昆明世青國際學校校長專訪之不懼挑戰(zhàn)，我們是全新的開拓者

2019年8月正式接任昆明世青國際學校學術(shù)校長職位的Mr. John Stephens來自陽光明媚的美國加州，擁有英語教育學學士學位，心理學及行政管理學碩士學位，并持有加州政府頒發(fā)的校長資質(zhì)證書。早年任教于加州中學，先后在IB、劍橋、美基等教育系統(tǒng)進行過教學實踐。他經(jīng)驗豐富，極富想法，充滿活力，將熱情與奮進加入到昆明世青文化之中。

近日，我們采訪了Mr. John Stephens，詳細地了解了他將為昆明世青帶來的變化。

Q歡迎加入昆明世青國際學校。我了解到您有16年的教學經(jīng)驗，是一名資深的教育人士。請向我們介紹一下您的從教經(jīng)歷。

John：那就從我在加州的教育生涯說起吧。在那里，我教授6年級和7年級的英語和ESL。之后我到了高中，教授11年級和12年級的英語課程。我在洛杉磯的學校工作了10年，然后我決定到海外發(fā)展我的事業(yè)。我先后在幾所不同類型的學校工作過。包括IB學校，劍橋?qū)W校和美基學校。

Q在您的職業(yè)生涯中，最讓您驕傲的成就是什么？

John：16年的教育生涯中，有很多讓我自豪的時刻，比如看到孩子們身上的巨大變化，看見他們在我的幫助下變得越來越有學習動力；比如與員工，家庭和父母之間的良好關(guān)系。但作為一名教育工作者，最令我驕傲的時刻是： 在洛杉磯工作時，我獲得學校優(yōu)秀教師提名那一次。對我來說，那是一個非常值得驕傲的時刻。

Q您將為KWYA帶來哪些變化？

John：說到新的變化，有三件事特別重要。首先是開設(shè)了ESL課程，我們非常愿意為需要進一步加強英語語言能力的學生提供課外服務(wù)，這些（ESL課程）都將在課后進行；今年，我們還開設(shè)了計算機科學課，學生們每周會有一小時的時間學習計算機科學；另外，我們進一步加強了大學申請咨詢服務(wù)。接下來，每年都會邀請來自北美，歐洲和其他地區(qū)的大學招生官到我們學校（現(xiàn)場招生）。今年，我們的中外教還為住宿學生開展了每周兩次的晚間俱樂部活動，以豐富他們課余生活。

Q這些新的課程（如ESL）有什么特別之處？

John：ESL是針對英語為第二語言的學生所開始的語言強化課程。我們根據(jù)學生的MAP測試中反映出來的語言應用能力進行分班，設(shè)置專門的課程，有的放矢地幫助他們提高英語水平。我們還會把IT技術(shù)和ESL課程結(jié)合起來，讓ESL教師都會使用MAP系統(tǒng)。這樣一來，可以隨時對學生進行在線語法、寫作、閱讀以及研究能力監(jiān)測，根據(jù)學生的學習進展，調(diào)整課程計劃。在計算機科學方面，我們IT老師Mr. Perkusic有著豐富的計算機科學實踐經(jīng)驗，他對編程以及所有人工智能背后的運行原理非常熟悉。在教學過程中，他將深入觀察、了解學生，找出、激發(fā)他們的科技天賦，并對他們給予幫助。我們希望，凡是對計算機科學感興趣的同學都可以上這門課；在不遠的將來，向DP階段的同學提供這個課程。

Q這意味著以后我們的學生將會有他們的人工智能嗎？

John：嗯…..這是你說的，我沒這么說（笑）。但是，當然，如果他們?yōu)橹冻雠Γ麄儠?chuàng)造出（自己的人工智能）。

Q您認為KWYA在未來的發(fā)展中將面臨哪些挑戰(zhàn)？KWYA將如何應對這些挑戰(zhàn)？

John：我們面臨的重大挑戰(zhàn)之一就是如何最有效地把學校特色課程與義務(wù)教育階段課程很好地結(jié)合，給我們的學生提供均衡教育，培養(yǎng)成為具有國際情懷、富有成就的社會成員；對于大學預科（DP）階段的教學，學校管理層會為DP課程提供源源不斷的支持，不斷增加新的課程。此外，我們將繼續(xù)共同努力為學生提供安全有趣的學習環(huán)境。當然，學生家長參與到學校活動中，尤其是參與到大學申請咨詢中來也是挑戰(zhàn)之一。 我們希望能盡快和所有G10-G12家長見面，討論他們孩子的大學申請事宜，希望他們能更積極地參與到孩子的大學申請計劃中。

Principal interview of KWYA

Q1Welcome to join KWYA. I am very happy that you become our principal in this August. I know that you are a very senior and experienced educator with 16 years education experience, could you please tell us about your experience?

John：So I start off with my education career at California, I taught 6 and 7 grades English and ESL and then I move to the high school where I tough G11&G12 English. and I worked for the los Angeles school for total of 10 years，then I decided to take my career overseas. and I worked in a several different types of schools using different framework, I worked at 2 IB schools, and a Cambridge school and an American base school.

Q2What is your proudest achievement in your career?

John：I have had a lot of very proud moments in my career, especially seeing kids grows significantly and increasing motivation. Connections with staff and families and parents. but My proudest moment as an educator was when I was a nominated teacher at my school when I worked at Los Angeles. It was a very proud moment for me.

Q3What changes will you bring to KWYA?

John：As far as changes go, there are just three things particular there are significant changes one is we will running ESL program, and we really looking forward that offering additional services for those students who need it, they will happened after school, and we also going to have computer science class, which was very pleased to announce. student will be opportunity to take one hour a week of computer science. We also going to now develop and offer more university counselling services, and we hope to have several universities from north American, Europe and beyond come to visit our school start after year.

Q4What’s the special about these new curriculums（such as ESL）？

John：So for ESL we will plan on doing this be plan on talking to the teachers looking at MAP scores , and preview their grades preview their years, from that information we want to put the students into the groups while we can really target their growth, their development, and we can monitor it, We incorporate technology and the ESL classes as well. because ESL teachers will using the computer MAP, so we can do a lot of online grammar test and writing and research and reading. We plan on doing a lot with EDS, ESL group particular because we think that’s a biggest need. Now for the IT curriculum, we have several plans, our teacher who is going to teach the IT curriculum a man by the name Dinko has the extensive experience of computer science , he study in university in leave he understands programing, all of the science behind the artificial intelligence and other things. He plans to get to know the students while find out where they are with their technology abilities. Our hope is that in the future we have our students interesting in the computer science will develop the curriculum, and then perhaps if this takes often become popular we think we will be able to offer it as an additional DP program course.

Q5Dose it means later our students will have their AI in the furture?

John：Well, you said that. I’m not saying that（laugh）. But definitely yes, if they worked on this.

Q6What challenges do you think KWYA will face in the future development, and how will KWYA face these challenges？

John：So， I think one of the big challenges we are going to face in the new future is a lying on curriculum from G5-G10. we have some clarity experience with program doing for students G5-G10. Preparing our student for the program and achieving a good results. and DP program, we can sure that our new staff will support it along with returning staff too. we want continuously and support for them for everything that they need. continuously Work to keep our school a safe, fun learning environment for students. So that is all I’m going think we do. Also, I think challenge as well as going to be organizing continuously advance. and get parents involved in doing a lot of things we do here. Especially the university counseling. For university counseling that going to be a little bit challenging also. We hoping to meet all of the G9-G12 parents very soon to talk about the university counselling and I hope they take more active in the child’s university applications.