Many people come into our lives, but only a handful leave indelible impressions and shape us into the person we are today. Teachers, for many, have a tremendous impact in our lives. They patiently explain the Theory of Relativity, reveal mysteries of the universe and make history come alive for us, while imparting important life lessons, such as respect, teamwork and giving us hope that we can achieve and become anything.

Here, we introduce a few of our early intervention teachers from the SPD Building Bridges EIPIC Centres, as we pay tribute to all teachers this Teachers’ Day for their dedication in giving our young ones the best shot in life.

Teacher Ang Su Ling (SPD Ability Centre)

Su Ling is no stranger to the social service sector as she often volunteered at a charity offering pet therapy to vulnerable groups. The smiles of the beneficiaries did more than warm her heart. She resigned from her corporate job and became a teacher aide with SPD in 2014.

“I enjoy working with children. It is rewarding when they make progress or build bonds with us and when we understand their needs. The smiles on their faces come naturally, and that motivates me to provide more guidance to them so that they can be independent,” said Su Ling who is now an EIPIC teacher.

Su Ling serves from her heart and has received numerous compliments from caregivers. Here are some messages the caregivers have left for Su Ling this Teachers’ Day.

To Teacher Su Ling,

Thank you for your great patience and understanding towards Lareen. As many say, the best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. You have showed me that you are one who does that! You are a rainbow teacher in Lareen’s heart – someone who shows her the rainbow of possibilities. Happy Teachers’ Day, Su Ling!

With love,
Lareen and family

Dear Teacher Su Ling,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for all the effort you have taken in teaching Ashton. You think of ways to help him every time he melts down, sharing with me what we can do at home to help him improve. Also, you do more, helping him to put on his school uniform when he refuses to wear it.

In the beginning, my son was reluctant and afraid of attending lessons. Now, he can tell me that he enjoys attending your lessons in simple language. As parents, we are really happy to see his transformation throughout the years.

These tremendous changes would not have happened without you.

Once again, I thank you for being such an amazing teacher and for all the wonderful work you have done. Wishing you all the best in everything!

Mrs Phung

Teacher Namirah Noordeen (SPD Ability Centre)

While she always knew she wanted to be a teacher, choosing to be one in the special needs sector came by chance for Namirah. A sharing by her friend who interned at a special school triggered her interest in finding out more about developmental and learning disorders.

“The children have something new to teach me every day. No one child is the same especially when it comes to their learning needs. My clients’ varied learning needs have taught me how to be versatile and to be creative in my day-to-day work. This is one of the things that I enjoy about my work in addition to knowing that as a teacher, I am able to make a little difference in my clients’ and their caregivers’ lives.

Caregivers have complimented Namirah’s dedication and here is one from a parent.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Tia’s teacher, Ms Namirah Noordeen, for her kindness, hard work and listening ear to me and to my daughter’s needs. Teacher Namirah has been supportive since Tia’s first day at the centre. All these years, I have witnessed her dedication in teaching not just my daughter but all her students. I saw how nurturing and how caring she was to them. My daughter Tia loves her so dearly. She enjoys her class every time and always looks forward to seeing her. Tia has grown and progressed from the time she entered EIPIC, because she has a wonderful teacher. Teacher Namirah has guided Tia tirelessly along the way. She has also given us support at Tia’s pre-school and even in our parenting journey. With all of these, to a parent of a child with special needs, Teacher Namira is a blessing in our lives, indeed an answered prayer. She has inspired us to go on and be better parents. She has made an indelible mark in ours and our daughter’s lives.

I am truly thankful.

Judy Ann Retuya Aquino

Teacher Mabel Koh (SPD@Bedok Centre)

Mabel made a career switch to education and early intervention after more than 10 years working in the financial sector. A stint in the pre-school sector and subsequently in mainstream primary school spurred her to take up the position of an early intervention teacher at SPD in 2017.

An Allied Educator (Learning & Behaviourial Support) who had supported children with mild to moderate special needs in a primary school for a number of years, Mabel said, “The settings and demands of the primary school were overwhelming for some of the children. I thought that if they were to receive early intervention before entering primary school, it would help them cope with the demands better. I decided I wanted to be the ‘bridge’ to narrow the gap, so I started to look for a job in which I could work with the children before they join the mainstream school.”

Mabel is pursuing an advanced diploma in special needs and she wants to share what she learns with caregivers and her colleagues.

Teacher Nurul Fatin Khairudin (SPD@Jurong)

Fatin’s pre-school teachers left a positive impact during her formative years and were the reason she wanted to become a teacher. Like how her teachers had made learning enjoyable, Fatin wanted to cultivate a love of learning in the children under her care and make them see that the world is their playground, just waiting to be discovered.

“Working with children is amazing and fun! They are open to speaking their minds, they’re not afraid of being silly or making mistakes. Because of this, there is never a dully moment in the classroom. I am also constantly learning from these children. The most fulfilling moment is when you see the children light up for being able to complete simple tasks by themselves. In that moment, you realise all your time and effort you put in was worth it,” said Fatin who joined SPD as an EIPIC teacher in 2017.

Besides doing a great job managing the clients in her class, Fatin also receives nods of approval when handling caregivers. This was what a parent has to say about Fatin.

Teacher Fatin is very helpful and constantly updates us on Bella’s progress in school. She goes above and beyond her standard working hours to communicate and reassure us on Bella. She is studious and has provided regular feedback on how to help Bella improve in class and home. Teacher Fatin is always professional in how she speaks to parents like us, yet retains the required empathy and sensitivity. Overall, we are very pleased with Teacher Fatin as Bella’s classroom teacher and Bella herself likes Teacher Fatin a lot!

Mr Low

Happy Teachers’ Day to all our teachers and thank you for your contributions!