Assignment: What went well

AD prompted me to write a positive review of what went well in my interview and frankly while I can think of many selling points, I am unsure if I managed to pull them off by showing them clearly during the interview. Nonetheless, here it goes!

I felt I did well when I talked about PBL and gave a reasonable explanation of the differences between that and the traditional classroom. I understand that the pedagogies have their own sets of benefits and issues. As such, I do not see PBL as the solution to all problems we have in learning but as possible alternatives which we can try if we would like to bring out particular aspects of students.

I felt I did well when I talked about the efforts I am contributing to bridge communications between Singapore and Japan by talking about the IG and how we have hosted students. I thought it was fantastic I told them I would use this opportunity to act as liason with the IG back in RP in the future and to offer important information to write a compelling proposal to send our students over to Japan for a study trip.

I felt I did well when I jumped into picking up the challenge of expressing my future plans in Japanese when asked to as it showed how interested I am in the language and my desire to master the language through continuing studies. I am also not ashamed to make mistakes, and to be willing to accept criticism when warranted.

I felt I did well in showing myself as a resource person where I am in a good position to foster ties between Singapore and Japan through the contacts I have through my academic and professional career. I do not see myself to be in Japan to impose particular ideas but rather to offer these resources and allow my Japanese colleagues to decide what they think will be worthwhile pursuits that I can contribute to.

I felt I did well by chatting with the security guard and TN as well, showing deference and hesitation to them at times as I am not a person who is full of himself and appreciate humbleness as a virtue. However I am also willing to share my thoughts and ideas when asked for them.

*PS: I feel so embarrassed writing this as deep inside me I think I did not express these ideas very clearly but they took the form of separate remarks made in specific contexts. What I mean is a lot of the values I have written above were conclusions I have drawn upon reflection which were not really clear ideas I had sold myself on during the interview. The interview really went by in a blur and I do not feel I have concretely sold myself on those points above.