Mr Damian Chee first joined the Ministry of Education in 2004 as a contract teacher at West Spring Secondary School. He was strongly recommended by his Principal then to the National Institute of Education (NIE) in the same year to start on his teaching course immediately. During which, he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) with a Merit after being recognised to have adopted various teaching methods during Practicum that has been proved useful and engaging.
Naturally, Damian was posted to a higher institution after his NIE and went into the National Junior College in 2005 and started his teaching career since then. The College provided him with classes of diverse background which he handled differently but efficiently according to the students’ need. Through differentiated teaching and learning, games and investigative lessons, Damian adopted a student–centred learning culture in his classes. He is proven to be a good teaching asset and was subsequently appointed to be the Level Coordinator of Junior High 3 and 4 (Integrated Program classes dealing with students 15-17 years of age) and the Senior High (Junior College Level). Within which, he designed the curriculum which best suited the students while ensuring that they learn with interest.
Damian was also appointed to be the Overall In-charge for the Mathematics Team-Project which he coordinated various Information Technology (IT) classes and programs within the Mathematics Department to further enhances students’ learning through the use of IT (e.g. Texas Instrument Navigator system and AutoGraph). Other different modes of assessment were also adopted such as AFL (Assessment for Learning), encouraging Critical Thinking and Questioning in students and Online Assessment to cater for current students who are getting IT-savvy and learning differently. Damian also used the idea of Parallel Curriculum in the teaching and learning, to help students see the relevance of Mathematics to Real-Life through projects and in-class assignment so that they can better appreciate what they learn and to learn with an engaged mind. To investigate how students learn, Damian and his team of Mathematics teachers adopted the idea of Lesson Study (or Kenkyu Jugyo) – a beneficial assessment as a learning tool for students that originated from Japan which garnered huge success then.
Damian is also a very active member of the Junior Colleges Mathematics Teacher Conference (JCMTC), which he meets up with the rest of the Junior College Teachers frequently to analyse the most current A-Level syllabus, shared teaching and learning pedagogies. He came up with ideas in bridging students who transit from the O-Level / IP to the A-Level and eventually returned to College to shared with his fellow teachers. He also organised Learning Journeys for teachers to further equip themselves in teaching and planning in the motivation to encourage his team of Mathematics Teachers to have continual learning for the benefit of the students. Younger teachers sought opinions in teaching through him as he is a natural mentor due to his patience and commitment.
Throughout his six years of teaching in National Junior College, Damian coordinated and is well versed in the curriculum for Integrated Program (IP), Higher 1 (H1) and Higher 2 (H2) Mathematics. Currently, he is also continuing his 1-1 tutoring of students in his free time which started as early as 2001, as it provides him with additional teaching experience and in which proves useful in classes and vice versa. Damian is also helping private candidates in the syllabus mentioned above and on top of that, the A/AS-Level 9709 Mathematics as an additional and continual improvement to his teaching profile.
Teaching aside, Damian was appointed to be the Assistant House Master from 2009-2010 due to his recognised commitment to students’ well-being at the National Junior College Boarding School. During the period which he is in the role, he exercises extreme effort to see that students under his care are coping well with their stay and academic. He also designed and pioneered the teaching and learning curriculum for students who are academically at-risk for Mathematics from the Boarding School so that students can get help even during the evenings of their stay. Damian was also the Level Coordinator in the College’s Guidance Committee which he designed the curriculum to ensure that students’ character is in place while helping students to learn strategies to cope with lessons and examinations. Most importantly, Damian recognises the importance that each student learns with the right motivation and mindset which helps to propel a student’s potential. He was eventually nominated to be one of the Most Caring Teachers in the College by his students and teachers for his relentless commitment to students.
