John Sexton,

Center Principal at Suzhou Experimental High School, AP center.

How many teachers or staff do you manage in your center?

That’s kind of an interesting question, just teachers, not including myself, we have six staff. These are teachers from different parts of the world, teaching science, math and humanities, and then we collaborate with several other Chinese staff that lead part of our program.

Can you describe your involvement with teaching and learning within the center?

Wow, that’s, that’s a question. I would say I spend a lot of my time helping teachers prepare students for the various things they need to do for college success. Whether that’s helping our English teacher get the students prepared for TOEFL or IELTS examinations or making sure our AP teachers are on track for their AP exams every May. That’s a large part of it. We conduct regular meetings on teaching and learning, in the past few years, online learning has been a focus. Fortunately for me, that was kind of my background, so I’ve helped teachers use technology and adapt to that. As we move back to the classrooms, it’s more of a focus on teaching and getting students ready for the exams and success.

What is the number of exams that a typical student is taking this year?

Well, there are no typical students, but in our grade 11 half the students are taking four AP exams, for example. Most plan to take economics, calculus, physics at AP this year. So about half of our students do that. And I would say about 75% of our students take at least one exam in grade 11. I think in grade 12, we have one student who did not take an AP exam, so most of our students are taking at least one. And that’s what we like to see. I think in the future, it’ll be everybody because they’re launching AP precalculus.

Which universities do your students tend to go?

This year has been another shift for our students back toward American placements, besides a few that have gone to Australia. Students in China like to cluster around the East and West coast of the US, though we’ve got a little progress inland as far as Ohio. Most of our students are in the Northeast or the Northwest this year, so Washington, New Jersey and those kind of areas.

Can you describe the management structure that a CP operates within?

Yeah, I think this will be a question that’s maybe different in different contexts. We’re a small school, so at my school, the administration, me, the CLO, the CD, work quite closely together. And we’re kind of all-hands-on deck on many things. But I think in a larger school, it would have a different shape. We get lots of support from Dipont, I deal directly with Leo McArdle, the Deputy Director of Education, he’s really helpful. We get lots of practical support from the head office, especially now that the pandemic is over.

If you were to summarize your key objectives and the roll into a few points, what would they be?

I think there’s really two things I want to do. I want to ensure that our students get the best possible education and university offers. I’m really concerned with whether they are making progress through the year at our center. I want them to develop their English ability, study skills and I want them to grow as people. I want to see them all making great strides every year. So that’s really my focus.

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On the 24th and 25th of August, the Intercontinental Hotel in Wuxi welcomed the Dipont Annual Conference. The conference brought together a dynamic community of Chinese and expat teachers and managers from Dipont’s International High School Programmes.

The theme for this year is “Seizing the Opportunity, The Future Starts Today”, a reference to the turmoil we have all had to face since our last conference in 2019. So, the challenge we all face now is how to move forward post-COVID and how to prepare for a future that is yet unknown, given the pace of change in the world.

CEO Mr. Benson Zhang welcomed nearly 400 teachers from home and abroad at the outset of the conference and extended his sincere gratitude to the academic management team.

He mentioned that as a pioneer in the development of international education in China, Dipont needs to explore fresh models and directions of development in this new era. This is essential to improve Dipont’s core competitiveness, offer quality education programmes and facilitate the innovation of China’s K-12 education.

Mr. Stephen Fulton, Director of High School Programmes (HSP), introduced the new Dashboard Centre Support System. This system will reflect the new paradigm shift in management from “judgmental to supportive”, moving the whole process towards developing staff through coaching and mentorship.

Over the course of the two-day conference, both newly-inducted and returning teachers participated in over 50 workshops that covered a broad range of themes and subjects across A-Level, IB, and AP programmes. Engaging in passionate discussion, the teachers explored various topics such as classroom pedagogies, the different ways of thinking, activity-based teaching and learning, encouraging creativity, the use of technology in education, and academic quality assessment amongst many others.

We are always proud of the fact that all of the presentations and workshops at the conference are presented by Dipont staff. This is a testimony to the trust that Dipont has always given to its staff and our outstanding educators’ passion and dedication to education.

