NEWS & MEDIA

By Nick Yates, ISB Communications

The International School of Beijing (ISB) has welcomed its biggest ever influx of new teachers this year, with 55 members of staff bringing a wealth of experience and fresh ideas to the school. Their nationalities include American, Canadian, Australian, Chinese, British, French, German, and Singaporean, and they have all undergone a comprehensive orientation process readying them for their roles at ISB.

Human Resources Director Mimi Lee explained that this year's recruitment was mainly to accommodate growth in the Elementary School, and said "there is gratitude all around for the warm welcome and thorough orientation that the Class of 2018 have experienced. I think the new hires recognize straight away that we're a school that focuses on people and relationships, that we take great care to set them up for success. That first positive impression is really important and I dare say we got it right."

We spoke to three of ISB's new teachers to find out how they have settled in.

Lloyd Handy, Middle School English as an Additional Language (EAL) Teacher

After three years in Beijing at other schools, Lloyd Handy has followed his wife into teaching at ISB. The American said he was attracted to join after seeing her positive experiences and by the school's reputation as competitive and progressive – "all the things that make international education as compelling as it is."

The orientation process reinforced Lloyd's belief that ISB's resources and commitment to its principles will allow him to be the best educator he can be for his students. He said, "The thing that stood out for me was the philosophic aspect of the school. ISB is a place that practices what it preaches. Many schools have ideals that are sensible, or lofty and progressive, but often these things fall by the wayside as we as teachers just get busy. Here, there is a structure to support things like innovation, meaningful tech integration, and quality standards-based grading."

In particular, with ISB's high ratio of 8.5 members of faculty per student, Lloyd will be working with fewer learners than in his previous jobs and able to focus more intensively on benefiting them. "I want to really button down on my ability to see growth in all my students over time. This is why I took this job," he said.

With a background in DJing, Lloyd will also be heading up ISB student radio station FPR. He will be one of many ISB staff using their additional talents to inspire students outside of the classroom.

"To have the skills that I have actually looked at as an opportunity to enrich co-curricular activities is really awesome," he said. "The whole thing is a great example of the possibilities at ISB, where there are resources and people who want to help make things happen. There are some big ideas that I want to bring into the club as the new coordinator. Having the door to FPR opened was a really motivating opportunity to make a difference in progressive education."

Preben Gietz, Assistant Director of Student Activities

Preben Gietz has a truly international background, having been born in Germany before growing up in Belgium, studying in the US, and teaching in Thailand. He arrived in Beijing with his wife, Emily, also a teacher at ISB.

Preben's role will see him taking the lead on the Middle School sports program and ISB's extensive range of after-school activities (ASAs). "It's a big program with lots of things to get familiar with and learn about, but it's been a good start," he said.

The school's efficient orientation process has been instrumental in that good start. "All the important things were covered, and it was definitely a smooth transition to the school," Preben said. "Everything presented to us was relevant. I've sat though orientations where there was lots of information but not all so targeted. When we split up into divisions, I was really able to get familiar with the office and figure out the job."

A keen sportsman, Preben is also a natural organizer, ready to get to grips with the administrative feat that is running ISB's co-curricular offerings. "I'll be taking a look at the entire ASA program, to analyze what's on offer right now and see if there's an area where we need more activities," he explained. "Is the weekly schedule balanced so that if a student wants to do different types of activities, they are able to do that, or are all creative activities on a Tuesday, for example? I'll be taking a big-picture look at the offerings and the schedule, the registration process, trying to see if there's anything that can be improved for the students, the parents, and the instructors."

Victoria Zhang, Elementary School Dual Language Classroom Teacher

Like many of her students, Victoria Zhang describes herself a third culture kid. She was born in Qingdao, China and migrated to the multicultural, multilingual country of Singapore with her family when she was 10. After working at an international school in Singapore, Victoria is excited for her first teaching experience away from home at ISB.

She said she loves the rich culture and history of Beijing, and felt very comfortable joining ISB after the friendly reception she got from the school's leaders during the interview process. She was also wowed by the facilities and resources on offer to her on the campus.

This continued upon arrival in her new residence, where she found a welcome pack and the fridge already stocked for her after a long flight. "As this is my first time teaching abroad, I was not sure what to prepare or expect. The school had thought of everything," she said.

Victoria said she wants to attend lots of personal development courses during her time at ISB and collaborate well with her colleagues.