Making PE fun and engaging – teacher Cassandra Siua turns to tech, innovation
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During a gymnastics lesson, PE teacher Cassandra Siua gets the students to form groups of three, and create a virtual sequence via an app on an iPad. One student will perform the movement sequence, another will film it and the third member will provide feedback after viewing the video.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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SINGAPORE - Ms Cassandra Siua has been teaching physical education (PE) for the last 19 years and over time, she has learnt to conjure “a pocket full of tricks” in order to keep a new generation of digital-savvy children interested in sport.
Introducing technology such as apps and videos is one way she keeps them engaged in her classes.
“We always want the best for our students, while as a PE teacher, keeping the students physically active, engaged in affective and cognitive domain is of utmost importance,” the Cantonment Primary School teacher said.
“A student today may not be the same student tomorrow, so you need a pocket full of tricks to be able to keep your students engaged at any point in time.”
The 42-year-old had previously spent three years in the Physical Education and Sports Teachers Academy at the Ministry of Education as an academy officer, providing professional development for other PE teachers.
Her time there gave her insights into using tech in the classroom and she has since integrated such methods into her lessons.
For example, during a gymnastics PE lesson, she gets pupils to form groups of three, and create a virtual sequence via an app on an iPad.
One pupil performs the movement sequence, another films it and the third member provides feedback after viewing the video.
Ms Siua’s innovative methods have earned her the Outstanding Physical Education Teacher Award, which she received at the Singapore Physical Education Association Awards (Spea) last Friday.
She was one of two PE teachers who were recognised in 2023.
The Spea awards are given out every two years and there are two categories – Outstanding Physical Education Teacher and Outstanding Teacher-Coach.
Winners of the first category receive a certificate and $1,000 in prize money.
“Teaching is teaching, I’m not after awards,” said Ms Siua.
“To me, a nomination is already recognition. Whether I got it or not, it doesn’t change the way I teach. So when I got this from my school leaders, I was happy.”
Singapore Physical Education Association Awards winner Cassandra Siua, who has been teaching PE for 19 years.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
She noted that the hardest part of her job is how to adapt her lessons to keep her pupils engaged.
Ms Siua has succeeded on that front.
Primary 4 pupil Noah Lau said: “Ms Siua teaches with passion and she has discipline. I think her PE lessons are quite fun.”
Classmate Lauren Afable, 10, added: “With the iPad, we can use the ‘active arcade’, or we can record our friends to see the little mistakes that we didn’t see when we were watching them.
“And in her class, things are always very well organised, so it’s easy to know what each of us has to do.”
Aside from innovation, Ms Siua is also a strong advocate for inclusivity.
One of her pupils, Chen Xing Yi, has spinal muscular atrophy and needs a wheelchair to move around.
The 10-year-old was unable to take part in certain PE activities in Primary 1 and 2, but since joining Ms Siua’s classes, she has been able to try certain modified sports such as volleyball and floorball.
Cassandra Siua guiding primary 4 pupil Chen Xing Yi, a 10-year-old who has spinal muscular atrophy, in executing rolls during a gymnastics class at Cantonment Primary School.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Xing Yi said: “Ms Siua tries to include me in the activities and if she can’t, she’ll make another activity so I won’t feel bored.”
The hardest, yet most satisfying, part of her job, said Ms Siua, is “how I can cater and adapt, and be flexible in my lessons to keep my students engaged”.