Dipont Education not only offers teachers opportunities to “share and care”, but also drives them to become leaders themselves through self-development and service. The Dipont family would not be the success it is without all members pulling together towards a common cause. Striving together for new solutions and pathways means every student placed in our care receives the best possible chance to fulfil their potential.

The Dipont Annual Conference is aimed at offering teachers of International High School Programmes exclusive opportunities to engage in continuous professional development. It is also a chance to catch up with old friends, forge new relationships, learn from and teach others.

This conference is one of the largest international teacher’s conferences in Asia. We hope that our staff can be the best teachers they can possibly be, equipped with useful takeaways from the conference when they return to their Centres. We are always mindful that our students are the future of both their country and the world.

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Here Jon talks about the lifestyle benefits of Beijing, the work-life balance he enjoys at RDFZ, and the ways that the school respects and cares for its teachers.

1.How long have you been working in China for?

The first time I came to China was right out of business school, so that would be 2002. There has been quite a bit of change. There were no blue skies in Beijing at that time. Now Beijing is absolutely beautiful. There are blue skies almost every single day.

Beijing has abundant green spaces where you can slow down and detox from the pace of city life.

China does a really good job, at least in the bigger cities, of creating these big central parks that allow you to navigate back into nature and detox from city life. I enjoy that.

2.What makes RDFZ stand out from other schools that you’ve worked at?

A big reason why I like working here is the work life balance. Here you are primarily a teacher. Of course, there is some administration work, but you are not doing extra things like homeroom teaching. This can occupy a lot of a teacher’s time in other schools.

The Forbidden City is just a subway ride from the RDFZ main campus. Photo by Wong Zihoo on Unsplash.

I love being in the city, and the campus is close to downtown Beijing, not far from my home. The Summer Palace is a ten-minute taxi ride away. The Forbidden City and the Hutongs are also nearby. Sanlitun, which is a nightlife and shopping hotspot, is about 45 minutes away. The location is amazing.

Chinese and expat teachers in the ICC school at the RDFZ main campus perform Auld Lang Syne during a New Year’s Eve gala performance.

My colleagues are great. RDFZ is one of the top high schools in China, so the students are of the highest caliber, as you would expect.

3.What is it like to teach students who are among the best in China?

I’ve sometimes felt that, in other schools that I’ve worked at in China, I really needed to teach students the fundamentals of English communication, especially writing skills, in addition to the subject I’m teaching.

Students display a presentation on ‘Metacognition” as a capstone to an elective course which Jon facilitated.

At RDFZ I feel like I’m a full-time humanities teacher. I do have to teach them some basic writing skills, but nowhere near where I had to at previous schools. Being able to focus on your subject, rather than needing to also teach English in your lessons, is something that I’ve really enjoyed about this school.

For IB, and for A-levels, there’s a lot of writing and reading involved. Teaching this curriculum can be very challenging if the students don’t have the required English proficiency.

4. What subjects are you teaching? 

I teach Economics and AP Seminar. I am also the AP Coordinator.

Another thing that I really enjoy about the school is that they allow you to do an elective course. You are given time during your schedule where you can just teach whatever you’re super interested in. For example, this year I’m helping out with an ultimate Frisbee club. It’s a great way for teachers to share what they are passionate about, as well as adding diversity to the curriculum.

Jon was able to share one of his interests with his students by helping out with the school’s Ultimate Frisbee club. Photo by Patrick Reynolds on Unsplash.

5. What would you say to someone to encourage them to join the team at RDFZ?

For me, the biggest selling point is that the school really cares about us as individuals. The school understands things like work-life balance, because they want you to be at your best. The school wants to give you some creative freedom, because they appreciate what we have to offer as teachers.

Because entry to the school is highly competitive, the students are exceptional in ability and commitment to learning.

I’m Korean American, and I’m the AP coordinator. To me, that says a lot about the culture of RDFZ. This is a school that respects and cares for its teachers. If you are willing to put in the work, they are willing to invest in you. Working at RDFZ has been great for my career, and my life.

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Faye receives the award for Most Outstanding Panel Member, 2022, from Tanya Jordaan, Center Principal at Zhenhai High School, and Stephen Fulton, Director of Education for Dipont High School Programmes.

