Rosalina Menton has taught English language and literature in our international center at Hangzhou Foreign Language School since 2016.
In 2017, she won the Dipont Education ‘teacher of the year award’, an annual award. Here she writes about her experiences of teaching in China.
“Having come from a successful media career in Australia, and making the switch to international education, I taught in a variety of school environments before being employed at Hangzhou Foreign Languages School. The school’s reputation is formidable in China and when I mention to people that I work here “wow!” is often the response received.
“The students are passionate, committed to their academic goals and willing to rise to the challenge of all their subjects in IGCSE and Cambridge A-levels. Daily they present questions in my subject area that are insightful and thought-provoking. This is quite amazing considering they first study literature in Year 10 (14-15 years old) – much later than students in the west. Regardless of how late they begin, we always achieve outstanding results in the examinations. The results are a reflection on just how motivated our students are to succeed.
“In terms of extracurricular projects, we are committed to providing a wide variety of optional projects for our students to participate in and we are also very proud to support our students’ desires to compete in national and international competitions. I can assure you that you will never be bored being a teacher at Hangzhou Foreign Languages School!
Professional growth and support
“Professionally, the school has offered me the perfect environment to grow as an educator, experiment with pedagogy and to excel. I was awarded the ‘teacher of the year’ award in my first year, which was an honor and a surprise.
“By leaning into the expertise of senior managers and teachers at my school, I was able to complete my Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). During this, I received an overwhelming amount of support from the school community. I am also a member of the English subject panel. This sees me developing materials and strategies for how Dipont Education can drive English language attainment at schools within the wider group.
“Since I started at the school, my confidence in the classroom has skyrocketed. My passion for creating my own authentic learning materials has solidified. In addition, I’m finding even more ways to bring literature to life and have fun while doing it. At the center are talented students, colleagues whose passion for quality teaching is contagious, and an excellent school environment. As a relatively young teacher, it is more than I could have hoped for.
“If you are looking for a company and a school that will support your career, for students that are a dream to work with, in classrooms that come with the latest technology as standard, with co-teachers who are committed to their professions, then look no further, we have it all.”
