Chew Chia Shao Wei, former RGS Student
Harvard University

"Biology made sense under Mr Evans's tutelage.

It was a strange experience for an arts student, used to struggling in Science lessons and having to go through concepts five times – slowly – to figure them out, fifteen to actually make them stick. Mr Evans would sweep energetically into the classroom, PowerPoints at the ready, take a topic apart, explain it clearly, and put it back together before our eyes. Then, before we could blink, captivated still, he would have us getting into groups for the games he came up with for ensuring the topics made sense independent of his guidance, allowing us to play with the ideas and make them our own. If, despite all that, we still got stuck at any point, Mr Evans was one of the most approachable and patient teachers around.

With a new teacher in Sec 4, Biology didn't come quite so easy anymore. But Mr Evans's influence was indelible, to the point that I very seriously considered adding Biology to my full (and fully Humanities) class load in JC. (But it really was not the done thing, and I eventually didn't.) He's the kind of teacher anyone would want to have, or be. Beyond making it straightforward and painless, Mr Evans made Biology come alive."

Samantha Cheong, former RGS Student
NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

"It is my privilege to have been Mr Evans’s student. Back when I was in RGS, Mr Evans was both my Science teacher and research mentor.

As a teacher, he always encourages curiosity and active learning. Lessons under him were always fun, engaging and fulfilling. A very dedicated and passionate teacher, Mr Evans would often go out of his way to support us in our learning. His guidance, as my team’s research mentor, led us to embark on an exciting molecular gastronomy project which studied the components of ice cream and ultimately produced an ideal and simple recipe for coconut ice cream. He encouraged us to participate in competitions for more exposure and greater learning opportunities. With his support, my team went on to clinch 1st runners-up for the 9th Life Sciences Symposium organized by Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), and the Gold Award (Oral Presentation) for the 2010 Individualised Research Studies Exhibition cum presentation (Gifted Education Programme).

I can confidently say that Mr Evans is one of the most competent teachers I have been taught by. Not only well-versed in skills, experience and knowledge in his field, he is also very much a people-centred person, and a caring teacher who always puts the welfare of his students first."

Jessie Lim, former RGS Student
Cambridge University, Law

"Ask me about the discourse on the equality of the sexes or my opinion on a book and I’ll be sure to wax lyrical about it. But utter “endosymbiosis” and I’ll be reduced to blinking at you in confused and embarrassed silence.

Science has never come easy to me, and while I certainly could force myself to memorise page after page of Biology notes before examinations, whatever regurgitation that occurred thereafter on my examination paper was invariably never actually processed by my mind.

This changed when Mr Evans was given the Sisyphean task of teaching my class Biology in Year 3. His lessons were humourous and thought-provoking, which made the subject come alive for me. I found myself looking forward to the bell that announced the start of Biology and hating the bell that announced the end. Through Mr Evans’ innovative use of memory games and mnemonics, remembering Biology facts required for the exams was no longer a matter of desperately cramming at my desk with cups of black coffee the day before my examination. To this date, I still remember some of the facts I learnt in class and can rattle them off!

As a teacher, Mr Evans is highly approachable and patient with all of his students. He always lets you finish asking your question, no matter how arcane the subject area you are interested in is in the vast field of Biology, or how very simple (read: stupid) your question is. This allows Mr Evans to appreciate the level of understanding each of his students have and then quench any burning questions and/or ensure that everyone in the class has a good understanding of the topic.

Furthermore, Mr Evans’ explanations are always very concise and clear, which show his mastery of the subject content. His lessons are accessible without being oversimplified, and he easily adapts his lesson plans to the needs and interests of the student. He is very open to taking time out to go over the topics that the student finds difficulty with, but also does not waste time explaining topics that the student finds easy ad nauseum.
Last but not least, Mr Evans’ genuine passion for Biology is simply infectious. Under his tutelage, I was inspired to read beyond the syllabus. Much to the surprise of my friends and myself, I found myself greatly enjoying Matt Ridley’s The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature as it challenged my understanding of evolution and also helped me to better approach my study of Biology.

I am very blessed to have had Mr Evans as a teacher and certainly would congratulate anyone else who has the blessing of having him as one now, for he is a wonderful teacher who inspires one to love and appreciate the subject and who is wholly focused on the welfare of his students."