Here she talks about how she got involved with the Science Subject Panel, and why it is a great way for Dipont teachers to grow their knowledge base and expand their career horizons.

1. Can you tell me a bit about your background? Where are you from? What brought you to China?

I’m originally from South Africa. I grew up and went to school there, including completing my undergraduate degree at a local university. After graduating, I went to the US for eight years. I did my PhD there, and then taught at a college in Oregon for a couple of years. After that I returned to South Africa for a year.

The Zhenhai High School campus is renowned for its lavish gardens and ambient surrounds.

An opportunity came up for me to go to China, working with Dipont. I was in Chengdu for three lovely years, teaching AP physics with a great group of colleagues. After that I moved to Zhenhai, Ningbo. Since then I have made new friends, broadened my horizons, taught new curriculum, and thoroughly enjoyed living in another beautiful part of China.

2. What is the Science Subject Panel?

It is a selection of teachers from all the different science subjects and different curriculums. The primary function is to serve as a resource, providing materials for teachers as needed. It also works to establish Dipont-wide science initiatives, such as Science competitions, and gives advice to the wide community of science teachers in Dipont.

Science students in the Dipont High School Programme at Zhenhai High School are engaged, hard-working, and deeply inquisitive.

If teachers have any questions about equipment or curriculum, or even how to do labs, we are there to help. Every year the panel members are involved in presenting a live demonstration of subject labs and demos. You could say the main role of the science subject panel is to encourage and inspire.

3. How has the Science Subject Panel changed for you over the years?

The first year I was on the panel we all met in person in Shanghai. When we judged the posters, we had the finalists’ posters all spread out on a table for us to discuss and grade together. Due to the impact of COVID, we have had to meet virtually instead. We have had to perform tasks like judging poster competitions online.

An example of an entry in the Subject Science Panel Logo competition for 2022. Works are evaluated on the basis of creative merit as well as the reasoning behind their depiction of science related global concerns.

The members on the panel have also changed. It has been lovely to meet different people as time goes by. It is inspiring to be in a room of experienced science teachers and be able to bounce ideas off each other.

Students at Zhenhai High School proudly display the fruits of their intellectual and creative labours.

In terms of the competitions, the categories have been continuously evolving. For example, we added an artistic category to encourage the more “arty” students to get more involved with science.

We will also be doing a chemistry detective competition for the first time this year. In this event, students are given clues, and they have to use their scientific reasoning, especially their chemistry reasoning, to come up with answers to solve a crime.

4. What are the unique challenges of teaching science classes online?

The biggest challenge is making sure the students are engaged. As a teacher you need to utilize and adapt the technology to make the transition from face-to-face to online as seamless as possible.

For example, I like to use Plicker cards in my classroom. Every student has to choose an answer from a multiple-choice question. As an online equivalent, there’s usually some sort of voting option or comment section that students can use to do the same thing. We know what works in the classroom. The challenge is how to carry what works into an online environment.

Screenshot of PhET, a virtual simulation website developed by the University of Colorado, in action.

Running labs online is an added layer of challenge. A good option is to use virtual simulations. PhET, a great website developed by the University of Colorado, has many interactive simulations of science topics. You can select a particular simulation from this website, design a lab or investigation objective on it, and then ask students to follow the investigation process and write a lab report just as if they were in a physics lab.

Of course, the challenges of experimental error are minimized due to the simulation design, but students still get to work through the lab process, albeit remotely.

5. What have you gained personally out of being on the science subject panel?

From the competition side, it has given me a lot of insight into the work that goes into creating a rubric for assessing the submissions, and the issues that can arise from certain wording. Having been a competition advisor before, I’ve experienced the challenges of interpreting the requirements and rubric firsthand.

While travel restrictions have limited the opportunities for the Science Subject Panel to meet face to face, they are still able to enjoy regular ZOOM catch ups.

Now, seeing it from a planning and coordination perspective, I can experience different challenges. For example, the need to accommodate different school calendars. You could say I am getting more experience with project management, and problem solving.

6. What would you say to someone to encourage them to join the science subject panel?

One great thing about being on the science panel is you are more up to date on current events. It helps you to get to know other experienced teachers that you otherwise might not have had the opportunity to speak with.

