ZIS teachers that go above and beyond

The John Mattern Award has been honouring oustanding commitment to student wellbeing and achievement for the past 10 years.

ZIS’ first headmaster was an inspirational educator, and his legacy lives on in the annual award celebrating extraordinary teachers. Join us in celebrating them.

1967–1989

An “awesome instructor”, Fowler left the US in 1967 to join AISZ as a Biology teacher and ski coach. Now retired, he was a treasured colleague and mentor.

Mike, students wrote, was “witty, energetic and always seems to be in a good mood”. He taught Math from 1988 until his retirement at 56 in 2005, and now lives in Malta.

Inspirational or strict, quirky or quiet. We’ve all got memories of teachers who made a big impact on our lives, but just what is the special quality that makes them stand out from the rest?

For Finn Borg, Class of 1974 (1969-74), it was Fowler Stillman’s caring, nurturing approach – and his ability to encourage hockey novices out of their beds for 6am training sessions. “He was special,” says Finn. “When I started AISZ in 1969 in eighth grade I had only taken a three-week crash course in British English, and was really struggling. He’d catch me on the big staircase in the centre of the Villa and say, ‘Come on Finn, let’s sit down’, and he’d help me with the language there and then.

“After years in less nurturing schools, he gave me back my self-esteem. At first, I wasn’t that interested in his subject – Biology – but I ended up taking it as Advanced Placement. I started to like it because of his encouragement. He also saw that I liked sports – I remember he started a hockey team, but we were lousy. We had to train before breakfast; it’s testament to his inspirational qualities that we all went.”

It was dedication like this that inspired another alum, Harry Korine, Class of 1980 (1977-80), to try to find a way to show appreciation to members of the teaching staff – the people at the very heart of the school, all the way back to the first headmaster, John Mattern. And that’s why, in 2013, Harry, together with the school, set up and launched the John Mattern Award: an annual award for teacher impact. Finn was approached to join the awards committee, and readily accepted.

“Harry wanted to celebrate faculty and staff for their dedicated service to their students, and also motivate current teachers,” explains Finn. “Every year, a committee of alumni meets to discuss nominations. We’re looking for those who showed a high degree of individual attention and concern; those who went above and beyond. It’s always a really difficult decision.”

That first year, Finn nominated Fowler Stillman, who was elected unanimously. But his inspirational approach is a current theme across the ages – and the driving force behind the nomination of Joe Amato by Jan Beatrix, Class of 2020 (2010-20), last year. Like Finn, Jan had little interest in Mr Amato’s subject, Geography, until he inspired and mentored him to write an extended essay about gentrification in Zurich.

“I struggled with writing, but Mr Amato made it seem so much easier and more relaxed,” says Jan. “His teaching was more like a conversation, back and forth. He made it easy to ask for help and his door was always open – literally. There was a wooden desk outside his office where my friends and

1963–1990

“Inspired me to become a teacher myself,” wrote one alumnus. Ian taught Science and Math, led the photography club, and shared his love of sports cars.

Dick Killen 1972–1990

Dick taught English, ran assemblies and coached a swim team. “He taught us to love life, respect and accept each other and ourselves,” a student wrote.