Teachers’ Day (4 September 2026) - Teaching from the Heart: Helping Every Child Find Their “Aha” Moment
For more than 20 years, Mathematics tutor Ng Geok Eng has dedicated herself to helping students overcome their fear and confusion surrounding Math. But beyond equations and formulas, what truly drives her is the joy of seeing a student finally understand a concept — that priceless “aha” moment that reminds her why teaching is her calling.
Since 2018, Geok Eng has been volunteering as a tutor with Club Rainbow (Singapore), journeying alongside children and youths living with chronic illnesses and helping them build confidence in their studies and in themselves.
Her volunteering journey began with a simple but meaningful intention — to set a positive example for her own children.
“They are blessed and grew up wrapped in the safety net of loving parents,” she shared. “I would like them to bloom from a child who absorbs care to an adult who offers it.”
Wanting to “walk the talk”, Geok Eng searched for volunteer tuition opportunities on Giving.sg, where she first came across Club Rainbow. What started as a small step to give back has since become an enduring and deeply fulfilling part of her life.
On days when she conducts lessons at Club Rainbow’s centre at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Geok Eng arrives early to prepare herself before meeting her students. Each session typically begins with casual conversation — checking in on how the child has been doing in school and understanding any difficulties they may be facing.
Beyond teaching, she takes care to document every student’s learning journey in a small notebook after each lesson, allowing her to carefully follow through on their progress and tailor future sessions to their needs.
Over the years, she has learnt that every child learns differently and requires different forms of support and encouragement.
“These children need affirmation and encouragement to construct self-concept, build confidence and nurture self-esteem,” she explained.
For lower secondary students, she focuses on helping them strengthen foundational algebra skills and complete holiday homework, while for upper secondary students, she builds on concepts they already understand to help them improve and score better in school.
One particularly memorable experience was working with a student who disliked writing down his workings during Math lessons.
“He would just ‘play’ with his calculator then write down a number,” she recalled.
It took several sessions to slowly build rapport and gain his trust before she was finally able to encourage him to write down his thought processes on paper — a small but meaningful breakthrough that reflected the importance of patience and connection in teaching.
While tutoring comes with its own set of challenges, particularly limited time with each student during school holidays, Geok Eng remains committed to making every session count.
“I find myself racing against time,” she admitted. “I encourage them to approach their school teachers for help and be shameless in seeking consultation from them.”
Through her volunteer journey, Geok Eng says the children have taught her just as much as she has taught them.
“I learnt to embrace and respect each unique child,” she shared. “Getting a question correct or passing a paper can bring as much joy as getting an A1 grade.”
She also believes that the academic support provided by Club Rainbow goes beyond grades and examinations.
“At least, they know that there are people who genuinely care about them,” she said. “They are not children who fall in between the cracks.”
For Geok Eng, volunteering has never felt like a chore. Teaching Mathematics and helping students understand it remains her passion and purpose.
“Teaching Math and enabling students to understand Math is a calling,” she said. “Volunteer tuition is not a stretch to me.”
As we celebrate Teachers’ Day, Club Rainbow honours dedicated volunteer tutors like Ng Geok Eng, whose patience, compassion and unwavering commitment continue to empower our children and youths — one lesson, one breakthrough, and one “aha” moment at a time.
To those considering volunteering, Geok Eng offers simple but heartfelt encouragement:
“If you’re thinking of giving back to the community, Club Rainbow is a safe platform to start with. Their staff is supportive and involved with their clients. They take care of their volunteers, so there’s no fear of being ‘exploited’ or ‘bullied’ by clients.”
Make a difference today - support Club Rainbow’s children and families by volunteering with us!
About Club Rainbow (Singapore)
Established in 1992, Club Rainbow (Singapore) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting children with chronic illnesses, many of whom have disabilities and special needs, and their families. Anchored in our commitment to empowering individuals to lead dignified lives and become active contributors to society, Club Rainbow delivers more than 30 critical programmes, services, and assistance schemes to support our children and their family members.
Website: https://www.clubrainbow.org/
Contact number: 6377 1789
Email: contact@clubrainbow.org
Facebook/ Instagram/ TikTok/ LinkedIn/ YouTube: @clubrainbowsingapore