Open Day ｜重磅！南京金地未来学校英方师资全阵容首度亮相

       Foreign Teachers Team Seminar  of RGSGNJ       

或许你不会相信，对化学的热爱仿佛是我天性中的呼声。小时候的我喜欢博物馆里的所有东西，有颜色的化学品瓶、看起来很奇怪的玻璃器皿、化学式、方程式和结构……都是我迫切想去解读的神秘新语言。

于是当有人说，我可以买小盒化学品和简单的玻璃器皿时，我迅速拥有了第一套化学套装。

好奇的目光，常常可以看到比他所希望看到的东西更多。我开始沉迷于做实验，对化学反应后的各种梦幻液体、气泡和气味着迷。到我十几岁的时候，我父母的地窖已经变成了一个小实验室。

我相信“热爱”是最好的老师，回顾从小至今，我和化学之间的相识相知恍若昨日，幸运的是，我现在是一名化学老师。所以我期待并鼓励我的学生，能和这门学科产生“化学反应”，拥有并享受追逐的梦想过程。

I first developed a love of Chemistry as a young child, when I often visited the Science Museum in London. I liked everything in the museum, but there was something very special about the coloured bottles of chemicals and the strange looking glassware. The chemical formulae, equations and structures were like a mysterious new language that I wanted to learn.

I soon bought my first Chemistry set. In those says you could buy little boxes of chemicals and simple glassware for children. I became obsessed with doing experiments and was fascinated by the coloured liquids, the bubbles of gas and the strange smells. By the time I was in my teens, my parent’s cellar had been converted into a small laboratory. Looking back on some of the things I did, I am surprised I am still here to tell the tale! In those days it was quite easy to get hold of potentially dangerous chemicals. It is much more difficult now.

My father was a teacher and a headmaster, so I had always grown up around schools and felt comfortable with them. It seemed an obvious thing to take something I had loved as a child and to hope I could encourage students to develop the same interest. When I do experiments in school, it always reminds me of those moments in my parent’s cellar. There is a superb book by Oliver Sacks called “Uncle Tungsten.” He writes about his childhood when he had his own laboratory and became obsessed with learning about the elements. It read almost as if he was writing my own biography.

在我的学生时代，不同阶段的老师总能找到方式，驱使我对数学的热情不灭。小学老师说：多做 10 道题就可以获得学院积分，于是我很乐意坐在那里，做哪怕 100 道题。到了中学，老师开始鼓励我自学，帮助其他学生解决难题，也让我找到了“获得感”。

自然而然的，大学毕业后我成为了一名数学老师。我喜欢学生在我的关注中成长，像数学家一样学习。作为老师，我享受与学生们一起进行的各种活动，我甚至成为了他们羽毛球和曲棍球的教练。

当学校成为我的第二个家和终身的事业，我和我的妻子决定来到中国，一起旅行和探索这个美妙的国家。

From primary school I loved doing mathematics questions. One of my primary teachers used to give house points for every ten extra questions we did at home, so I would happily sit there and do a hundred questions. In Secondary school my mathematics teacher encouraged me to self-study and I would always spend some of the lesson helping other students.

I became a mathematics teacher after graduating from university. I enjoyed watching the students in my care grow and learn as mathematicians. Also, as a teacher I was able to do other activities with the students and I became a coach of badminton and field hockey. School become a second home as well as a job.

The good thing about being a teacher is that it also allowed me to travel. After working for six years in the UK I decided that I wanted to work and travel abroad. My first international school job was in Malaysia. I have also worked in Thailand and Sri Lanka, before returning to Malaysia where I met my wife.

When my wife and I discussed my next posting, we decided that we really wanted to go to China. We were both interested in travelling and exploring this wonderful country together.

我是一名英国文学老师，但和大部分男孩子一样，童年的我更喜欢数学和科学，而不是英语。与对书籍的兴趣相比，我更喜欢谜题和实践科目。我曾用我的化学装置摧毁了我卧室的地毯，在大自然中或在车库里敲打各种我的小发明。

英国文学是我的第四选 A-Level 科目。我非常期望我会参加 AS 课程，然后放弃英国文学这门课以专注于我的其他科目，但是，英语老师的更换破坏了这个计划。

在他的教学中，诗歌、小说和戏剧不再是僵化的、休闲的事务。我们了解了这些文字所处时代的现实意义以及每个文字的广泛思想。从那时起，文学开始成为我所有选课中，最丰富多彩的学科。

大学毕业后，我选择了成为一名老师，并很快意识到，这将成为我终生的事业。每一天都会带来新的挑战，需要我不断更新各种技能。加入南京金地未来学校为我带来了新的体验、文化和机会，我期待，能与年轻人一起工作、学习，可以游刃有余地观察、行走、改变这个世界。

Throughout my school life I much preferred Mathematics and the Sciences to English! I was much fonder of puzzles and practical subjects than I was interested in books. I destroyed my bedroom carpet with my chemistry set and loved being out in nature or hammering away at some invention in the garage. 

