Serena Tan Abdullah is the Assistant Director with the English Language and Literacy (ELL) Division overseeing the development and the implementation of the curriculum and resources at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS). She is also a Lead Educational Therapist who enjoys working and teaching children with learning difficulties. Her love and passion for teaching has led her to continuously seek new and innovative teaching methods to bring out the potential and self-confidence in her learners.

 

Serena obtained her Masters in Education (Curriculum and Teaching) from Nanyang Technological University/National Institute of Education (NTU/NIE) and a Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers and Trainers. She is also a Fellow member of the Register of Educational Therapists, Asia (RETA). She was motivated to be a RETA member because she strongly believes that as an Educational Therapist supporting learners with dyslexia and specific learning differences, it is important to keep abreast and updated with good teaching practices and pedagogical knowledge in the field of special education. RETA is a good platform to encourage not only the sharing of resources and educational experiences but also the acquisition of relevant and effective teaching strategies from like-minded practitioners, both locally and regionally.

 

What made her choose to be in the field of Special Needs? In her words, ‘Being an educator has been one of my dream occupations ever since I was very young. Additionally, my mum, a positive influence in my life, has inspired me in so many ways. She taught me to treat people with empathy, respect and compassion. Naturally, I gravitated towards wanting to contribute and work in the special needs sector after I graduated and I’ve never looked back since. Being able to support learners with learning differences has been nothing short of a fulfilling and enriching journey for me!’

 

Serena hopes to continue enhancing the curriculum to ensure that learners from diverse backgrounds or those with varying learning needs benefit and learn effectively in class. Serena believes that every child progresses at their own pace but the process they take to reach the finishing line is what matters the most!

 

Without a doubt, the progress and improvement demonstrated by her students, no matter how small, makes Serena smile and she smiles a lot! It could just be spelling a word accurately after weeks of getting it wrong or displaying more confidence in undertaking tasks which they had previously shied away from.

 

She believes that when working with children with special needs, one must have passion and empathy. Being passionate in the work that she does keeps her going especially when the going gets tough and being empathetic allows her to connect with her students at a much deeper level; acknowledging their weaknesses and working with them to bridge their learning gaps while amplifying their strengths and encouraging them to unleash their potential.

 

When asked, what is the one thing she would do to improve special education in her country, she shared that while there is more awareness in the field of special education today compared to the past as more students with dyslexia and other specific learning differences are being identified at pre-school, primary or secondary levels, more can and should be done in the higher education learning environment in the areas of awareness raising, screening and

assessment, empowerment, funding and intervention. She hopes to continue contributing to some of these efforts to reach out to this population of learners with learning differences.

 

Her advice to anyone with special educational needs or supporting those with special educational needs is to always remember that everyone is unique and special in their own ways. In spite of their special educational needs, they have strengths and talents awaiting to be uncovered.