{"id":6430,"date":"2025-06-19T01:41:31","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T01:41:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/?p=6430"},"modified":"2025-06-19T01:41:31","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T01:41:31","slug":"from-teacher-to-principal-my-journey-of-faith-in-early-childhood-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/from-teacher-to-principal-my-journey-of-faith-in-early-childhood-education\/","title":{"rendered":"From teacher to principal: My journey of faith in early childhood education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Jian Naputo <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2010, I arrived in Singapore with a heart ready to learn and a suitcase full of uncertainty. Fresh out of university, I didn\u2019t have a five-year plan \u2014 just a desire to grow and do my best in the role I had taken on. I thought I would stay two years, learn what I could, then move on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But life often unfolds in unexpected ways. Fifteen years later, I\u2019m still here. And as I reflect on this journey, I see a thread that\u2019s been quietly running through it all: God\u2019s faithfulness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beauty in small beginnings <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My first few months in the classroom were filled with learning. I quickly realised that teaching wasn\u2019t about delivering lessons; it was about building relationships.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I found joy in the small, ordinary moments \u2014 seeing a child zip their bag on their own for the first time, hearing a first word, or watching their eyes light up as they discovered something new.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

These small beginnings became sacred spaces for me. Over time, teaching stopped being just a role \u2014 it became a calling.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

If I were to describe my journey in one phrase, it would be this: sowing and tending. Over the years, I\u2019ve come to see that every interaction \u2014 every word of encouragement, every moment of patience, every second spent listening \u2014 was a seed. Some sprouted quickly, others lay dormant for a while. Many I may never see bloom. But the work has always been about showing up, sowing faithfully, and tending the soil with care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve seen those seeds bear fruit: in children who once struggled to speak but now share their thoughts freely; in families who return years later with gratitude; and now, in teachers\u2014who grow in confidence, take brave steps, and pour into others, just as someone once poured into them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing with APS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I joined Anglican Preschool Services (APS) in 2015, and this year marks ten years with the organisation. It has been a place where I\u2019ve been given space to grow \u2014 professionally, personally, and spiritually. I never imagined I would become a principal, but through seasons of stretching and growth, I found myself stepping into leadership \u2014 not out of a desire for promotion, but simply a willingness to be of service in any way I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
One of my first photos in Singapore 10 years ago! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Singapore has become more than the place I came to work, it has become a place I now call home. Over the years, I\u2019ve been shaped by the children, families, colleagues, and mentors I\u2019ve encountered. Each one has played a part in this story of growth.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, I\u2019ve learned that every child matters. Each one is a gift. I\u2019ve come to understand that education is more than just school readiness \u2014 it\u2019s about nurturing hearts, minds, and character. Leading a centre is a big responsibility, but I carry it with a deep sense of purpose and a desire to honour the God who brought me here and continues to walk with me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A faith that anchors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My faith is the foundation of everything I do. It reminds me to press on during the tough days, to lead not for applause but out of a heart to serve. To love\u2014even when it\u2019s not easy. To trust that even small acts of faithfulness can become offerings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve learned to keep showing up, even without all the answers. To keep sowing, even when the soil feels dry. Because I\u2019ve seen firsthand what God can do with seeds planted in faith. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I could speak to the 2010 version of myself, I would simply say: 
\u201cHe who calls you is faithful\u2026\u201d \u2014 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NKJV) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And to my fellow educators\u2014especially those who feel unseen or unsure\u2014I want to say this:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Your work matters. You matter. Keep going.\u00a0
The seeds you plant today may grow into something far greater than you can imagine.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

To find out more about our career opportunities, visit https:\/\/www.anglicanps.edu.sg\/careers-main<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jian Naputo is the Principal of Little Seeds Preschool (TSA-Ang Mo Kio).\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Small acts of faithfulness can become offerings\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6435,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[78,187],"class_list":{"0":"post-6430","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-features","8":"tag-little-seeds-preschool-tsa-ang-mo-kio","9":"tag-st-james-church-kindergarten","10":"cs-entry","11":"cs-video-wrap"},"yoast_head":"\nFrom teacher to principal: My journey of faith in early childhood education - Our Learning Journey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I never imagined I would become a principal, but through seasons of stretching and growth, I found myself stepping into leadership\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/from-teacher-to-principal-my-journey-of-faith-in-early-childhood-education\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From teacher to principal: My journey of faith in early childhood education\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Small acts of faithfulness can become offerings\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/from-teacher-to-principal-my-journey-of-faith-in-early-childhood-education\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Our Learning Journey\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-19T01:41:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Image-14-1.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"APS\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"From teacher to principal: My journey of faith in early childhood education\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Small acts of faithfulness can become offerings\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Image-14-1.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"APS\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/from-teacher-to-principal-my-journey-of-faith-in-early-childhood-education\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/from-teacher-to-principal-my-journey-of-faith-in-early-childhood-education\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"APS\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#\/schema\/person\/0da400b840c113b662e54f0af18b0267\"},\"headline\":\"From teacher to principal: My journey of faith in early childhood education\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-19T01:41:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-19T01:41:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/from-teacher-to-principal-my-journey-of-faith-in-early-childhood-education\/\"},\"wordCount\":714,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ourlearningjourney.sg\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Little Seeds Preschool (TSA - 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