If you are in a room with four physics teachers and two chemistry teachers, and your time is limited, it is likely that teachers will gravitate to and talk with the other teachers of the same subject. The Science Subject Panel creates the opportunity to have conversations across disciplines, working together towards a common goal.

Faye has experienced the full gamut of opportunities provided by her involvement with the Science Subject Panel, from helping students as an advisor to directly contributing to the planning and implementation of Dipont-wide initiatives.

Sharing ideas helps you keep up to date in the  techniques involved in the teaching of different science disciplines. This in turn inspires you to be more knowledgeable in your own discipline, which makes you a better teacher.

The post Faye Wins Science Subject Panel Award appeared first on Dipont Education.

Here David describes his journey to RDFZ, and what it’s like to teach some of the best and brightest students in China.

1.What was your journey to RDFZ?

In 2009, I completed my MBA in the UK. I wasn’t teaching at the time, but that was in the midst of the financial crisis. A lot of places in the UK had a hiring freeze, particularly for recently graduated MBAs. Nobody was hiring, basically.

I had been to Shanghai a couple of times on business, and I had thought that China seemed like an exciting place. I intended to teach economics for a couple of years, learn Chinese, and just enjoy the opportunity of living in a completely different culture.

Since then I have added a PGCE to my resume, as well as a master’s degree, and I’ve made education my career. RDFZ has really been instrumental in all this. They gave me the opportunity to be Head of Department, and now A -level Coordinator. It’s good to work in a place that has such belief in the people that work for them.

2.When did you first come to China, and how has it changed over the years for you?

I first came to Shanghai in 2007. There was great deal of excitement about the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The whole country seemed to be gearing up for that.

It really felt like China had arrived on the world stage but, at the same time, it was still a noticeably developing country. I think Shanghai and Beijing have become a lot more mature places since then.

3.How does RDFZ stand out from other schools you’ve worked at?

One big difference is that we offer A-level, AP and IB, the three major programs. This provides a variety of offerings for students, but it also gives teachers the chance to broaden their curriculum experience. I’ve had the opportunity to enrich my resume in a way that I may not really have done if I had just joined an A-level or IB center.

Another big difference is that, more than anywhere else I have worked, there is a really high expectation every day from the students and the parents. I enjoy that, because it pushes me to be a better teacher. Working with students of this caliber will make you a better teacher.

Some schools might say, well, it would be nice to get somebody into Oxford or Cambridge this year. AT RDFZ the students aim to get into the world’s best universities, and many of them get there. Last year, we had five into Oxford, three into Cambridge, and 26 into Imperial College. Those were just our UK applications. That’s not even discussing the US.

Picture of Cambridge University by Julius Dūdėnason on Unsplash。

Our students expect to get into those universities, and they deserve to. Every day you feel you need to rise to that challenge. These are some of the brightest students that you could ever work with.

4.How does it feel when you learn that one of your students has gotten into a top university?

There is an immense amount of satisfaction, while there is also an awareness that they have done a lot of it themselves. We are here to guide and support their ambitions. So I don’t take a huge amount of personal credit for their achievements.

When you spend so much time with your students, you can’t help but feel an immense amount of satisfaction when they are admitted to these top institutions.

5. What would you say to someone to encourage them to join the team at RDFZ?

RDFZ students not only want to master the syllabus for any subject, they want to go beyond it. As teachers, we help them to explore their areas of interest through things like the Cambridge International Project Qualification (IPQ). This is a standalone research project where students are appointed a teacher as supervisor.

This means, as a teacher, you have opportunity to work on really interesting pieces of research beyond the scope of the syllabus, with the students. Over 50% of our students get an A* or an A in the IPQ. That’s a testament to the student’s engagement, but also to the highly qualified staff, many of whom have postgraduate qualifications.

In some ways, the atmosphere is almost a bit more like an undergraduate program, because students pursue these research interests. If you are the kind of teacher who has an interest beyond just teaching the standard curriculum, then RDFZ would be a great place to come and work.

The post “Students of this caliber will make you a better teacher” appeared first on Dipont Education.