English Literature was my fourth-choice A Level subject. I fully expected I would do the AS course then drop it to focus on my other subjects. A change of English teacher ruined that plan. Poems, Novels and Plays were no longer rigid, fallow affairs. We learned about the realities of the times in which these texts lived and the wide range of ideas each text is built from. Literature became the most rich and varied of all my academic studies

Studying Literature at University brought an opportunity to explore Linguistics. The muddled, chaotic history of Britain can be seen in the words we use each day. The days of the week come from the Vikings, the months from the Romans. Animals have Saxon names when they’re running in the fields and French names when they’re served on our plates!  

After University, I chose a teaching position whilst I figured out my next steps in life. I quickly realised I would be a teacher for life. Each day brings new challenges requiring a range of skills. RGS Guildford Nanjing brings the opportunity of working in my fifth region of the world. Each school brings new experiences, cultures and opportunities whilst working with young people has the same rewards the world over. 

我想说的是，不要被一时的选择束缚，人生有太多考量智慧和勇气的十字路口。

当我在萨里大学物理学毕业时，我面临着选择就业还是继续深造的问题。我最初的想法倾向于成为一名老师，因为我的一些助教经验让我对教学充满期待。但经过一年的教学工作后，攻读硕士学位似乎是个更好的选择，这让我有机会在学术上证明自己，也让我熟悉前沿的粒子物理学研究。

在萨塞克斯大学研究粒子物理现象学时，我收获了极大的满足感。我仍然在想教书和继续我的研究中摇摆不定。我突然想到，如果我在美国攻读博士学位，我将能够在担任助教的同时继续我的研究。

这成为了我的长期目标，遗憾的是，我能够完成的研究没有达到我的期望。两年后，我发现我在教学职责上所付出的努力，和我研究动力成反比。我得出的结论是，博士学位根本不适合我，至少目前是这样。显而易见的选择是回归我最初的热情，并将教学作为一种职业。

选择，是一种智慧；放弃，是一种勇气。这世上的很多事，往往不能用价值去评判对错，自己喜欢的，去选择并为之承担，就对了。

I completed my physics bachelors degree at the University of Surrey in 2008 and found myself facing the decision of what to do next.  My initial thoughts leant towards teaching as I had some experience working as a TA and enjoyed it a great deal.  However, I recognised that it would be a good idea to get some more classroom experience before committing myself to anything long term.  With this in mind I decided to take a job teaching English in Japan.  After a thoroughly  enjoyable year in Japan, it seemed that my next best step would be to pursue an MSc.  This gave me a chance to prove myself academically and also acquaint myself with cutting edge particle physics research.  

I found a great deal of satisfaction in my time at the University of Sussex, researching particle physics phenomenology.  I still wanted to teach, but also considered that I might want to continue with my research.  It occurred to me that if I studied for a PhD in the USA, I would be able to continue my research whilst also working as a TA.  This became my long term goal, but with my savings depleted from my masters degree I returned to Asia to teach English and replenish my funds.  After two years in Taiwan I was accepted to the graduate school at Virginia Tech  where I spent two years.  Whilst in Virginia, I learnt a lot both about the fundamentals of physics and the academic research environment.  I was able to stay active in teaching as a TA, leading lab sessions and recitations for my entire time there.  Sadly the research that I was able to accomplish did not live up to my expectations.  After two years, I found that the effort I was putting into my teaching responsibilities only grew as my motivation towards research waned.  I came to the conclusion that a PhD is simply not for me, at least for now.  The obvious choice became to return to my original passion and take the leap into teaching as a profession.

对于中国来说，我应该算是个“90后”，我第一次来到中国是1992年，虽然期间偶有回国，但终于在2004年，决定定居中国并教书，至今17年。在这近30年的时间里，我有幸见证了中国的历史进程——文化、经济和教育的飞跃发展，这对于任何国家而言都是非常伟大的变革。

我看到并参与了教育和学生的许多变化，大部分都愈加卓越，我期待可以将我的经验分享并提供给孩子们。

以前作为一名学生，现在作为一名教师，我想说，对年轻人来说最重要的事情是：尽可能多地倾听，保持开放的心态，并尽可能多地与有经验的人建立关系。

在南京金地未来学校，这是个最好且可获得的机会，多年前，我在学生时代就坚持做我自己，我也拥有了一生的伙伴——我的学科。在热爱的职业收获成功的过程中，我从来没有感到孤独，我很荣幸，能在中国找到我的生活，当然还有我的中国妻子。

我和我们的团队，在南京金地未来学校让一切成为可能，帮助孩子们在世界和未来找到自己的道路。

Thank you all for being here, it is a pleasure to meet you all today.

