, "Who moved my cheese". Instead, we should look at these changes positively, adapt and move forward.

Anyway, for this issue, there is a new section entitled "You ask, we answer". Though there is only one question that has been answered, we hope that you will continue to contribute to this newsletter. Please feel free to drop us a line. Remember this newsletter is yours and if you have a "burning" question to ask or an interesting article to share, we would appreciate your contribution. Change your mindset; do not wait for the next person to accomplish the task that you've been waiting to do yourself.

On this note, I would like to invite you to peruse our pages of interesting information then pick up your pen or "click" on your computer to write to me. My email address is belindaseet@rtrc-asia.com and my snail mail address is RTRC ASIA PTE LTD, #04-01, NTUC Trade Union House, Singapore 189556

From the desktop of.
Belinda Seet, Editor

WHAT'S HOT
Alumni with Dr Low Guat Tin
On 26 June 2004, Saturday, RTRC Asia's current and ex students gathered for an alumni event at the new NTUC Centre at Raffles Place. The inspirational talk entitled "Passion and Personal Mastery" by Dr Low Guat Tin was indeed a breath of fresh air for the attendees.


Through her wit and motivational attitude, Dr Low got all of us thinking about what we truly want in life, what is our vision for our lives, how we can go about moving towards this vision and how we can live our lives with passion, such that we will have no regrets. All of the attendees thoroughly enjoyed themselves, definitely having left the event with more than they came in with.

PROFESSIONAL FOCUS AND RESOURCES
Creative Development in Infants and Toddlers
Every child is born with creative potential, but this potential may be stifled if care is not taken to nurture and stimulate creativity. Creativity shows one's uniqueness: an ability to see things in a new and unusual light. It is essentially a form of problem solving for which popular or conventional responses may not work. Examples of creative thought in children can emerge out of the way children sometimes amaze their teachers with unusual responses to questions or display a keen sense of humour. Even children who are nonconforming and unpredictable are thinking creatively.

Because creative thought often goes against the set rules of a classroom or home, adults may be irritated by the behaviour of a creative child. Teachers often do not recognize the value creative children bring to families and classrooms but often insist that children do things the "right way", or make comparisons with other children. There is thus a subtle pressure on children to conform and an ensuing stifling of creativity.

People who provide care and education for infants and toddlers have an awesome responsibility. Research tells us that more growth and development takes place during the first three years of life than at any other time. Teachers can encourage creativity by
- Providing an environment that allows children to explore and play without undue restraints.
- Adapting to children's ideas rather than trying to structure the child's ideas to fit the adult's.
- Accepting unusual ideas from children by suspending judgement of children's divergent problem solving.
- Allowing time for the child to explore all possibilities, moving from popular to more original ideas.

Infants (birth to 18 months) are learning to grasp, sit-up, crawl, and walk. Older babies are learning to talk and expressing themselves using one to two word sentences. Activities for this stage of development should encourage creativity by building on what infants do by offering them a variety of safe materials to play with. These activities may include:
- Hanging a colourful mobile over the crib, or placing pictures where babies can focus on them.
- Playing sound games by echoing sounds babies make back to them or making up nonsense words or rhyming words when talking to infants.
- Singing to babies or playing a variety of music around them. By 7 or 8 months, some infants display ability to "dance" to music. Taking the infant's hands and moving with the music can encourage this.
- Encouraging babies' safe and creative exploration of materials, like rattlers, empty tubs/boxes or large empty spools, showing excitement and interest in what they do.

