In 2016, I became a mother. And something shifted.
I'd spent years as a school teacher, teaching every level, grading exams, coaching students through their struggles. I loved it. But when my firstborn arrived, I wanted something I couldn't have in the public service: control over my time.
So in 2017, I left. And shortly after, I started Genius Plus Academy.
It was a single 260-square-foot unit. No students. No staff. Just me.
I wrote my own curriculum. Designed my own flyers, then went out to distribute them. Collected fees. Ran everything solo for a while.
Then students started joining. Parents started referring friends.
Sometime in 2019, I decided to build comprehensive textbooks and workbooks for every level. Four textbooks per level. Three to five workbooks per level. Seven to nine books in total, per level.
My friends thought I was mad.
"These books will only benefit ten to twelve students per level," they said. "Why cap your class size? You have a waitlist. Just expand to ten, twelve, fifteen students per class. Same time, more income."
I thought about it. And said no.
With six to eight students, everyone sits within reach. I can walk around, check their work, give instant feedback. I can build rapport. Motivate them individually.
In a larger class, I could still do these things, but each child would get less of me.
That trade-off wasn't worth it.
I have four boys. Three are in primary school, all using the Genius Plus Academy curriculum.
They're completely different from each other. One is athletic. One is artistic. One can solve a Rubik's cube faster than I can scramble it. Some are intrinsically motivated; others need external encouragement.
This shapes how I think about curriculum design. In every class, there will be stronger students and weaker ones. The weaker students need foundational support, scaffolding, and encouragement to keep trying. The stronger students need challenge, or they'll get bored. And then there are the "heck-care" students: the ones who understand everything but rush through and make careless mistakes because they just want to be done.
My curriculum has to stretch every child to their potential.
Some principles never change. Students need solid grounding in foundational concepts before anything else. Teachers should teach one, guide one, then let students try one independently.
Feedback matters; targeted feedback matters more; frequent feedback matters most.
And consistency is key. You plan for success; you don't wish for it.
But beyond mechanics, students need motivation. They need small wins. When they start seeing those wins, it creates a positive feedback loop. They begin to want to do well, not because you're forcing them, but because success feels good.
As a mother of four, I'll never tell you tuition is necessary. Every child is different. Every family's situation is different.
For my own children, tuition is never the default. I always let them try the school system first. I was a school teacher. I know how passionate and dedicated our educators are. They will do whatever it takes to help your child succeed.
So when each of my kids entered Primary 1, I told them: do your homework, pay attention in class, do your best.
If they excelled, great. If they struggled, that was information, not failure.
When one of my boys landed in MT LSP, I wasn't upset. I saw it as clarity: now I know where he needs help. The school is providing small-group support, and I can supplement at home.
Within a year, he exited the programme with strong scores. And now? Chinese is one of his favourite subjects.
Here's what I've learned: when a child does badly at something, they lose interest. It can hurt their self-esteem. Our job as parents isn't to panic. It's to help them improve while showing them that we love them regardless of the score.
Tuition, in this light, is simply support. A way to help your child regain confidence.
Whenever I see your child in my class, I think of my own. I think of what their tutors have done for them. And I want to do the same for yours.
That's why I keep this centre going. Because it's meaningful work.