Ms. Tee Lay Hoon wins recognition for her innovative approach to teaching economics and her dedication to student learning.
Innovative Teaching Earns Recognition
Ms. Tee Lay Hoon, the lead teacher for economics at River Valley High School, was honored with the Outstanding Economics Teacher Award (OETA) 2023 for her significant contributions to the teaching of economics. A passionate educator with over 30 years of experience, Ms. Tee employs a dynamic approach that blends storytelling with real-world application to engage students in complex economic concepts.
1. A Unique Teaching Philosophy
When asked about her career choice, Ms. Tee explained that she sought to “tame the wild, and wild the tame,” using engaging methods to help students break down difficult concepts while also challenging them with thought-provoking questions. A key part of her teaching is encouraging students to investigate and explore economic issues, making learning more interactive and immersive.
2. Economics Explorer Programme
In January 2022, Ms. Tee introduced the Economics Explorer Programme, a unique initiative where Junior College 1 students explore contemporary economic issues and present their findings. Inspired by a television program, Ground Detective Simon Wallis, Ms. Tee envisioned her students as “cub reporters” investigating real-world economic topics. The inaugural project focused on the chicken price-fixing scandal, in which 13 distributors were fined for manipulating prices. Students conducted interviews with experts, such as the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore, to deepen their understanding.
Ms. Tee believes that this hands-on approach strengthens student motivation and helps economic concepts resonate more deeply.
3. A Career Devoted to Lifelong Learning
Ms. Tee’s teaching career began in 1993 at Shuqun Secondary School, where she taught principles of accounts. She later moved on to teach management and business at Millennia Institute before switching to economics at River Valley High School in 2009. Throughout her career, Ms. Tee has pursued continued learning, earning a Master of Social Science in Applied Economics from National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2002.
Her commitment to professional development is rooted in her teaching philosophy of kaizen—the belief in continual, incremental improvement.
4. Recognizing Excellence in Education
The OETA was launched by the Economic Society of Singapore in 2016 to honor exceptional secondary and pre-university economics teachers. The award was presented to Ms. Tee by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung at the Singapore Economic Policy Forum.
Reflecting on her career, Ms. Tee expressed satisfaction in seeing her students develop a sense of purpose. She remains inspired by the evolving educational landscape, embracing change and adapting to new challenges in teaching.