I don’t want to say too much for too long, just a few words.

I first visited China in 1992 as a young man, returned frequently, and finally moved here to settle and teach in 2004. Now I have completed 17 continuous years.

In that time, 30 years, I have been fortunate to be a witness to history, one of the greatest revolutionary sequence of events that any nation has undergone: culturally, economically and educationally. I have seen and been part of many changes in education and students, mostly for the better. If anyone would like any specific examples, I’d be happy to talk to you afterwards, but perhaps now I might share and offer an observation from my experience to your offspring.

As a student myself, and now as a teacher, I would say that the important things for young people are: to listen as much as you can, be open-minded, and build relationships with as many experienced people as you can. At RGSG in Nanjing that opportunity is prime and available. The chances are immense. When I did this as a young student all those years ago I found myself, a path appeared, doors-opened and I have had a companion all my life – my subject. I’ve never been lonely, a profession, successes, I found China, my life…and my Chinese wife.

I, we, are here to help make all this possible, to assist your progeny find their way in the world and into their future.

在成长过程中，我一直对这个世界感兴趣。我甚至会自己存钱，在高中四年级去往意大利旅行。毕业后，我做了近十年的研究分析师。虽然这是个稳定的职位，薪水不错，但我坐在桌子后面很累，渴望探索世界。

重回到教育领域，是因为我珍视一份对社会有用且有意义的职业。我开始担任英语教师，并在智利教授经济和社会研究。

也许我来中国后最大的遗憾，是我对中文的了解不足，尽管这很大程度上是因为很忙。因为我去年在德克萨斯大学完成了双语教育硕士学位，并被评为该项目的优秀研究生。并且我目前是伊利诺伊大学全球教育研究的博士生。尽管很忙，但我确实希望在我的中国之旅结束之前最终会说一些中文。

While growing up, I was always interested about the world.  My interest piqued even more after I saved money my senior year of high school to go on a school trip to Italy.  I began my studies at American University as an International Studies major, but later specialized regionally in Spanish/Latin American Studies to facilitate double majoring in Economics.  After graduating Phi Beta Kappa, I returned home and was offered a job filling in for my high school Algebra teacher, who was undergoing treatment for cancer.  

After a couple of years, I moved into the private industry and worked as a Research Analyst for nearly a decade.  While it was a stable position which decent pay, there was little opportunity for growth and I got tired sitting behind a desk and longed to explore the world.  I moved to Chile in 2013, where my first job was as a Business Developer, and I nearly got a deal to bring the largest automotive parts retailer in the United States to Chile.  My next job brought me back to education, as I valued a career that was useful and meaningful to society.  I began working as an English teacher, and later took an opportunity to teach Economics and Social Studies in Chile.

In August 2018, I had an offer to come to China as a Social Studies teacher for American students. My wife and I were happy at my previous school, though much sadness set in as the COVID-19 pandemic ended killing off the international program.  I had held out hope until official word of the program’s demise in August of last year.  It was then that I accepted the offer to come to RGS, initially as an English teacher but with future opportunity to move back into Social Studies and Economics.  

Perhaps my biggest regret since coming to China is my lack of knowledge of the Chinese language, though much of this is due to being quite busy.  Not only do I have four children at home, but I also completed a Master’s in Bilingual Education last year from the University of Texas and was named the program’s Outstanding Graduate Student.  I am presently a Doctoral student in Global Studies in Education at the University of Illinois.  Despite being quite busy, I do hope to eventually speak some Chinese before my journey in China comes to an end.  

我觉得很奇怪，我一直知道我会成为一名老师，就像我一直想成为一名艺术家一样。但是学生时代，我永远无法讨论这些事情，因为一个来自杰出科学家和医学家家庭的男孩，艺术家的梦想并没有被鼓励。

我有很多美好的回忆，小时候在格拉斯哥大学兽医学院的报告厅里，在滚下来的粉笔板上画画。我的父亲不仅是一名外科医生和兽医科学家，而且一直拥有一个农场，这让我感到惊讶的是人们会说“他实践他所宣扬的”。

作为系主任和课程负责人，我非常幸运能够在我的职业生涯中进行专业的艺术实践，这是一项重大成就。我一直有机会与世界级艺术家和创意人员一起工作并在国际项目中展出，在英国各地的画廊中进行委托或展览。

多年来，我对创造力、协作和沟通的需求有了深刻的理解。这推动了我在设计技术、工程和艺术管理的不同领域的规划和交付。我一直努力向学生展示一切皆有可能，了解所有科目以某种方式相互关联可以让他们深入了解行业如何不断变化以及如何为此做好准备。

