Meet Shoba, a compassionate individual whose journey into volunteering began with a simple yet profound decision. After a fulfilling 15-year career in customer service, Shoba chose to step away from the corporate world and devote her time to helping others. “I told myself that I will use my time to help others,” she reflects, and that decision led her to Filos Community Services, where she has become a cherished volunteer teacher at the English Learning Programme (ELP).

The spark for teaching ignited during the pandemic when Shoba trained as a Teaching Assistant under the SGUnited Traineeship Mid-Career Pathway programme. “I realised I thoroughly enjoyed being with young children and teaching them,” Shoba shares. This newfound passion eventually brought her to Filos, where she has been volunteering since last year.

What Shoba loves most about the ELP is the strong foundation it provides for the children. One of her fondest memories is of a role-playing exercise she used to teach spelling. By switching roles with her student, Adam, and letting him be the teacher, Shoba found that he became more excited and motivated to learn. “Through role-playing, I found that my student got really excited & motivated, and picked up the right spellings of words with the correct pronunciation,” she says with a smile.

Shoba has witnessed tremendous growth in her students. One student, in particular, went from being less motivated to achieving an impressive 96% in his English assessment, a significant improvement from his earlier score of 68%. “The Filos sessions have certainly helped keep him up to speed with his school classes,” Shoba notes proudly.

Teaching has also brought personal growth to Shoba. It has made her more patient and confident, and she treasures the time spent with her students. Her advice to others considering volunteering? “Teaching may not be for everyone, but volunteering gives you the opportunity to test your skills. It’s important to come prepared but also be flexible.”

As we celebrate Teacher’s Day this year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Shoba and all the volunteers who light the path of learning for our children. Your passion and commitment are truly the gifts that keep on giving. Happy Teacher’s Day!

Keen to volunteer with children and youth? Check out the volunteering opportunities at Filos’ Volunteer Portal at https://bit.ly/FilosVMS to start your journey today!