Yesterday, I helmed the Spelling Bee finals. Was pretty nervous about it but thank goodness, things proceeded smoothly without a hitch. I hope you guys don't mind me sharing my journey here:

----

Spelling Bee 2023 is done and dusted.

It has been a humbling journey, to say the least. I learnt some things.

1. I realised that I have been underestimating the students’ ability and assuming that they won’t be able to spell tough and/or obscure words. But when words like “figment” and “fuchsia” permeated our consciousness at the Auditorium, I realised that they had plenty to offer. And that we teachers have to up the level of selection of Spelling Bee words so that they don’t feel that we are asking them to spell baby words.

2. During the course of Spelling Bee, I heard two different students utter “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”, a famous word from Mary Poppins. I have never encountered this word before. This reminds me of the time when my P3 kid uttered “antiestablishmentarianism” in a rush, beaming with pride. Which makes me relearn a simple truth - some students pick up certain words, not necessarily because they find them useful but because they find them Fun.

3. Due to Spelling Bee, I sat down and Googled the meanings of various words. Finally, I understood the difference between “terrified” and “petrified” as well as the distinction between “adolescent” and “teenager”.

4. Picked up a few Gen Z lingo in the process. Interesting to observe how “rizz” (to be good at attracting a romantic partner) resonated so palpably with the audience. When I hear “rizz”, however, I think of Ris Low who made headlines for her leopard prints remark. As a language practitioner, I found it interesting to observe how language is a living organism and evolves with the generations.

5. Apparently, if you tell your students “awesome job”, you are no longer cutting it. You need to speak their language and say, “You’re really slaying it!”    ----- And my email to the entire school staff  

Dear NorthLight,

The English department is grateful that you helped us:

• settle the chairs/iPads & mics/food
• rearrange students’ schedule to let them go for Spelling Bee
• take photos & videos for posterity
• show up to support the students;
• and encourage them to stay calm and carry on.

Your collaboration and cohesive efforts helped us focus on our shared goals as English teachers - help youths develop a love for words.

We are also grateful that you gave up your period for yesterday’s finals. It allowed us to conduct the Teacher’s Round. While we did this with a sense of lightheartedness, the level of engagement and enthusiasm exceeded our expectations..

In a matter of moments, the tables turned. Our students become the subject experts. One teacher participant shared about receiving hand signals from a student to spell the word “rizz”. Another teacher told me that she subsequently asked her student how to use “rizz” in a sentence.

If we were to encapsulate the essence of Spelling Bee in one word, it would be “communication”. Our students felt heard. I’m sure they appreciated how we tried to bridge the generation gap and understand them.

Allow me to end this email with an image. A student wrote it on the whiteboard as a form of self-affirmation. Her act reminded me that the right word used at the right timing can do wonders for a person’s morale. I hope to use “slay” often on students from now on. Maybe you’d like to do likewise.