通过设计与技术 (STEAM) 中的基于项目的学习，可以培养对设计过程的理解以及解决问题研究和分析以及精确处理各种材料的技能，并将其应用于艺术、科学和工程中多种方式。这就是我喜欢我所做的事情。

I find it quite strange that I always knew I was going to be a teacher, in the same way I always wanted to be an artist! I could never discuss these things as a boy coming from a family of eminent scientists and medics being an artist was never encouraged. I have very fond memories as a child drawing on the roll down chalk boards in the lecture hall at the veterinary school at Glasgow University. My father was not only a surgeon and veterinary scientist but always owned a farm which was something which struck me as astonishing ‘He practices what he preaches’ people would say.

As a teacher head of department and as curriculum leader I have been extremely lucky to be able to have a professional art practice run alongside my career which is a major accomplishment. I have always had opportunities to work with and exhibit alongside World class artists and creatives on international projects carry out commissions or exhibit in galleries across the UK.

Over the years I have developed a deep understanding of the need for creativity, collaboration, and communication. This has driven my planning and delivery across the different areas I have managed in Design Technology, Engineering, and the Arts. I have always strived to show students that anything is possible, understanding how all subjects relate in some way may give them an insight into how industry changes continually and how to prepare them for this. The understanding of the design process and the skills in problem solving research and analysis and working in a variety of materials with precision can be developed through project-based learning in Design and Technology (STEAM) and applied to art, science, and engineering in a variety of ways. This is what I love about what I do.

很多人会问，为什么要学习英语？而我选择教授这门语言，是因为英语有其不可替代的重要性。在这个相互关联的世界中，我们的孩子可以用英语向国际讲述中国文化，以英语为语言媒介，辐射影响世界。毕竟即使是教国外的人学习汉语，也要以英语为沟通工具。

懂得多语言的表达者将比不精通的人拥有更多的机会，比如精通中文将为像我女儿这样的学生提供更多的经济、社会和教育机会。我的女儿也在南京金地未来学校就读，我希望她能和身边的同学一样，能够从多语言的文化氛围中受益。

In my personal opinion, learning English is very important today, and I chose to teach this language as a result of its significance. What does this mean to me? Speakers who are proficient not only can communicate and effect change, but also the speakers will have more opportunities than those who are less proficient. For example, speakers who are proficient have the opportunity to study abroad, trade internationally, and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves in a global setting.

Similar to English, the Chinese language is becoming increasingly important.  becoming proficient in Chinese will give students like my daughter increased economic, social, and educational opportunities. The importance of learning languages is also the reason why we have decided to live in China. I would like my daughter to receive the benefits from being proficient in two languages.

I like teaching English because I know the importance of gaining the foundational skills necessary to be successful in this interconnected global economy. I will continue to  teach students.

我想，大家学生时代都有这样的经历：当我的答案和老师的不一致时，就会被告知这是不正确的。但这也间接导致小小的我开始懂得多角度思考问题，激发致力于成为终身学习者，学习心理学和教学。

我曾代表国家参加了一个少年世界杯柔道，在那里我遇到了一个中国人，他带我打开了通往中国文化的大门：火锅的技术、食物、文化和辣味。这引起了我的兴趣，让我开始探索中国。

最初，我在 IB 学校以探究式教学方式教学，我认为教育应该聚焦孩子的全面发展，而不仅仅是认知方面。让学习者学会如何自己探索、发现和探究，帮助学习者发现自己的声音、选择和对学习和发展的主人翁意识。

我对中国和帮助年轻学习者优化发展的热爱被点燃了，我喜欢看到年轻学习者拥有“灯泡”时刻并发现新事物。

My journey to become an educator began when I was at primary school. Teachers asking questions, and myself giving different abstract answers to the questions being asked, and being told my answers were incorrect to the teachers answers. This led to my journey to seek understanding how people think, which sparked my love for education. I devoted myself to becoming a lifelong learner, studying Psychology and Teaching. 

While growing up and in my adolescence, I represented my country in Judo at the Junior World Cup, whereby I met a Chinese individual who told me all about China; the technology, foods, culture, and the spiciness of the hotpot dish. 

This intrigued me, and my quest to discover China began. 

I started teaching in an inquiry approach at an IB school, which sparked my passion for inquiry-based teaching and learning. Teaching the whole child, rather than merely cognitive aspects. Letting learners learn how to explore, discover and inquire by themselves, helping learners discover their voice, choice, and ownership of their learning and development. My love for China and helping young learners develop optimally was ignited, with the love of seeing young learners have “light bulb” moments and discover new things.