ACADeMiC PASSiON CHINESE TEACHER XIAOYU CHEN
on loving the process SIXTH-FORMER IRENE LUPERON
on expanding classroom horizons
ASCALON
The newsletter for St. George’s School • Spring 2015
a passionate teacher Xiaoyu Chen, Ph.D., came to St. George’s to teach Chinese in 2010, but for him the road to teaching was anything but direct. He worked at a radio station in China, then came to the United States to further his education pursuing graduate work. He is passionate about his career, but not because he planned on it. We sat down with Xiaoyu and talked about his journey, how he came to love teaching and what he gains from his students.
Q. What brought you to a classroom at
each other, every day! We learned how to
St. George’s?
teach from each other. I think that was a
A. I have to say, I didn’t expect it, I didn’t
fantastic year for me. I learned from these
plan to become a high-school teacher. I
other experienced teachers.
was working for china radio International before I came to america to study
Q. What happened when the students arrived?
for my master’s degree in english and
A. In the second year, we welcomed stu-
american history at Idaho State Univer-
dents. We had 78, and I fell in love with
sity. Following that, I got my Ph.D. in po-
teaching chinese, through my teaching.
litical science from the University of
It’s not that I had this passion from the
Nevada, reno. at the time, I was looking
beginning, and then looked for a job. No,
for a college job. But then the conserve
absolutely the opposite! I think I began to
School, a single-semester school in Wis-
appreciate it after I started teaching.
consin for high-school juniors, called me
First, I love the chinese language, and
and asked me if I would like to create a
I’m good at teaching it. and particularly, I
chinese program for them.
love to demonstrate the differences be-
they recruited teachers from many
tween our two languages. chinese and
different places that first year, and we
english, you cannot translate them word
were all very excited. We didn’t have stu-
for word. You have to be aware of how
dents at that point. So all the teachers who
your students think, the way they use
were hired, we sat together and we taught
(Please see “Teacher” on the back)
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