In this interview, Harry talks about teacher training, the induction process, and what makes Hangzhou DSAS a great place to develop and grow your education career.

1. What are some features of the school that make it unique?

The International School is easily one of the warmest environments I’ve worked in. Our staff have plenty of time to plan and deliver their lessons, which means we have high quality learning happening right across the school.

We’ve got very small class sizes with, on average, about 10 students per class. As a result of this smaller community, we have a very close relationship with our parents. Teachers know them by name and communicate with them on a regular basis.

This intimacy, warmth and congeniality is a palpable feeling that you can feel in your interactions with people.

This is also reflected in the student work that is displayed on walls in staff offices, classrooms, and corridors. We have a genuinely pleasant environment in which to work here.

2. In terms of teacher training, what are some areas that you find teachers need the most help with?

An area that keeps coming up is EAL provision. As we are a bilingual school, the level of English is quite diverse. While we have a big chunk of native level speakers, we also have students whose English is less advanced.

A big part of the professional life of our teachers is getting better at helping those students with the language support they need. This is an area that we continue to place time and attention on.

Finally, we have a twilight session program. During the first couple of weeks, when you are hearing about systems and policies, it can be quite overwhelming. For this reason, we have optional sessions that new teachers can attend in the latter two thirds of the first semester.

Staff can come and sit in on a very informal 45-minute presentation about the systems and operations that we have in the school. This is designed to consolidate any new information or instructions that new teachers may have missed out on in those opening couple of weeks.

4. How do you transition from induction to professional development? 

During the first half of semester, the focus for new staff, from their leadership, should be to not burden them with too much scrutiny or punitive monitoring.

Of course, if there is a major red flag, you can’t just sweep it under the table. But our teaching cohort is very solid this year – we are lucky to have some superb teachers here both in the International section and also in the school as a whole.

The approach that I advocate is to give new teachers every opportunity to get their feet under the table, to feel comfortable and at home. More often than not, that will be the biggest conduit to helping them do well in the classroom.

It is not always easy to transition into a new position in a school. Parents often compare the incoming teacher to the previous teacher, and sometimes that can create unreasonable expectations.

We want new teachers to feel supported by their managers through challenges like this. That can be a powerful message for the rest of the staff, and really permeate the culture of the school.

Feeling trusted and supported can really help teachers to adapt to their new work environment in the best possible way.

5. Why should a teacher in China choose to move to Hangzhou to work at Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science?

Hangzhou itself is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in China. In addition to this, our campus is young enough to still feel state of the art.

Another advantage is our relative maturity. As we enter our fifth year, we’ve gone through those teething problems that a lot of the new startup schools often have. We have gotten to the stage where we have established practices, and established routines.

Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash

The staff and school community here is very warm and congenial. Many of our expat staff have not been home for the best part of three years. As a leadership team, and as a school, to try to fill that void a little bit.

Hangzhou Dipont School of Arts and Science has a comprehensive welfare program. This includes flexible half days a couple of times a semester. We also have a social calendar that has two social functions for the whole staff to attend every month.

We are always trying to create the feeling of “a home away from home” as best we can.

Finally, continuing education is an important part of the school’s culture. I’m just about to finish an NPQH, which the school have supported me in. Other people in the school are doing Masters or PGCEs. In many cases that have been assisted financially in completing these courses.

We invite great teachers to join us, and we want them to grow with us. We want them to enjoy working at this wonderful school, and become the best they can be with us.

The post Professional Life at Kings appeared first on Dipont Education.

Here, Yin and Sophia share how they first became interested in this field, and how they see this important movement in education growing and evolving in China.

1. What was your inspiration for first getting involved in the field of pastoral care?

Yin: Before DSAS, I worked at St. Pauls School, a high school in the US, for about ten years.  St. Paul’s is one of the top private boarding schools in the US. Everyone there is involved in pastoral care, so you are not only a teacher, but also an advisor and a coach. From that experience I learnt how important pastoral care is. The academic development of students is only a small part. Pastoral care relates to their overall development.

Pastoral Care initiatives are designed to engage students across all grade levels in the school.

