My name is Rebecca Flavin. I am from Ireland and have been teaching internationally for 15 years. I have taught in Switzerland, Beijing, Uganda, the Philippines and now Shenzhen. I am here at BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen as a teacher in Grade 5 English. I would like to share my own personal experience as a new teacher who started here in July.
The First Impression: Our HR Department
I would like to start by talking about the ever-important HR department, which is the first port of call for new teachers and represents the school. In fact, I would like to dedicate my talk to them. As new teachers, we take a huge leap of faith when we accept a job in a new country and a new school. We can read about the school and do endless research, but we are still unsure about what it looks like on the ground. So, I would like to share with you the moment I was certain I made the right decision in accepting the position at BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen. This moment occurred even before I arrived, and it involved HR.
Going the Extra Mile—Before Arrival
During the visa processing stage, my HR hero, Joy, asked me to get an apostille for my police clearance from the Philippines and for my degree from Ireland. For me, I had never heard of an apostille before. To let you know, it’s a particular stamp of authentication. At this point, I was living in Boracay, a very small island in the Philippines, so how on earth do I go about getting an apostille? Within the hour, Joy had sent me an email outlining where I needed to go, a small city on the mainland called Iloilo that very few people outside the Philippines have heard of, and the link to the website to book an appointment, accompanied by step-by-step instructions.
Not only that, but I also needed an apostille for my degree. How on earth do I go about that? Included in the same email were instructions for what I should do. And note that I am not from Dublin, the capital city that everyone knows, but Cork, a much lesser-known city. In other words, Joy and the team had researched how to go about getting apostilles in these unknown places, so that I knew exactly what to do. I am confident. I get it done. Easy-peasy. So, for me, this was the moment when I thought, “Wow.” Not only are they detail-oriented, but I am receiving a level of individual attention that I have never gotten before. This showed me beyond a doubt that this school is highly professional and will take care of me. And all of this was before I even arrived!
A Warm Welcome to Shenzhen
Then, on arrival, and with detailed instructions in hand, I met the HR team at the port. I decided to live on campus and was brought straight there. The apartments are new, modern, and spacious, with large windows offering phenomenal views of Shenzhen. On top of this, HR had bread, water, eggs, milk, and toilet paper waiting for me. There were also brand-new pots, pans, cutlery, a chopping board, and more. Again, this showed the dedicated and impressive attention to detail by the whole team. That night, I slept soundly in the knowledge that I would be looked after in my new school, new home, new life.
The first week, HR were by our side setting up our new SIM cards, bank accounts, and medicals, even taking us to IKEA and Walmart! I could go on and on listing the multitude of other ways in which the HR team and the school have made me feel safe, supported, and comfortable in my new life, but I do have to end this somewhere. It was a productive and supportive beginning at BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen, and continues to be three months later.
Rebecca Flavin
Grade 5 English Teacher
BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen
For more information about teaching abroad with BASIS International Schools, visit our careers website.
