Weeks of a Beginning Teacher – Week 5: Managed Obsession, Not Balance

Takeaways in 10s

• Obsession is okay – If we want to be great at something, it requires time, focus, and a bit of obsession—it’s not unhealthy, it’s necessary.

• Structure helps struggling students – Without clear scaffolding, students disengage—not out of mischief, but confusion.

• Master the basics first – Clear teaching beats novelty. Use your strengths to explain well, then sprinkle in the fun.

This Week in My Teaching Journey

Only two working days have passed since my last reflection, but they’ve been full of moments that made me pause and think.

The biggest shift came after watching a video by Ali Abdaal on “How to Get Rich.” His message stuck with me: to be great at anything, it’s okay—normal, even—to be obsessed. That obsession isn’t a flaw. It’s fuel.

That made me reflect on my own teaching journey. In these past few weeks, there has been a disconnect in my life. Part of me wants work-life balance but part of me wants to achieve excellence. I want to live a sustainable life, but I also want to be really good at this craft. While there is no need to jump to either extremes, I believe this is something I need to bridge eventually. I want to commit at least the next 1 year to honing my craft. This means re-examining how to tweak my work-life balance.

Since practicum ended, I’ve noticed myself slipping — less time spent planning, and more reliance on pre-made slides or past materials. I think I let go of some good habits, thinking I could "wing it" every now and then. But the truth is: great teaching doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intention, effort, and yes—time. I’m realising I need to manage my time better—not just to do more, but also, to do the right things.

That brings me to a classroom moment yesterday. I tried out a Jigsaw activity with my Secondary 1s and… it flopped. The structure wasn’t strong enough, the students weren’t ready, and I wasn’t detailed enough with my instructions. 40 min out of a 1 hour lesson was wasted. Work of some good students were not able to be presented. Eventually, I had to abandon the activity on the spot, take over the teaching, and change the group activity to pair work. It felt like a failure, and in some ways, it was — but it also taught me something important:

Novelty isn’t always the answer.

Sometimes, what students need most is clarity, structure, and a confident teacher who can explain things well. I overheard in a bus about a student talking about one of my colleague. Mr. X's lesson is so boring, but you got to admit he teaches well, like I actually understand what is going on. I wish I was Mr. X. My lessons were fun, but it sacrificed clarity.

Yesterday and today, I taught using a visualizer for the first time. I modelled to students how to plot and sketch a graph. While the lesson was 'dry', they were focused and writing tips down. It was a small but affirming moment—proof that how you explain a concept clearly and simply matters more than what 'teaching strategy' you use.

So here’s what I’m committing to: for this next year, I want to try—properly try—to become as good a teacher as I can be. That means forgoing work-life balance a little. That means rebounding from failures fast and often. That means showing up with intention. Let's see where it takes me.

If I Could Tell My Younger Self One Thing...

“If you want to be great, allow yourself to be obsessed.”

Balance is nice, but mastery demands focus. Don’t be afraid to spend more time lesson planning, observing colleagues, and to hone your craft through watching videos or reading books about how to become a better teacher, especially in your beginning years.

Don’t confuse fun with learning—clarity comes first. A simple, well-explained lesson is sometimes all students really need.

And when a lesson flops? That’s not failure. That’s feedback. Use it.

Disclaimer: This blog post is a summary of my written takeaways by ChatGPT and the cover image is generated by using the takeaway as the prompt in Gemini.