Sophia: I grew up in a very holistic environment. My mother was a head teacher. She was one of those heads in the UK during the 90’s tasked with raising the academic attainment and achievement of at risk schools in North and South London. Both of my parents were very much into the arts. They encouraged my brother and I to try out lots of different hobbies and pursue music. I grew up in a very positive environment.

Primary student council supporting Earth Day preparations.

Sophia: I believe that children should be encouraged and have opportunities to do exciting things in order to develop their character. I was really encouraged by my own primary school music teacher, who was an opera singer. She motivated and nurtured both my brother and myself through developing a love of music.

Launched in 2021, Primary’s Got Talent gives students the opportunity to perform in front of their peers and DSAS judges.

Sophia: Having experienced a professional music career, as well as becoming a mother, drove me to want to work with children to help develop their confidence, self-esteem, values and character. This, to me, is the essence of pastoral care.

2. How has pastoral care evolved since you were a middle school student yourself?

Yin: When I was in middle school, if you talked about pastoral care, it was more about discipline. If you did something wrong, they punished you, and that was pastoral care. Now we can say discipline is still part of the system, but it’s only a small part.

Head of the Community Service Department of the Lower Secondary Student Council making a presentation at the school assembly.

Yin: Here at DSAS, we realize that students are multi-talented, and there are many types of intelligence. As teachers and educators we see and understand students as individuals. We need to try our best to support and help them to develop, and to help every child to be the best that they can be.

Sophia: I had a really good primary school experience. I think both my schools were quite good at pastoral care. I learned values such as empathy, compassion, and kindness through the religious aspect of the school curriculum.

Mental Health Week included lessons on how to recognize and deal with stress.

Sophia: However, I don’t think we ever discussed topics such as mental health, as it has been quite ‘taboo’ until recent times. At school we didn’t specifically learn about how to deal with stress, or methods of personal responsibility, or even time management. I think a lot of that teaching came from home.

3. What are some specific pastoral care initiatives that you’ve been a part of at DSAS?

Yin: The Student Council at DSAS Lower Secondary School is a very active student organization that promotes student service, self-management, and independent learning. It consists of the Head Boy, the Head Girl and six departments. The Student Council provides a forum for students to express themselves and serves as a bridge between the school and students to facilitate effective communication.

Students take a lead in school events such as the weekly flag raising ceremony.

Yin: By joining the Student Council, students develop their leadership and organizational skills and gain recognition from their peers, teachers, and the school. These play a very important role in the overall development of students. In collaboration with colleagues across several departments, we created locations on the campus grounds called “compassion corners”. The leader of this program is Amy Loveday Hu, our Head of Kindergarten.

The ‘compassion corners’ are represented by flags around the campus. If you feel lonely, or if you need someone to talk to, you can stand under the flag, and a volunteer or a faculty teacher will come and help you with what you need.

During Mental Health Week students were invited to share their ideas about caring for themselves and others in an effort to define 2000 Acts of Kindness.

Yin: Recently DSAS organized a series of activities for Mental Health Week. One activity was the Tree of Kindness. Students were invited to write ways that they thought kindness could be put into action, and attach these ideas as notes to the tree. This is another example of how our school tries to get our students thinking about and sharing ways to take care of themselves and take care of others.

Sophia: We have our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, Economic) curriculum that is delivered during our homeroom morning period. The curriculum covers topics such as relationship education, mental health, growing and changing, anti-bullying, kindness, personal safety and responsibility. Children have the opportunity to discuss these topics in a supportive environment with their homeroom teachers and peers. A recent focus has been on teamwork. Within this topic, students learn how to be active listeners, and how to collaborate more effectively.

Reflecting on school culture, such as the importance of school uniform, gives students a deeper understanding of how they can positively influence their environment.

Sophia: This year we have also developed our flag raising ceremonies. Rather than just having school leaders make speeches, we have student ambassadors lead reflections on topics we have focused on during the semester. We also help to build self-esteem and promote leadership with our weekly ‘Star of the Week’ award. To do this, we nominated students within each grade based on demonstrating school values, leadership, positive behaviour and academics. We have also put a stronger focus on the importance of school uniform this semester. Students now understand how it supports being a team and creates a proud school culture.

