I moved to China in July 2019 as a Grade 3 Math and Science teacher at BASIS International School Shenzhen. It was my first teaching position overseas, and from Day 1, I experienced tremendous support and teamwork! I loved working with a strong team, and the students benefited from our varied expertise and joint creativity. In my second year, I taught Grade 2 Math & Science and became the Chair for Primary Math & Science, helping organize the curriculum to ensure we had consistent learning experiences for all students. It helped me understand the vertical and horizontal curricular links between our primary school grades and provided insight to tighten the alignment.
In the following year, I became Vice Head of Early Childhood Education at BASIS International School Shenzhen for a year, honing my leadership skills and understanding the next level of BASIS International & Bilinugal Schools expectations. During this time, I continued to teach in the Primary division, but helping manage Early Childhood showed me the connections between divisions. I was mentored by proven, effective leaders from both divisions and learned from their successes.
A year later, I was approached about moving to a different BASIS International & Bilingual Schools campus. At first, I wasn’t convinced it was the right move for me, but after visiting BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen, I realized the curriculum was the same, the students were the same, and the quality of teachers were the same—it was just a younger school that needed to grow and mature. I was excited to be part of that process, and today, finishing my third year as Head of Upper Primary School at BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen, I could not be prouder of the school’s growth. The school leaders and teachers followed the path to higher student achievement by elevating academic and behavioral goals and developing a stronger sense of community.
A key factor was the growth of positivity among our teachers. We hired the right teachers for our classrooms and helped them get the tools they needed to succeed, including our professional development (PD) opportunities. I’ve worked at schools where managers think they always know what teachers need—at BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen, we ask the teachers what they need, and teachers help deliver PD content to their peers. It is so much more effective, relevant, and useful to the teachers.
For teachers at BASIS International & Bilingual Schools who are looking to follow a similar pathway from classroom teacher to Division Head, I have clear advice… learn from those who manage you. See what they do well and what they can improve upon. Teach different grade levels to understand the vertical curriculum links. But most importantly, love what you do and show that passion every day.
I truly enjoy managing the Upper Primary division at BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen, working with amazing teachers, and helping the division move forward with happy and healthy students who demonstrate high academic success. However, as an instructional leader, I still teach Grade 4 Math and see the successes (and challenges) my students and teachers have every day. Most often, it’s my favorite part of the day.
James Rock
Head of Upper Primary School
BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen
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