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It has been very positive. The Center Principal (CP) when I arrived was very enthusiastic and supportive, and he was very engaged with the students. We are a small staff. Next year we will have 14 expat teachers, so there is definitely a community vibe to the team.

The school itself has about 200 students, so it’s not a huge school by any means. The advantage is that you can engage easily with the students, and get to know them quite well.

Another advantage of this relatively small size is that, if you have an idea for an activity or an initiative, you can get the support to see the idea into action. Making changes is not always easy, but I found that if you can prove that you are willing to work hard and get things going then, gradually, you can get there.

How has the transition to the Center Principal role been for you?

I have always felt that working in a school is more than just arriving at 7:15 and leaving at 4:30. For me what is important is the whole school life. Education doesn’t end at the doorway to the classroom, or start and end when the bell rings. I am really passionate about education outside the classroom.

I have only recently been promoted to the role of Center Principal, but my path to this role really started when I was promoted to the position of Dean of Students, last year. In that role I was doing pretty much what I had been doing anyway, but with a recognized title. This gave me that bit of authority to organize things more effectively, and also to communicate more directly with the management team.

How have you grown professionally in your time at Zhenhai?

Besides the professional development courses offered by Dipont, such as the marking course that I took last year, I have grown a lot in my career. There are a lot of opportunities available, and you can get the support that you need if you persist and persevere. It takes ambition and dedication. What is important is that, in Zhenhai, your ambition is recognized.

We don’t do what we do for the recognition, but the support and recognition I have received here has really helped me to grow as an education professional. I am really excited about the coming academic year, and what our great team at Zhenhai can achieve together.

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I had a business in the U.S., where I’m from, which I closed during the financial crisis in 2008. Then I came to China to work as a university professor for a few years. During that time I gained my teaching qualifications. From there I was able to join Dipont as an economics teacher. I became a center principal about a year later. Now I work in headquarters as Deputy Director of education with responsibility for schools right across China.

Dipont really embraced my business background. It’s an ambitious and forward-moving company and they appreciate people who bring a wide range of skills to the table. I’ve experienced first-hand the growth and development of Dipont’s high school programmes. In my contributions to this growth my business and academic background has been a great benefit.

From your business point of view, what has contributed to Dipont’s success?

Dipont has been very successful, where other education companies in China have failed, because they have created a very robust structure, with delineated, clear responsibilities between the partner schools and the international centers. They also follow all their contracts and keep things very honest for expat staff, who are treated very well. This is often not the case in China and these have been among the biggest problems at all the other schools I’ve taught at previously.

Dipont’s structure shields teachers from less than ideal practices and allows them to focus on their work and thrive during their time in China. I have had many teachers leave for other companies, for various reasons, only to return to Dipont fairly quickly once they realize that there were a lot of false promises that were offered to them. Dipont is a real leader in terms of these teacher protections and another reason why it is leading the education field here.

What do you see as Dipont’s competitive edge in the education market in China?

We are seeing the rigor of the curriculum we deliver increasing all the time. An example has been the introduction of Capstone (AP) and EPQ (A-level) to ensure that these curriculums remain competitive with IB.  I’m also involved in Dual Diploma Programs (DDP) where a school from abroad introduces elements of their curriculum and assessment criteria into our schools. This increases the challenge, but also increases the payoff greatly for our students.  They get a diploma from a school abroad including the school from China, which enhances their competitiveness for university application.

I have always found that Dipont truly thrives in this environment of continual change.  We have members of our organization that specialize in all aspects of the many curriculums we offer. This is how we are able to ensure our schools are offering the maximum benefit to our students.  In education, where things already move much slower than other industries, a fast and adaptable company like Dipont is always near or at the forefront of China’s education market. It’s an exciting place to be.

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When there is an opportunity within the company for the right people, with the right qualifications, Dipont has no hesitation in encouraging people to step up. I’ve been able to grow professionally very quickly, going from a teacher six years back to a secondary AQM today. The AQM role is great for me as it gives me the opportunity to work with centers teaching different curricula in two different cities. I have a strong International Baccalaureate background but my centers teach Advanced Program and A-level, so gaining knowledge of all three makes me a more complete international education professional.

During your time in the international center, you held various roles and responsibilities, tell us about that.

I joined the center in Shanghai as a teacher-librarian before stepping into the IB Diploma Program coordinator role, as well as teaching IB mathematics. From there I spent a semester as academic vice-principal before becoming acting center principal. I like the fact that Dipont often promotes people within a school, allowing people to work within the same situations and build on the knowledge they already have, rather than bringing in people from the outside. It’s good to promote people from within the school community and that’s how I’ve been able to develop to this level relatively quickly.

