Doodles@work — Erwin Lian

Visual Diary of a High School Art Teacher
Since Aug 2018, I took a break from tertiary education and joined Singapore International School, Hong Kong to served as a Visual Art Teacher. Here are some studies I made in these 2 years…

My S4 Students taking their IGCSE Art examination. Most people don’t realise how extensive the IGCSE art program is. Students have to complete two components that comprises of 8 boards with 1 final outcome and sit through an 8 hour examination to co… — My S4 Students taking their IGCSE Art examination. Most people don’t realise how extensive the IGCSE art program is. Students have to complete two components that comprises of 8 boards with 1 final outcome and sit through an 8 hour examination to complete a final outcome from another 4 boards that they generate within a scheduled timeline. Its defiantly not random sketches or paintings.

My S4 Students taking their IGCSE Art Examination. It has been a really challenging year with the global pandemic and I think they did really well. — My S4 Students taking their IGCSE Art Examination.
It has been a really challenging year with the global pandemic and I think they did really well.

View outside the school campus

I been put in charged of the school’s visual Arts CCA. Rather than make everything about “outcome” and “goals”, I structured it into an exploratory session with elements of “Play”. Here, the students are given the freedom to explore and Urban sketching around the school.

S.T.E.M week in our school. Fun event that evaluate student’s grasp of their core subjects.

Students during STEM week.

Staff meeting. There are all sorts of responsibilities as a high school teacher. These ranges from how we dress, conduct and the planning of various events and activities. Meeting topics ranges from our salary to IT matters and etc.

HR matters to Finance Matters.

Portraits of some leaders in my school

UBD. Units by design… Applying design thinking to cirriculuam

Studies of my colleagues.

I.T Matters by out head of IT

Staff meetings

Assembly is a weekly affair in a high School.

Briefing by our teachers before their WOW trip to Vietnam

A briefing for the students

A still life study by our lower Secondary student. While they studied the subjects, I studied them.

Award ceremony where our best performers are celebrated.

Consulate-general Singapore visited our school to give a talk about leadership.

Studies of students during assembly.

I been a form teachers for this class and they finally graduated.

S4 students rushing their boards. The transition from Secondary 2 to IGCSE is immense and there’s a big gap to fill for them during their secondary 3 studies.

Meet the parents session where we discuss students issues with parents. Having no kids of my own, I realised how stressful it can be to deal with a child’s performance and well being.

Personal development. School’s way of up-skilling staff every break .

Peter Hills, Singapore’s squash legend visited our school and gave a talk about being a professional athletic in Singapore. An inspiring talk about tenacity, grit and determination.

Sketchbook of School trips with Our Students.
Sketches completed in a Moleskin Sketchbook

we rode the boat to Cheung Chau Island for the S3 Camp.

study of camp site. It happens to be a hostel up a hill.

Sunset by Cheung Chau.

a farmstead around the Mee kong river. Students get to volunteer at a nearby school and taught many how to sing and dance. We even painted their school.