1. Please introduce yourself.
I began my teaching journey in South Korea, where I taught younger students living in remote rural areas, who had little to no exposure to English. The enjoyment of this experience, coupled with my love of literature, made me decide to return to the UK and become a secondary English teacher. After teaching in the UK, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to come and work in a bilingual school here in China, which allowed me to utilise my previous experiences together. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed teaching in the UK and internationally, and I’m greatly looking forward to continuing my journey here at Britannica.
2. Why do you choose teaching as your profession?
What I enjoy most about being a teacher is that no two days are the same; it’s a fast-paced, dynamic job, and there are always new challenges that need to be overcome. What motivates me in my work is being innovative and finding new ways to help my students learn in the most effective way possible, and the knowledge that I have made a positive impact on a young person’s life is by far the most rewarding outcome of this.
3. What subjects do you teach?
I am an English, Drama and Media Studies teacher. I believe that English is such a crucial subject for many reasons, one of the most important of these being that it provides students with so many fundamental tools to take into their lives, but also because the study of literature brings meaning into our lives and helps us to understand who we are. As John Keating in Dead Poets Society says: ‘Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.’ One of my greatest loves is reading, and I want to influence as many people as I can to pick up books and never stop wanting to read. In addition, Media is one of the most important studies for anyone living in the modern era, but especially so for young people as it allows them to understand so much of the world around them, and can enable them to make more informed choices and form more critical opinions. Finally, Drama is so useful for helping to build confidence, but it also provides alternative ways for students to unlock critical thinking skills by putting ideas into immediate practice.
4. Your Aims for Britannica?
I feel very fortunate to work in a school with such a diverse range of staff and students, as well as such a welcoming atmosphere. At Britannica International School Shanghai, I aim to build positive and trusting relationships with students by creating a warm and positive classroom environment, where every student feels that they are being challenged to their full potential. Furthermore, I aim to develop a classroom where all students are clear about the stage of their learning, what their future target of achievement is, and how to attain this. Finally, I hope that I can instill a love of my subject in all of my students, which will remain with them throughout their lives.
