HELLO
I'm Mr. Jansen Tan
I aspire to create a classroom that encourages students to adopt a growth mindset and be their best selves. In a rapidly changing world of work, transferable skills matter more than ever, and this is something I constantly reflect on when planning my lessons. I want learning to go beyond problem-solving, helping students develop a sense of purpose, exercise autonomy, and build social competence. Through this, I hope my students grow into active contributors with strong moral grounding and the tenacity to learn for life.
This photo was taken during my visit to Pigment Tokyo in Japan. I was amazed by how science and art intersect. Some pigments are ground from rocks, others derived from plants or animals. Organic, inorganic, and even iridescent pigments all have unique origins rooted in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Geology.
My journey in teaching
The concept of ikigai is often described as "the reason you get up in the morning". For me, that reason is teaching. It brings together what I care about, what I enjoy, and what I can contribute in. Teaching also gives me the autonomy to be creative in my work and to experiment with multimodal strategies in the classroom. My experience with the NUS Young Educators in Science (YES) programme played a big part in my journey towards becoming a teacher. Through YES, we designed science demonstrations and engaged audiences of different ages through science busking and workshops, reinforcing my belief in a hands-on, minds-on approach to learning.
My favourite demonstration was the Lycopodium Fireball, a simple yet eye-catching demonstration that illustrates how increasing surface area affected the rate of reaction.
​Communicating science to the public affirmed something important to me, that people want to learn, regardless of background, when curiosity is activated. This motivated me to make science concepts more accessible and to reach a wider audience, including fellow educators. This ambition materialised in the form of my YouTube and Instagram channels, where I share interesting nuggets of science that I come across through my 'One Minute Science' series.
In 2023, I stepped out of the classroom and onto the stage for the Fe STEM Teacher Challenge. Preparing for the final round was quite nerve-wrecking as I had to work with the uncertainty of a ‘secret’ ingredient that was only made known one day before the competition! I prepared by designing at least five possible demonstrations, just in case. Along the way, I learnt far more physics than I expected and uncovered ideas that later made their way back into my lessons. It was stressful, exciting, but deeply rewarding!
At the finals, I presented the Two Balloon Paradox. It showed that when air was allowed to move between two balloons of different sizes, it resulted in a counterintuitive result, where the bigger balloon becomes bigger, and the smaller balloon becomes smaller.
​Beyond the classroom, I contribute to curriculum and professional learning of fellow educators. I have worked with the Curriculum Planning & Development Division on the review of teaching and learning materials, and I serve as a member of the Upper Secondary Science Curriculum Review Committee.
I also conduct in-service workshops for teachers and share best practices with the fraternity at educational conferences on topics such as assessment, game-based learning, and e-Pedagogy.
Besides these formal platforms, I have also contributed to conversations on education and parenting through SchoolBag and as a featured guest on the MOE "Canteen Chats with Lion Mums" vodcast series, where I share perspectives on curiosity and learning for life.
In 2025, I was honoured to receive the Outstanding Science Teacher Award. It served as a big encouragement for my efforts in teaching, mentoring, and professional contributions.
A misconception about science
Many people think that a science student always ends up in a research-related job. This is not always true. Beyond scientific concepts and theories, science is also a way of thinking and doing. It requires a wide range of skills, e.g. analysis, spotting trends, problem solving, planning, mathematics, communication etc. For this reason a Science degree is a well-established platform to a surprisingly wide range of careers even outside Science.
Albert Einstein once said “the greatest scientist are artists as well.” In fact, some of the greatest minds in science were inherently creative. This is because science is a form of creation. The purpose of science is to understand the world and create within the world. One cannot create without creativity. For this reason, I enjoy infusing opportunities for students to explore the intersection between art and science.
I conducted a holiday crafting workshop where participants used the chemistry of cyanotype to make a custom greeting card.
Science is everywhere
Since COVID, I have been learning about how to brew coffee and pour latte art through YouTube tutorials. There's more science in a cup of coffee than you would think! We’ve got chemistry involving the extraction of flavour, biology involving how elevation affects the quality of beans, and physics involving density and viscosity in making latte art possible. With so many variables, you grow to appreciate coffee more when you understand the science behind it!
I hope that in the course of learning, you too will find science fascinating and relevant. Go about with a spirit of inquiry and you will realise that there’s so much to discover about the world around you and the way things work.
Always question, always wonder!
Where Have I Been in Education Service?
Teaching Attachment
Maris Stella High School
July 2013
Teacher
CHIJ St Joseph's Convent
Jun 2016–Dec 2021
Senior Teacher
Gan Eng Seng School
Jan 2024 – Present
Jan–Mar 2011
Teaching Internship
Hwa Chong Institution
July 2015
Teaching Attachment
St Gabriel's Secondary School
Jan 2022–Dec 2023
Manager (Plans)
Recruitment Centre
MOE HR Solutions & Capabilities Division