My Way Of Life with arts

My name is Stephanie Seet and I am a teacher with many hats, coupled with different experiences, skills, stories and imagination to engage and educate the children and their parents. Experiences from being a mother of 4 children adapting to their distinct personalities enabled me to understand the different developmental domains of a child and behaviour management. My recent degree studies at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) had broadened my knowledge and skills to be a credible preschool enrichment art educator and trainer to parents on topics such as social-emotional development, creativity and positive mental wellbeing. Not to mention my recent teaching stint in Gan Eng Seng Secondary school (GESS), inspiring young teenagers to appreciate and believe that art can enhance their mental and emotional wellness, it takes more than a hat full of fun-engaging activities but a passionate and empathetic heart to support the learners.

I used to be a design consultant before but my joy of art and creative teaching began when I joined Seeding HutLand LLP and subsequently, Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group (AKLTG). Other than being a preschool art teacher and trainer, I had the opportunity to be a storyteller, skit performance character, puppeteer and even a Heritage ambassador guide for the Singapore Indian Heritage Museum, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall and the Malay Heritage Centre. These opportunities helped me to be more expressive and creative, bringing the communities like the preschoolers or the families into a world of stories.  I believed I have truly lived by the quote of Carl Sagan “Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were.”

The experiences and my passion for Art and teaching inspired me to pursue a degree in Art Education with Psychology at SUSS to which I was awarded a Pass with merit in early 2021.  Integrating both the pedagogical skills and therapeutic support in an education environment makes my classroom environment more learner-centric. I am more aware of the various learning needs in the classroom and by adjusting my instructions and expectations for the different learners, I have the versatility to employ therapeutic tools such as using art therapeutic activities to engage students with special needs or for student’s mental and emotional wellness.

I strongly believe I have what it takes to be a dedicated learner-centric preschool educator and nothing gives me the great pleasure to use what I know best, using Arts to empower, engaging and encourage the heart and mind regardless of age. Albert Einstein quoted” I have no special talent, I am passionately curious”.  I do agree with him, I have no special talent but a person who believe in lifelong learning. I strive to become an open-minded person with a big heart and child-like curiosity as I continue to educate and learn from these young learners.