Founder’s Story

Hi, I’m May, the founder of Maythematics (MTM) and this is my personal story on how I started MTM tuition centre.

Teaching has always been my passion.

Helping students overcome their fear of Math and watching their confidence grow has always given me a deep sense of purpose.

My journey began at home, where I first taught my younger siblings.

After junior college, I took on part-time tutoring, and soon, teaching became more than just a side job — it became my calling.

Driven by passion, I went to obtain my motorcycle license so I could ride across Singapore, rain or shine, to conduct lessons during my university years.

I often spent more hours teaching than studying, but it was worth every moment.

After graduating, I continued to sharpen my skills at an established Math tuition centre where I spent years building experience, refining my teaching methods, and understanding what truly helps students thrive.

But in 2021, when COVID-19 struck, everything changed.

At that time, I was pregnant, and vaccination for expectant mothers had not yet been declared safe.

To continue teaching at the established math tuition centre where I worked, I would have needed to be vaccinated.

Standing at that crossroads, I had to make a heartbreaking choice — continue my career and risk my baby’s health, or step away from the job I loved.

I chose my baby. I quit.

It was one of the hardest decisions of my life.

My husband also lost his job as a Pilates instructor during that period, and overnight, we had no stable income.

We survived by doing Grab deliveries — a season filled with humility, fear, and uncertainty.

Amidst the struggle, a small lifeline appeared: a few loyal students continued to come to my home for lessons.

But our home was a tiny two-room HDB.

Each time I had lessons, my husband would carry our baby girl, Novi — then just a few months old — out of the house for hours, so our home could feel “conducive” for students.

While I wanted the best for my students, I carried the guilt of sacrificing comfort for my own child.

Also, deep down I really missed the days of teaching and reaching many more.

One day, a student casually mentioned learning math tricks from TikTok.

That comment planted a seed — if I wanted to inspire more students again, I had to go where they already were.

So I began creating short educational videos — sometimes in between breastfeeding breaks, sometimes with my newborn right beside me.

I also started going live on TikTok. At first, fewer than five people tuned in.

But I held on to one simple belief: as long as there is even one student willing to learn, I will teach.

Back then, TikTok was still seen as just a dancing and entertainment app for teens.

I never imagined children would actually sign up for tuition through it.

Yet to my surprise, more children started learning from my videos and even asked their parents if they could join my lessons.

And that was when our little community truly began to grow.

By the end of 2022, I was teaching 50 students at my home weekly.

It was then I knew it was time to take a leap of faith.

In 2023, with a hopeful heart, I poured out all my life-savings and opened our very first tuition centre opposite Kembangan MRT.

That single step changed everything — and it marked the beginning of Maythematics.

Leveraging insights from the gaps I identified in my previous teaching experience, I was determined to set out to enhance several aspects of this industry that could make the experience better for the students, parents and the team.

From then on, Maythematics grew into a dedicated team of passionate teachers. Together, we’ve helped students transform — from failing to passing, from passes to distinctions.

Parents told us their children finally enjoyed Math, and word of mouth spread quickly.

Maythematics was born out of hardship, but it has grown through love, resilience, and an unshakable belief: with the right guidance, every child can shine in Math.