Toddlers (18 months to 3 years) have growing hand control and coordination. They should be given opportunities to draw with paint, crayons, and chalk. For most toddlers, this is a scribbling stage in art and a picture rarely looks like a recognizable object. Using muscles and discovering how things feel is what counts. They may not know how to say they are frustrated and depressed, but they can paint a picture using dark colors and bold, angry-looking strokes. Toddlers also have a growing vocabulary and can tell short stories. They also make-up simple stories about pictures you show them. Encourage toddlers to talk to you and tell you about their experiences. Ask open-ended questions to stimulate and create a thinking atmosphere. Toddlers can also do simple creative movements like imitating animals. They enjoy dancing and should be exposed to all kinds of music. Fantasy play of toddlers comes naturally. They are still learning what is real and what is pretend. This is how young children learn about the world.

As we strive to make sense of our world, there is a great deal that fits in neither words nor logic. Creativity allows us to tap the seed of human experience and express that ineffable blossom. Isn't this what we want for our children?

Written by:
Agnes Dieu, Training Specialist

ACADEMIC COURSES
Click here to view calendar

UPCOMING EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS
Professional Sharing Session (DPL) 20 Nov (Sat) 10am to 4pm
- Gain insights from RTRC graduates' study experiences and research projects
- Research projects will be displayed and presented during the sharing session.
- Guest Speaker from NIE (Ass Prof Ang) to share on her pilot findings of
Dietary practices in S'pore's childcare centres
- Pay only $10 (tea refreshments will be provided)

YOU ASK, WE ANSWER
Each week, the team at RTRC Asia will be addressing approximately three to five of the industry's most pertinent questions on early childhood. Feel free to write in with your questions on the industry to info@rtrc-asia.com and we will try our best to address them.

How do we discipline difficult children?
Discipline must not be misunderstood as punishment. When a child is exhibiting difficult behaviors in the classroom, gently lead and guide by modeling the acceptable behaviour. If child does not appear to understand, hold him/her by his/her hand and have him/her sit close to you so that you are able to manage his behaviour promptly. Always talk gently but firmly to the child. Ensure eye contact during your discussion with the child.

Another possible way of discipline is to delay giving the child something that he/she desires. If child continues to be difficult, solicit support from parents and ensure that there is a consistent discipline plan for both school and home.

Melinda Fan
Assistant Director
RTRC ASIA

A MINUTE WITH.
A minute with Siat Yeow on The Life of a Teacher.

When I first came across the title of the book "The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life" by Parker J. Palmer, I wondered what has the "inner landscape" of a teacher's life got to do with teaching? Subsequently, I found out from reading the chapters that teaching goes beyond techniques and content, in fact, teaching is all about the identity and the integrity of the teacher.

A bad teacher distances her/himself from what she/he teaches and hence, from the students; while a good teacher is one who has the capacity to make connections with the students. She is absolutely involved in making connection between her self, the topic that she teaches and her students. Central to good teaching is the teacher's identity & integrity where one's life experiences is honoured, creating coherence and strength within oneself and this in turn is reflected in the outward connections that the teacher makes in her teaching.

Many of us started out as teachers who are passionate about helping others to learn. However, over time, we loose the enthusiasm and the heart to teach. Teaching becomes an outward performance and we are no longer involved in making connections between ourselves, the topics that we teach and our students. How can we rekindle our hearts to teaching? The author in this book suggests that we revisit the experiences in our lives that called us into teaching, stay in touch with the teacher within us that prompts us to uphold our identity & integrity. The teacher within us will prompt us with thoughts such as "this fits you and this doesn't" ,"this is what you gives you life and this is what kills your spirit." The teacher within us safeguard us from whatever that insults our integrity and welcome whatever that affirms it. The inward teacher reminds us of this truth and helps us to negotiate & overcome the external influences that may contravene this truth.

For me, then, it is vital to remain in touch with the inward teacher through constant self-reflection, through regular interaction & collaboration with like-minded fellow professionals in the field and embrace lifelong learning. Besides professional development, I think teachers must not neglect developing themselves holistically - emotionally, physically, intellectually, spiritually and socially, just like the way we advocate for children's development. Only then, can we build a coherent and integrated inner-self who is capable of making meaningful connection, between ourselves, our students and the topics that we teach in class.