Being teacher Shane: One of the very few male early childhood educators here talks about his career choice

One of the very few male early childhood educators here talks about his career choice

Mr Shane Lim (in red) does different kinds of sports and exercises with the pupils to build motor skills, and tries to reinforce the values of compassion, kindness and teamwork while interacting with them. Here, they are playing outdoors and learning about recycling. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Mr Lim reads to the children in the music room before they gather to sing the National Anthem and recite the Pledge. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Mr Lim with fellow students at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, where he is doing a part-time Bachelor of Early Childhood Education with Management course under an ECDA scholarship. They are at a class for the “Social Emotional Learning” module. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Mr Lim ties the hair of Kayanne Lim, six, as they prepare to head outdoors for an inline-skating session. While male educators are not allowed to perform routine care such as using the toilet, showering and dressing, he helps his colleagues by doing what he can in other areas. Since becoming a pre-school teacher in 2014, he has learnt from online videos how to tie and braid girls’ hair. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Mr Lim encourages four-year-old Gracelyn Tse as she learns to skate during an outdoor activity session in school. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Getting ready for a nap, Ryenne Tan, six, gets help drying her hair after a shower. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Shifting cots with the help of his pupils as they get ready for a nap. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Chinese teacher Lin Lu Qiong helps the children shower after an outdoor activity in school. Only female educators are involved in routine care. These times present opportunities to build rapport with the pupils and to teach them good habits. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Mr Lim changes the lights in the pantry. Being the only male teacher in the school, he is the go-to handyman when there are things that need to be fixed. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Neo Xiaobin
Updated
Oct 08, 2018, 02:14 PM
Published
Oct 08, 2018, 05:00 AM
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At 1.78m tall, Mr Shane Lim stands out at his workplace - and it's not just because of his height. The early childhood educator at Little Mighty Me pre-school in Punggol is also the only male teacher among 16.

He is a rare breed, one of about 130 male early childhood educators in Singapore, who make up less than 1 per cent of all educators in the sector.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 08, 2018, with the headline Being teacher Shane: One of the very few male early childhood educators here talks about his career choice. Subscribe

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