From Parent To Teacher: How One Educator’s Perspective Changed After Teaching Her Own Child
- Thinker Education
- Nov 16, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 3
When Jasmine’s eldest son entered Primary 1, she had no idea that her teaching journey would begin—not in a classroom, but at home. What started as a deeply personal response to her child's emotional and academic struggles eventually transformed her entire career path—from a corporate professional to a passionate educator.
A Mother First, A Teacher Later
With a toddler at home and her eldest struggling to adapt to a new school environment, Jasmine began to notice behavioural changes and a lack of motivation in her son. Trusting her instincts, she made a bold move: taking a year of no-pay leave from her corporate job to guide and support her son through this critical transition.
With no prior teaching experience, Jasmine spent her afternoons studying the school syllabus and working patiently with her son after school. It was through this process that she discovered something unexpected—she loved teaching.
Driven by this newfound passion, she explored different educational paths. She ventured into the Kumon franchise and even came close to setting up her own centre. But something told her she needed a deeper understanding of the local education landscape. She made another courageous decision: she applied to the Ministry of Education (MOE), took a significant pay cut, and enrolled in the National Institute of Education (NIE). Her journey as an educator had officially begun.
Math Is Everywhere: Turning Life Into Lessons
Through her experience at home, Jasmine learned a powerful truth—learning doesn’t only happen in schools; it happens in everyday life. And when it comes to Mathematics, the earlier the exposure, the better.
She realised how important it was for children to develop strong arithmetic skills from a young age. Building confidence in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division early on lays the groundwork for handling complex problem sums later on—a core feature of Singapore’s Math framework.
Armed with her Kumon training, she reinforced these foundational skills at home—and brought Math to life through everyday experiences.
Take a trip to the supermarket, for example:
“How heavy is a 5kg bag of rice compared to a 1kg bag of sugar?”
“What does 500 grams feel like in your hands?”
These simple moments became meaningful math lessons.
When children physically interact with concepts like weight, volume, and size, numbers become intuitive. Math shifts from abstract theory to something they can see, touch, and understand in a tangible way.
Learning Begins at Home
Jasmine’s personal journey profoundly shaped her teaching philosophy. It reminded her—and now reminds us—that while structured school lessons are important, true understanding often begins at home.
Real-life experiences spark curiosity
Applying concepts to daily life helps knowledge stick
Teaching becomes a journey of discovery, not just instruction
And most importantly, reinforcement at home plays a key role in deepening understanding. A child’s learning doesn’t stop when class ends. Regular revision and exposure help concepts to settle in, and it’s this consistency—however simple—that builds long-term confidence and mastery.
Whether it’s reviewing a worksheet, discussing a problem sum, or simply observing math in everyday moments, what’s done consistently matters far more than what’s done occasionally.
Her story is a beautiful reminder to all parents: you don’t need to be a trained teacher to support your child’s learning. The most powerful lessons often come from everyday conversations, experiences, and shared moments.
Final Thoughts
From mother to educator, Jasmine’s story is a testament to how personal experiences can lead to passionate, purposeful teaching. It’s also a gentle call to parents everywhere: be present, be consistent, and don’t underestimate the power of your influence.
Because the best learning doesn’t always come from textbooks. It comes from living the learning—together.