4. Are there any cultural differences related to pastoral care when comparing China to other countries?

Yin: St. Paul’s School was a high school, so parents were very hands off. The consensus was “no news is good news”. Here at Lower Secondary of DSAS, parents expect a lot more information about how their kids are doing. A lot more communication happens between the school and the parents.

Coco Fan, Primary School Principal and Director of Teaching and Learning (Grade 1-9), presents a star of the week award, celebrating students who best exemplify the schools culture and ideals.

Sophia: When I first came to China, I had the perception that academics was the sole focus. I have been pleasantly surprised that, in our school, more and more parents are becoming engaged and invested in what we provide for their children. They want their kids to be happy. They also have high expectations about behavior, which goes beyond purely academic performance.

Sophia believes that, through the support of a positive holistic learning environment, students can truly thrive in their studies.

Sophia: I am thrilled that there is a greater focus on well-being and learning in a positive environment with smaller class sizes such as at Wuxi DSAS. Students thrive if they have a positive mindset and continue to receive excellent pastoral care throughout their childhood. Through a positive holistic learning environment, they can become the best that they can be.

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Ahead of presenting at the Wuxi Dipont School of Arts and Science Online Recruitment Open Day on Saturday, November 5 , we spoke with Amy about how early years education can change the world for the better.

1. What first attracted you to the field of early years education?

I studied to be a music teacher and, during my studies, I had an experience that really shaped my future direction.

I had a placement in an outreach program for young offenders. That was challenging, inspiring, and also a little confronting.

It was inspiring because there was just so much talent and energy in the room. But it was also confronting to be working with these young lads, 18-21 year olds, and realizing that my music class really wasn’t going to make a big difference to them, to their lives, and to the world.

They enjoyed the class, but there was little chance that it was going to make a real difference to the cycle of reoffending and bad choices that had put these unfortunate guys in this position.

That is really what turned me on to early year’s education. I did some research and realized that it’s in the early years that important skills like self-regulation really develop.

If you can help children to understand who they are and what their strengths are, and how they can understand themselves and others better, then you can really make a huge difference to their lives and improve their chances of success in adulthood.

2. Is self-regulation just about stopping yourself from doing bad things, or is there more to it than that?

It is a lot more than that. It includes how you think about yourself, how you manage yourself, and how you control yourself.

You might have to perform a task that you don’t like. How do you apply yourself to tasks like that? Can you say to yourself, “Come on, let’s just do this, it needs to be done”? Sometimes you’ve got choices, and sometimes you haven’t got choices.

Another example is when you are placed in situations that you don’t like. Are you able to get yourself out of it? Do you throw a tantrum, or are you able to control your response?

Self-regulation means something different in every space, and in every different age phase.

A lot of our high school students are good examples of what happens when good habits of self-regulation have been instilled at a young age.

Often if they do well on exams, it’s not just because they’re naturally wildly gifted. It’s because they work hard and manage how much time they spend on their study.

Self-regulation just trickles up into so many things.

In every six months of your life, it will be relevant in a very different way. You develop the foundation for this in your early years.

3. How does working in early years here compare to working in early years in the UK?

I think early years programs here are often a lot bigger, particularly if you’re in a local environment. Our early years department here has 300 students, which is way more than you would expect to find in the UK.

The best part about that is that our building is so beautifully designed that you almost don’t notice that there are so many kids in it.

There are also about 50% of parents who are really fixated on the academic assessment of their children, and then you’ve got the parents who are just like, well, it’s just playing, and it really doesn’t matter.

I think that’s more common in parents in the UK. They tend to be more relaxed about it. The ideal is somewhere in between, with parents realizing the importance of early year’s education while at the same time not being so over-zealous about strictly academic results.

Looking ahead, China is working hard to incorporate more experiential learning and active learning in schools, which is great.

It’s about students from a young age learning about working together and controlling their own destiny. These are exciting times to be working in early year’s education in China.

4. What are the characteristics you need to be a successful early years teacher at Wuxi Dipont School of Arts and Science? 

I think you need to have a fairly open mind. I don’t think there’s anybody in our school who is doing everything the way that they would have done it in a previous environment.

We are not here to colonize as international teachers. Neither are we here to do things exactly the same way that a large majority of local kindergartens would do it.

