When Humanities teacher Tom Owen took on the role of Primary School Dean at BASIS International School Hangzhou, he embarked on a journey of professional growth that would challenge and transform him. From classroom teacher to overseeing the academic, social, and emotional well-being of students, Tom welcomed the opportunity to expand his professional horizons.
Choosing BASIS International Schools
I joined BASIS International School Hangzhou after the birth of my second child. When I was researching the major international schools in Hangzhou, what appealed to me was not that BASIS sends students to Top 50 colleges or achieves exceptional exam results; those considerations for my children were a long way off yet. Instead, what appealed to me was that BASIS is a school that teaches up, setting high standards for learners and offering support for achieving excellence in the classroom. This is the kind of education I wish for my children and, as such, the ethos I feel inclined to work toward as an educator.
Teaching Humanities
My teaching background is literacy-based, with a B.A. in English Literature, and an M.Ed. I have always specialized in literacy instruction and enjoy working with lower-primary learners. When I started as a humanities teacher at BASIS International School Hangzhou, it was an absolute joy to take the skills I developed at other institutions and pick up the pace and strive for higher levels of instruction regardless of the grade level. We differentiate for all independent levels in the classroom; if a second grader can read at a fifth or sixth-grade level, we have the autonomy and are encouraged to teach to that level. Teaching to the child, not to the grade level, is wonderful.
Shifting from Teacher to Dean
Becoming a Dean was a huge shift away from the academic instructional role I had spent over a decade working within. However, the opportunity to broaden my professional scope was exciting. Though challenging and initially daunting, I’ve developed a mastery of balancing between proactivity and patience.
Learning to slow down made the biggest difference for me in learning how to succeed as a Dean. The most important aspect of working in pastoral care and behavioral support is predicting risk and constantly reflecting on how to prevent behavioral incidents, accidents, or problems before they happen. Not if, but when something invariably does, we have to remain calm, think through the resources we have on hand, and how best to manage the situation before acting.
As a Dean, I enjoy developing my communication skills with both parents and children. Deans spend a lot of time in parent meetings. As teachers, we tend to talk a lot in parent meetings, telling parents about their children, what they need to succeed academically or behaviorally, and sharing advice, giving parents tools and strategies for learning. As a Dean, the key is to listen, to let the parents talk, and in doing so, understand that we care for their children, that we understand their concerns and their high aspirations for their children, and that we are here to support them in both good and challenging situations.
Growing and Learning at BASIS
Generally, I feel BASIS will put people in positions they are inclined to perform well in. BASIS only hires well-qualified and experienced teachers; as such, those who work here can explore different roles and excel at them before they step through the doors. This sense of careful placement and a willingness to offer new roles to different people is a worthy model for success within BASIS schools and the network as a whole.
The best teachers, educators, and educational leaders are always learning whether you have just completed a post-graduate degree or worked in the sector for decades. Every classroom you step into, grade level meeting you join, professional learning community you take part in, seminar you listen to, workshop you participate in is an opportunity to learn. There is always something new to learn or a new way to look at something you have done for years but could do better. I am not a huge American football fan, but as the famous football coach Vince Lombardi rightly said, “There is no such thing as perfection. But, in striving for perfection, we can achieve excellence.” This kind of thinking, alongside a sense of humility, is the organizational culture that teaches us that only by working together can we grow as individuals and as an institution.
Opportunities are opening up across China for staff to visit, learn, and share their skills and experience with other schools in our network. It is a breath of fresh air that we can appreciate all the BASIS International Schools network has to offer.
My Advice
Do what you do best, share your skills, take each challenge, and complete it to the best of your ability. BASIS is a network that not only notices but also appreciates hard work, dedication, and commitment. I often find myself telling parents that at BASIS International Schools, we ask a lot from our students and a lot from our teachers, so we must ask a lot from our parents as well. This trifecta is important for success at a BASIS school, and the network truly appreciates when staff can inspire parents and students to make this trifecta work.
Tom Owen, BA (Hons), M.Ed.
Primary School Dean
BASIS International School Hangzhou
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