tutor_raz

Last Wednesday was a moment I never really imagined for myself.

I started tutoring many years ago simply trying to help out in whatever small way I could. Over time, it slowly became more than just teaching mathematics and science. I found myself becoming deeply curious about how students actually learn, why some lose confidence so early and what truly helps them believe in themselves again.

Some of the students I’ve worked with over the years started from very difficult places. Some struggled to pass for years. Some had already convinced themselves that they were simply “not smart enough.”

But slowly, with the right support, structure and consistency, I’ve had the privilege of watching many of them grow into students who began seeing themselves differently. And I think that has always been the most meaningful part of this journey for me. Not just the grades. But the moment a student realises, “maybe I can actually do this after all.”

Wednesday’s panel discussion with the Singapore Education Network also reminded me of something important. That engagement is not just about making learning exciting. It is about helping students feel that learning is understandable, meaningful and achievable.

Grateful for the opportunity to share the stage with fellow educators and continue learning from people who genuinely care about education and students.

A small reminder to myself. To follow what you genuinely care about. Do your work with sincerity. Keep showing up for the people you serve. Recognition will come when it is meant to. Rizq will come from places we never expect ❤️

My mom spent her whole life working to put food on the table.

We were never well off growing up. There were periods where life became very difficult for us. But somehow, she carried the weight of everything without ever making us feel like we had less.

Her life was never about herself. It was always about her children. She worked quietly. Sacrificed quietly. Worried quietly.

Even when we had almost nothing, she still tried her best to make sure we had what we needed. Looking back now, I realise how impossible some of those years must have felt for her.

After my father passed away, I think something changed in me. I knew that one day, somehow, I wanted to give my mom the life she deserved. Not a luxurious life. Just a peaceful one. A life where she no longer had to constantly worry.

Every achievement I have today belongs to her first. From graduating from university, completing my master’s degree, building Tutor Raz, being able to teach hundreds of students, traveling together, receiving opportunities I once never imagined and now pursuing my doctorate…All of it traces back to her sacrifices.

Maybe having very little at the start was actually a blessing in disguise. Because it taught us gratitude. Responsibility. Hunger. Resilience.

And maybe there is truth in what once said, “Buat baik dengan mak bapak. Rezeki mesti datang.”

As we grow older, chase bigger goals and build our own lives, I hope younger people never forget the people who quietly shaped them into who they are today.

One day, we will realise that many of our parents spent almost their entire lives sacrificing their own wants and dreams just to give us a better shot at ours. Never become so busy that you forget to sit down and spend time with your parents. Never become so ambitious that you forget who made your journey possible. And never become so successful that gratitude disappears from your heart.

To all the incredible mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day 💐❤️

We had our mini Raya celebration today. A bit of chaos trying to get everyone into one frame. But behind that photo is something I always find hard to fully put into words.

A group of individuals who choose to show up. Week after week. Not because they have to. But because they believe someone should.

Many of these tutors already carry full plates in their own lives and careers. Yet on their Saturdays, they give their time, their energy and their patience to students who may never fully realise what’s being given to them in the moment.

Maybe that’s the thing about this kind of work. It’s often quiet. Unseen. Uncelebrated.

I didn’t manage to sit in for all the classes today but I’ve seen enough over time to know what goes on inside those rooms. The effort, the care, the intention behind even the smallest interactions.

If you ever come across people doing this kind of work, appreciate them. These are the ones building something that doesn’t show up immediately on paper but lasts far beyond it.

Grateful to be part of this community. And even more grateful for the people who make it what it is ❤️

I attended a Hari Raya gathering today with individuals who have contributed to the community in ways that often go unseen.

Some mentor quietly behind the scenes. Some guide students week after week. Some show up consistently without ever needing recognition.

Yet, when you look around the room, you realise something quite special. Many of them were once on the receiving end of help. At some point in their lives, someone showed up for them. And today, they’ve chosen to become that person for someone else.

There’s something powerful about that cycle. Not loud. Not glamorous. But deeply meaningful.

I’ve always found myself naturally drawn to speaking with the older individuals in the room. Sometimes we overlook them. Maybe because we feel we are in different phases of life. Maybe because their experiences don’t seem immediately relatable to where we are now.

But if you sit with them long enough, you realise there is a kind of wisdom there that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s not in textbooks. It’s not on social media. It comes from years of navigating life quietly, steadily and with resilience.

Every time I ask them for advice, I’m expecting something profound. But more often than not, the response is simple. “Adik, you don’t need any advice from me. You are doing better than I was at your age. Just continue what you are doing.”

I always leave those conversations thinking about it a little more. Because maybe the real lesson isn’t in what they tell us to do next. Maybe it’s in what their lives have already shown us. That progress doesn’t always have to be loud. That consistency matters more than recognition and that giving back, in whatever way we can, is always worth it.

Grateful for the conversations, the reminders and the people who continue to show up for the community in their own ways ❤️

It has been a long journey of trying to understand how to truly help students. Not just those who are already doing well, but also those who once struggled to even pass. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing students grow from scoring single digits to eventually finding confidence in their learning and even achieving results they once thought were impossible.

More than the grades, it has always been about helping them believe that they can learn.

I’m grateful that this journey has led me here. To be part of a conversation on student engagement with the Singapore Educators Network.

A small reminder to myself and anyone reading this. Follow what you genuinely care about. Do your work with sincerity. Keep showing up for the people you serve.

Recognition will come when it is meant to. Rizq will come from places we never expect ❤️