{"id":11863,"date":"2025-07-21T08:53:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T00:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/?p=11863"},"modified":"2026-02-03T22:01:59","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T14:01:59","slug":"nurturing-confidence-building-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/communities-and-engagement\/nurturing-confidence-building-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Nurturing Confidence, Building Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\u2190 Back to Story Listing<\/a><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Nurturing Confidence,
Building Community<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Phoebe LIM, Faculty of Science<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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I am Phoebe Lim, currently a Year 3 Student in AY24\/25 Semester 2 majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics. I participated in the year-long service-learning course, GEN2050Y Teach SG, from AY2023\/24 Semester 2 to AY2024\/25 Semester 1. I have always been passionate about teaching and working with children, having served as an MOE Teaching Intern, an MOE Relief Teacher, and a tutor in both private and tuition-centre settings. Through these experiences, I discovered how fulfilling teaching can be, as it allows me to support students\u2019 growth academically and personally. All of these contributed to my decision to read this course.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Mentees and mentors during one of the Teach SG sessions. Photograph by FTPPS Supervisor, Ms Diana<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Being a Teach SG mentor at First Toa Payoh Primary School (FTPPS) has provided me with invaluable insights into the complexities of working with young learners. I had the opportunity to plan and lead activities including arts and crafts, music workshops, sports, food-making sessions and innovation activities. Through these activities, I managed to interact with my mentees on a deeper level and connect with students of varied personalities and learning styles. Over time, as they grew more comfortable and opened up to us, it became particularly rewarding to see their individual talents and interests emerge. The fan painting session I conducted in particular caught my attention, as the students showed such dedication and creativity that resulted in impressive craftwork. They also showed genuine enthusiasm for activities like sports and cooking, and it was rewarding to see these sessions provide a supportive space for them to explore their interests.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Mentee during fan painting session. Photograph by FTPPS Supervisor.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Enjoying basketball together. Photograph by FTPPS Supervisor.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Activities we organised for the seniors; <\/em>L: Mama Mia Dance Fitness, R: Flower Arrangement<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Fostering Growth and Confidence amongst Children<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>

This journey was indeed fulfilling, encompassing both rewards and challenges that enriched my understanding of education and contributed to my growth as an individual. One insight that stood out to me as a mentor is the role of education in building students\u2019 confidence and their willingness to try new things \u2013 a takeaway that became particularly apparent during a music workshop I conducted where I introduced the students to different instruments and set a goal for them to work in groups and put together a short performance. Many students, however, hesitated to perform and became restless during group discussions. By adapting the activity \u2013 allowing them to sing, dance, or play instruments in ways they felt comfortable \u2013 I witnessed how a flexible, empathetic approach empowers students, rather than focusing solely on the success of the lesson. Although not everyone embraced the workshop equally, the experience showed the importance of meeting learners where they are and creating a safe space for them to develop resilience and self-assurance at their own pace.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The music workshop I conducted. Photograph by FTPPS Supervisor.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Mentees preparing for their performance at the music workshop. Photograph by FTPPS Supervisor.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Reaching Out to the Wider Community: Strengthening Family Bonds<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>

However, one of the most memorable experiences during my time as a Teach SG mentor was a parent-child bonding workshop I conducted for a FTPPS event in addition to the weekly Teach SG sessions. I planned and led a collaborative story painting activity, beginning with question prompts that encouraged discussion between both parents and children to learn more about each other\u2019s perspectives. After discussing the prompts, they took turns painting on a shared canvas, guided by a scenario designed to bring their collective story to life. This approach not only fostered stronger family connections but also underscored the power of creativity in building meaningful relationships.<\/p>

This session was especially meaningful as it was my first time facilitating an activity involving both parents and children. It was very fulfilling to strengthen their bonds, and it warmed my heart to see my mentees spend quality time with their parents as they discovered new things about each other through conversation and creativity. Watching their artistic ideas come to life made the event even more special, especially when some pairs enthusiastically shared their finished paintings with everyone.<\/p>

I realised then that my role went beyond simply engaging with my mentees. By including parents in the workshop, I was linking what happens in school to the broader home environment \u2013 encouraging genuine partnerships that extend beyond the classroom. The collaboration of multiple stakeholders \u2013 teachers, mentors, parents, and the wider community \u2013 enriches a child\u2019s development far more than any one of us could achieve alone.<\/p>

As I went from table to table, chatting with families about their artwork, I overheard questions like \u201cSince when did you like this?\u201d A simple remark like this reminded me how easily parents and children can get caught up in daily routines without having the time to truly connect. Seeing them pause to update each other on their interests and share little moments, even if just for the duration of the activity, felt incredibly meaningful. It demonstrated how education can transcend academics by creating a space where families build stronger bonds and genuine relationships can flourish.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Family photo taken during parent-child bonding session. Photograph by FTPPS Supervisor.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Sharing by student during parent-bonding session. Photograph by FTPPS Supervisor.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Bonding over storytelling. Photograph by FTPPS Supervisor.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Overall, Teach SG has shown me the value and importance of volunteering, offering insights that go beyond career development and impact my understanding of the community I\u2019ll be living and working in. Engaging closely with students from diverse backgrounds has helped me develop a richer appreciation for the varied perspectives, experiences, and challenges that make up our society. This experience has reinforced how volunteering is a two-way exchange, where both beneficiaries and volunteers gain from shared experiences and meaningful interactions. It serves as a reminder that the work we do is as much about learning from others as it is about contributing to their growth.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\u2190 Back to Story Listing<\/a><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Phoebe LIM shares how schools, volunteers, and parents can come together to foster a nurturing environment for young students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":11866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11863"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11863\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12232,"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11863\/revisions\/12232"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nus.edu.sg\/nuscares\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}