Is that professional growth something you value highly?

Definitely. Dipont is the first organization for whom I’ve worked more than six years and it’s because of the professional growth I could see for myself. It’s easy to see that if you put a couple of years into a role that there are follow-up roles for you to move into. I don’t know where I’m going to be in the future but I know that if I do well there’ll be opportunities. That’s what has encouraged me to stay for so many years. In addition to that, I like the fact that at Dipont everyone is treated equally – it doesn’t matter where you’re from, there’s one scale for professional advancement, which is very transparent and applied to everyone.

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I’ve been at The High School Affiliated to Renmin University in Beijing for almost 12 years now, mainly because there have been so many different pathways for my career. As the center has expanded, the opportunity for advancement has grown along with it, and I’ve been lucky enough to hold many different roles within the same center. Because I’ve been there for so long, I have been able to develop a really good relationship with the Chinese members of staff, and I’ve learnt a lot about the Chinese educational system and about the school itself, which has given me a deeper perspective of the context in which I’m working.

Is your career progression reflective of the opportunities available with Dipont generally?

Yes, I think it is. Dipont is opening up new schools, while international curriculum centers are always expanding and developing. Teachers really have the opportunity to grow as their school grows or as Dipont as a company develops. Career progression is definitely encouraged and many times schools are building along with the staff. Education is a growth market in China and the opportunities teachers have with Dipont are reflective of this.

What’s been a highlight of the past 12 years?

I’ve been able to contribute to China’s review of its national curricula. The school where my center is based is a nationally recognized school and is running a lot of pilot and test programs. Last year, I was given the opportunity to run the I.B. course, Theory of Knowledge, for a select group of students as part of these pilot programs. The chance to contribute towards the national curricula review through teaching a subject that I’m very passionate about was definitely a career highlight for me. I had this opportunity because I’ve been at the center for a long time, built good relationships with colleagues and developed my career as education in China has developed.

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Yes, I spent three years teaching in Nanjing, which was great, but eventually I got to the point where I thought I’d like to do something different rather than A-level economics. I was lucky enough to be able to transfer within the company and moved to teach International Baccalaureate in Changchun, where I’ve been for the last four years. I’ve been mainly teaching economics but with a little bit of business thrown in too.

Why has it been beneficial for you to gain experience of teaching different curricula within the same company?

It’s been nice to have that opportunity within Dipont because usually if you go onto a new job then you might be back to the bottom of the pay scale or lose any benefits you’ve built up. Obviously moving within the company allows you to keep these benefits. There’s few companies that are as big as Dipont – usually if you’re in an individual school that teaches a certain program or curriculum, it’s going to be very hard for you to gain experience in others without joining a brand-new school. The chance to teach different programs within Dipont centers is fairly unique and being able to show I have a wide range of experience is great for my CV, opening up more opportunities in the future.

Do you have any future career plans with Dipont?

I’m really happy where I am at the moment to be honest! Things in my role are always slightly different every year, we’re always trying to make things better or the syllabus changes slightly. My center in Changchun is very settled, with few teachers tending to leave, so everyone knows each other and it’s a very supportive environment in which to work. I love working with the students too, they’re good fun.

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I had been teaching international students in Australia, having made the shift from a media career, before coming to Shanghai to teach English as a second language, quite a different professional setting to Dipont’s international centers. At that point, I hadn’t really seen teaching as a long-term career option and actually struggled with my self-confidence. I wasn’t sure whether I was even good at what I was doing. But, over time, people began telling me that I was a great teacher and I started to believe a bit in myself as a teaching professional. I knew a few people from the Shanghai Dipont center and when the opportunity came up to interview for a job with Dipont at Hangzhou Foreign Languages School, they really encouraged me to go for it.

What about your experiences with Dipont has helped you gain more self-confidence?

Simply, Dipont has helped me become a much more confident teacher. I think in my initial interview John Birchill and Steve Woolbert (Director of Academic Programs) recognized a passion in me that I was then able to formalize through the training and professional development offered by Dipont. During my first year, I completed my PGCE and I worked closely with my center principal, who was my mentor at that time, and I realized that I already knew so much, I just hadn’t had it validated in such a professional setting before.

So your career has flourished in a way you couldn’t have imagined a few years ago?

Definitely! I was going to come to China for a year and then go back to my job in the media in Australia. But I decided to stay and now I can’t see myself moving back. I’ve realized an international teaching career could really work for me and I’m already considering what my career path with Dipont could be. The good thing about working at Dipont is that while you can see those career pathways for yourself, the people hiring and managing teachers see them for you too. They’re able to see what’s special in someone and they encourage you to keep developing and growing.

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