Balancing Life as a Teacher, Developer, and Father
There are days when I feel like I’m living three different lives at once. One as a teacher, one as a developer, and one as a father. Each role pulls me in a different direction, yet somehow, I’m learning to weave them together into a single story—my story.
The Teacher Side of Me
By the time the school bell rings in the morning, I’m already deep into “teacher mode.” I stand in front of my Grade 3 class, facing nine lively students with big eyes and bigger questions. Teaching them isn’t just about science lessons or textbook knowledge—it’s about sparking curiosity.
But the role doesn’t end when classes finish. I’m also involved in Sports Week, Talent Day, and our Hari Kebangsaan celebrations. It can be exhausting, but I remind myself that these moments give students memories that stick longer than anything written on paper.
The Developer Side of Me
When the classroom lights are turned off, another part of me comes alive. At my desk, I dive into lines of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. PocketBase, Firebase, JSON backups—they’ve become part of my daily language.
I don’t build apps just for fun. Each one is a tool to solve real problems:
A school system to reduce my teaching workload.
A Life Harmony Planner to keep my family, health, and work in balance.
A fan platform for Manchester United supporters.
Even affiliate projects as a step toward financial freedom.
Coding is my quiet sanctuary. It doesn’t talk back, it doesn’t interrupt—but it does test me with endless debugging at midnight or the challenge of learning something new after a long day at school.
The Father Side of Me
And then there’s the role that means the most—being a father and husband. My wife carries her own responsibilities, and I admire her strength every day. My son and daughter, in their own unique ways, remind me constantly why balance matters.
One loves sports and games, the other thrives in creativity and collecting things that bring her joy. They’re growing up fast, and I don’t want to miss it. I want them to see me not just as someone who provides or corrects, but as someone they can trust and willingly follow.
The Struggle and the Wins
Balancing all of this isn’t easy. Some days, guilt creeps in—a student’s homework I forgot to sign, a broken feature in an app I couldn’t fix, or a family moment I missed because I was too tired.
But I’ve stopped chasing perfection. What I aim for is progress. The small wins are what matter: a student finally understanding a tough concept, an app prototype that actually runs, or a family outing that ends with laughter instead of frustration.
My Ongoing Journey
At night, when the house is quiet and my kids are asleep, I sometimes sit with my guitar beside me and a cup of tea in hand. My laptop screen goes dark, and I’m left with my thoughts—about tomorrow’s lesson, the next feature I’ll code, and the weekend’s family plans.
Balancing life as a teacher, developer, and father isn’t about choosing one role over the other. It’s about weaving them into one story. My story. And even on the hardest days, I remind myself: this is the life I chose, the life I’m building, and the life I hope will inspire others.
💬 Question for You
How do you balance the different roles in your own life? Do you ever feel like you’re living multiple lives at once?