Ian, you have been in China for 5 years, what have you been up to?
For the past 5 years I have served as a Secondary Humanities teacher at Yew Chung International School here in Beijing. At YCIS I taught a number of different subjects, including Global Politics, History, Geography, and Global Perspectives. I also served as one of the school’s Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) coordinators. Besides working at YCIS, I have enjoyed traveling around China, investigating Beijing’s many wonders on bike, and catching the occasional Beijing Barbarians game on the weekends.
What brought you to The Hutong?
Great Question! What brought me to The Hutong was a passion for experiential and service learning. I have learned over the years that a teacher doesn’t always have to be the “sage on the stage,” nor does a classroom always have to be inside of school. I am a firm believer in the value of getting students outside of the classroom and experiencing the world around them. This is especially true for international students here in China, where students must be allowed to go out and engage with China’s rich culture and history. Moreover, The Hutong’s core values are very much in line with my own educational philosophy. I love how the Hutong challenges students to push their boundaries and explore their surrounding culture as well as take responsibility for their actions through embracing sustainable travel, making good decisions and supporting their classmates. Overall, what brought me to The Hutong was the opportunity to engage on a daily basis with the type of education I am passionate about.
What are you most excited about this year?
What I am most excited about is getting the opportunity to work with such a diverse and talented team. The majority of my professional life has been spent working as teacher with teachers. However, here at The Hutong our team is made up of a range of different professionals from a variety of fields and each brings something unique to table. Moreover, in addition to working on the education team, I am very much looking forward to getting the opportunity to help out with all that The Hutong has to offer!