Joy Tan, former RGS Student
NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

"Mr Evans was my co-form teacher and Biology teacher in my secondary three year at RGS. To me, his lessons were always breaths of fresh air.

Too often, the competitive academic environment that every Singaporean student is well-acquainted with sucks the fun out of learning, and memorizing things by rote becomes the routine way in which we study. Mr Evans showed me how it is possible to work through the different Biology topics both with smart, logical approaches as well as fun, innovative ones. His explanations of concepts always helped me to see the larger picture of things and appreciate how things work together to form a coherent order. What might have been confusing or dry topics never failed to turn out clear, logical, simple and enjoyable with Mr Evans’ tutelage. Under Mr Evans, my learning came alive.

Mr Evans also inspired me with his passion for the Science that he taught. He was one of the teachers-in-charge on a school trip that we had to Wales and Northern Ireland, and he was constantly drawing our attention to the interesting things that we could learn along the way. Here was a teacher who was not just striving to meet the requirements of his job, but enjoying the process of educating us and inspiring us students to, in turn, enjoy the process of learning. The great interest that Mr Evans takes in his students reflects his dedication to his work. I have kept in contact with him even after graduation and he continues to be interested in how school is for me, even giving me study tips when I was studying for the A levels. Teachers like Mr Evans who also count as good friends are hard to come by, and I am ever thankful to have had him as my teacher."

Samantha Chan, former RGS Student
Cambridge University, Medicine (October, 2013)

"Mr Evans was the teacher-in-charge for my CCA, the RGS Science and Environment Club. I got to know him well during my time as the Astronomy coordinator in the club. He is a very responsible teacher and gave plenty of support for the astronomy competitions and activities we entered.

Mr Evans has also accompanied us to numerous field trips both in Singapore and overseas (eg. Pulau Tioman in Malaysia), where students can see his passion for Biology. His wonderful personality makes him a well-liked teacher, and he puts in the effort to know each pupil individually - which I really appreciate."

Andrea Ng, former RGS Student
New York University (2013)

"Mr Evans was my Biology teacher for Secondary 3 Biology at RGS, and he had this incredible ability to make classes both simple and interesting. If you asked me for a list of the best teachers I know, Mr Evans would definitely make that list, without a doubt.

It amazes me how Mr Evans can break down even the most complex of Biology topics into easy-to-understand parts. He consistently teaches each concept or process step by step, which allowed us to be able to follow the lesson and helped us build up our foundational knowledge. At the beginning of teaching a new topic, he will start with only giving us the bare framework of the biological process/ concept. This was wonderful because it prevented us from having to unnecessarily process additional, irrelevant (at that stage of our learning) details. I found that this really aided my learning and reduced the possibility of confusion, especially when starting a new topic. All the remaining details fell into place so smoothly after that.

Mr Evans also truly cares for his students. He has helped our class clarify some Biology concepts in the syllabus on many occasions, both outside of class time during the year he taught us, and even after his year as our teacher.

I think that Mr Evans’ lessons definitely laid a great foundation for the more difficult biology concepts I encountered later on in Junior College. I would certainly recommend him to anyone looking for a Biology tutor."

Deenie Choong, RGS Class of 2010
NUS, FASS

"Mr Evans was officially my teacher in Secondary 2 and 3, for science and Biology respectively. Not that it really mattered the name of the subject he taught, he was far from that person that delivered the 25 learning objectives per topic. Under Mr Evan’s tutelage, I was shown an entirely new world of science.

Mr Evans is an educator. He helped me become a good learner and being a good student (with good grades as an extra) just came along with that. He always starts with the concepts, the big picture so we can all see what the topic is all about. No big words and frightening content in the first lesson, something I was very afraid of in Biology. The ‘memorizing subject’, as everyone called it, quickly became my favourite subject in school. In fact, I hardly studied after class. Mr Evans pointed out each and every important concept and made it everything to understand with his biology taboo games and real-life examples. You remember what you understand. There was no miserable memorizing involved at all. I loved seeing biology through Mr Evans’s eyes, loved it to the point that I considered being a biologist at one point in time. With the solid foundation in both knowledge and soft skills in picking apart each topic that came to me, it did not matter who my next biology teacher was or what topic I was learning. I was comfortable and doing well, yet hardly stressed at all.

I am honoured to have been Mr Evans’s student, and he is one of the best teachers I have ever and will ever have."