Mr. Damian Chee
Description
TESTIMONIALS
I’ve consistently been doing poorly for math ever since J1 and joined Learners’ Lodge early J2. Mr Damian Chee has always been very patient with the entire class and would go through concepts at appropriate paces to suit the class speed. He’d willingly come early or leave late to help us with any questions that we had and would also help look through our exam papers and pen down key takeaways that we needed to take note of in future papers. He’d also help us with any questions we had over text. He’s honestly really passionate about math and he really believes that everyone has the potential to do well and score for the subject. He’s also very dedicated in ensuring that we understand our concepts well. I’d usually dread doing math and would detest even going near any math papers, but during his class, I’d know that he’s always there and willing to help me whenever I’m stuck, and it made it easier to approach the questions. I’ve been getting Us, or S at best leading up to As, and got a U grade for prelims, but managed to get a B for A levels! :”) 
Tham Yuqi, St. Andrew’s Junior College (2018)
Mr Damien Chee is a wonderful teacher who always makes his lessons enjoyable. After joining Mr Chee’s class, I managed to consistently get at least B in my j2 exams which led to my final A grade at the A levels. Mr Chee does more than teach, he inspires and that’s what that really made my grade jump in math. Thank you so much!
Tan E-An Victoria Junior College (2018)
Mr Damian Chee’s lessons were very engaging and truly helped me in my journey with math. When I joined, I was a failing student who consistently did badly and was very discouraged. However, in your lessons, you went back to the basics and comprehensively explained all the basic concepts in an engaging and unconventional way, and I managed to internalize all your advice very well! Your teaching paid off as I got A for math in my A levels, thank you, Mr Chee!!
Shayn Chan, Anderson Junior College (2017)
Thank you for helping us improve the way we approach different types of questions and giving us corrective feedback based on our school papers.
The dedication you have for the class is definitely seen in how you aim to make class interactive and interesting, especially through the integration of the Angry Birds game with mathematics questions.
Thank you so much and we couldn’t have done it without your guidance.
Samantha, Anglo Chinese Junior College (2017)
I started late. Nevertheless, Mr Chee is patient and eager to teach us. I make a lot of mistakes and get stuck all the time while doing the questions, but he was always there to guide me through. Thank you so much.
Varshiya
Mr Chee is a hugely inspiring teacher, kickstarting my love for math while motivating to work harder on the subject. Mr Chee has been instrumental in pulling up my grades, from Us and Ss in J1 to A for the A Levels.
Leow Yi En, Hwa Chong Junior College
Thank you so much for helping me get my A for Mathematics! I’m grateful for your clear explanations in class and I’m thankful that the small class size made learning so much more conducive. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Ang Kai Xin Angela, Victoria Junior College
Thank you for your constant guidance. Despite me joining your class later in the year, I learnt a lot during your lessons. You are a teacher that never gives up on any student even if they are weak. You are willing to spend extra time guiding us through questions patiently and made sure we understood the concepts.
Jocelyn Ang, Serangoon Junior College
I would want to thank Mr Damian Chee for being an excellent maths tutor. He was able to answer all my enquiries and clear basic concepts to allow me to have a strong foundation in H2 mathematics. Mr Chee has been able to set mind-boggling questions that would enable me to be exposed to a great variety of questions. I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons with him and am truly thankful for his constant effort to apply maths in reality.
Agnes Zhang, Catholic Junior College
I used to flunk math consistently throughout JC. I joined Mr Chee’s math class in June of J2 onwards, but even my prelims was a D, still an improvement but not that good. However, he is honestly the best math teacher I’ve ever had. He encourages you and makes you feel like math is easy peasy. And he focuses on the A-level exam as an end goal, so it’s very efficient. Thankfully, I eventually got an A for math (which I knew I would because I was that confident). Thank you, Learners Lodge!
Ethan Leung, National Junior College
Thank you for teaching me the true ways of a mathematician. You have inspired me so much over the course of only a few months and made me realise how easy H2 mathematics can be with the right tools and methods. Despite your intensive classes, your childlike side of you have always brought smiles to everyone, including me, and made learning much more fun. You have sacrificed so much of your time to teach us more and it is heart-warming to know that you are alongside us through this A-levels/prelims journey. Thank you so much for everything and I hope you have an amazing day!
Hwang Jae Hyuk, Tampines Junior College
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