From Passion to Purpose

FROM PASSION TO Like many Alumni, Charlotte McNamara still maintains close ties with Tanglin even after she graduated and found her calling as a teacher*. Here’s her story. PURPOSE

What have you been up to since graduating in 2018?

Since graduating Tanglin in 2018, I went straight to the University of Worcester to start my teacher training. The transition from living in Singapore to England was definitely challenging at first and something to get used to. After my first year of university, I went back to Asia to visit my family.

I also volunteered in Vietnam with my sister for two weeks working with children with special needs. I loved volunteering so much that I went to Barcelona to teach English in a school in November 2019. Halfway through my second year of university, because of Covid-19 I returned to my family in Singapore which was experiencing a circuit breaker. During that time, I raised money for a UK charity called Show Racism the Red Card by walking, running, or cycling a kilometre for every 1 pound donated and raised 625 pounds in total.

My family then left Singapore, sadly after 19 years, and returned to England. Unfortunately, I had missed my secondyear teaching placement because of Covid-19 so I went straight into my third year to do my dissertation and my final teaching placement. As we went back into lockdown in England, the first month of my final placement was teaching through Zoom which was interesting! At the end of May last year, I was asked to go for an interview at a school I had applied to, and I got the call an hour after where the head teacher said she would love me to be a part of their school.

“ ” The things I love most about Tanglin are how our achievements were celebrated.

My first term teaching has been tougher than I ever thought it would be, I never thought I would have a class of 29 Year 2 students who are fully my responsibility only three years after leaving Tanglin. We also had Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) turn up last minute to inspect our school and a lot of children going down with Covid-19, but it is definitely the most rewarding job and so worth it!

How did Tanglin inspire you to go into teaching?

For a long time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in university. While I was in 6th Form at Tanglin, I found A levels a very stressful time, I am not sure how it started but most lunchtimes when I felt overwhelmed, I went to Mrs Pearce’s Nursery class and played with the children or read them a story and it helped me a lot. Mrs Pearce was my Reception teacher in 2004. She taught me from when I was four years old and had just started school until I was 18 and leaving school. She showed me why teaching is such a special job, and she also went to the University of Worcester to study Primary Education, so I decided to follow in her footsteps.

I initially decided I wanted to do paediatric nursing and had mock interviews at Tanglin with Ms Sarah Le Grice and flew to England for interviews but then decided that didn’t feel right and not what I really wanted to do. I then found my love for teaching and working with children just before I graduated from Tanglin.

What were some of your favourite moments at Tanglin?

There are so many, but I know I will never forget the amazing opportunities I had while at Tanglin, my school trip to Australia and New Zealand will be times I will remember forever. The service we got to do to help others for CAS will always stay with me and the relationships I had with teachers, which made lessons memorable.

What did you love most about Tanglin?

Thinking back, the things I love most about Tanglin are how our achievements were celebrated. I remember feeling proud of every small achievement as it didn’t go unnoticed. I also love the opportunities we were able to have at Tanglin and the community feel there always was.

What advice would you give to someone graduating this year?

My advice would be to do something you are really passionate about because then you know no matter how hard it is, it will be worthwhile in the end. ■ *Turn to page 28 to read how Charlotte collaborated with our Infant School on a letter writing activity between her own Year 2 class in England and Tanglin’s Year 2 students.