What we do as a department is find the approach that we think is developmentally appropriate for our students. That takes a lot of conversation.

People don’t always agree with each other, but it’s really interesting to watch people have these conversations, then step away from them, and then go back to them with a totally different mindset about the issue.

5. What do you find most satisfying about your work?

I think hearing that kids you taught before are going well. It’s great to see that what you are doing is making a difference.

I recently had a grandmother of one of my former students call me to say that her granddaughter got Star of the Week. She was really excited about that. It was just so nice that she thought to share her excitement with me.

I’ve also been contacted with news that a former student had been successful at a high school fencing tournament, or big life events like the first day of university. When parents share these important moments with you, you realise how much your work is valued by them. More than that, though, you realise the difference your efforts have made to improving your student’s lives.

As an early year’s teacher, it’s important to try and find meaningful ways to connect with the whole school. We do what we do so that everything that comes later is easier for these children.  I think that’s just really fulfilling.

You see our students having a great time. You see their parents feeling comfortable and safe. And then you watch them go on in their studies and continue to have a great time. That’s all you need, isn’t it?

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Presented by Brendan Law, Executive Principal, this will be a great chance for you to learn about their approach to teaching and learning, while also having the chance to speak directly with key representatives from the school.

Speakers at the event include the following:

Stefan Sjodin,  Head of Secondary School

Stefan is a career educator with a wealth of experience in education leadership. In his presentation Stefan will introduce the many Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for teachers there are at DSAS/KCIS.

CPD is a vital component of any school. These initiatives at DSAS are designed according to teacher preferences and needs with the goal of realizing their mission: to be a learning community aspiring to excellence.

Amy Loveday-Hu, Head of Kindergarten

Amy will share her wealth of knowledge in early years when talking about laying solid foundations for lifelong learning.  She strongly believes that initial school experiences are a particularly sensitive and important period for every child. In this must-see presentation

Amy will share her ideas on how key social and emotional skills are developed during these vital years. As she says, “Our goal of ‘fostering confident young learners’ takes us on exciting collaborative journeys every day.  What we do makes a difference, throughout children’s school careers.”

Yin Xie, Pastoral Assistant Head for the Lower Secondary School & Sophia Morling, Pastoral Assistant Head for the Primary School

Sophia and Yin share a deep dedication to student well-being, and will co-host a presentation on Pastoral Care at DSAS/KCIS. As Sophia says, “As educators, it is our duty to ensure the physical, social and emotional welfare of our pupils”.

The ideal of a fair, kind and responsible community lies at heart of the DSAS culture. Sophia and Yin look forward to talking about the school’s innovative and responsive pastoral care initiatives.

Magdi Elsayad, Head of ICT, Director of Co-Curricular Activities

Magdi has combined his passion for technology with his role as Director of co-curricular activities by introducing tech-related programs such as 3D printing to an already abundant and diverse roster.

He looks forward to sharing his ideas on the value of co-curricular activities, including how the fields of student interest are developing as technology becomes ever-more embedded in our lives.

Coco Fan, Director of Teaching and Learning (G1 – 9)

Coco has taught a broad range of grades and ages in her over twenty years’ experience in education. She will share her thoughts on the current state of education development in China.

Her presentation will be about blending Chinese Bilingual Curriculum with best international pedagogical practices, a stimulating and timely topic in tune with the evolving teaching and learning landscape in China.

Mike Hindle, Head of King’s College International School

Mike is a vastly experienced educational leader. He firmly believes that learning should be engaging, challenging and rewarding, and that every student has the capacity to excel. Mike  will draw from his broad experience to talk about overcoming cultural and language boundaries in a happy international community.

As Mike says, “Happy children learn better, whatever their cultural heritage and background. By celebrating the diversity of our school community we can joyfully prepare all our students for their future lives.”

Wuxi Dipont School of Arts and Science educates students to be well-rounded, innovative and collaborative individuals. It’s goal is to help students to appreciate their own, and others, cultures and traditions.

The school was founded with the strong support of the Wuxi local government, and through a partnership between two world-leading schools – Nanjing Foreign Language School, China and King’s College School, Wimbledon, UK.

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