Testimonials
Matthias Soh
Intern
I made the decision to intern at Rosebrook for 3 months, after completing my National Service in February 2018. I found myself making that decision after a series of conversations with friends who had previously worked there which made me think it would be a fulfilling investment of time before university starts. That whimsical decision I made, as I quickly realised shortly after starting the internship, would become a life-changing 3 months, completely altering my perception of education and teaching me more than I ever imagined.
As an inexperienced intern, I was unsure of how I could make any difference at Rosebrook, but under the patience and guidance of the staff, I was given an opportunity to embrace gifts I did not even realise I had as well as learn about child development in depth. It became clear to me that I was not there just to supplement a lack of manpower, but to understand the bigger picture of what education was really about. I am incredibly grateful to Ms Monica, Ms Su and the rest of the staff for being so approachable whenever I had any questions and for patiently explaining to me the behaviours and needs of individual children. As an intern, I knew I was valued and that the leadership in Rosebrook was intentional in wanting me to learn.
So how has my perception of education changed? Rosebrook has taught me that because every child is so unique, we must first understand and embrace them for who they are, for their individual gifts and abilities. So while emphasis on academic excellence is important, we must first understand that it is the emotional quotient that is driving the intelligence quotient. I have learnt that for a child to reach their fullest potential they need to have self-belief and that begins with the educator believing in the child. I found myself having to unlearn what I thought I knew about education and what I had personally experienced in school.
Over the course of my internship, I saw children who were becoming increasingly limitless in their thinking and who were free to be adventurous in a safe environment. It is in Rosebrook that I began to realise that education must come from a place of love for and belief in the children, because that is exactly what the centre strives to do.
To fully grasp this, you have to be immersed in the environment that Rosebrook has created and I am immensely thankful to have had the opportunity to experience this.
