By Kristen Fu and Colin Jun
Although we are halfway through the first semester of the school year, many of us still have yet to meet the new teachers. Here’s a little bit about them:
Mr. Morgan
College Counseling
Q1. Which school are you moving from?
I am coming from Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.
Q2. How do you feel about moving to Shanghai and our school?
Shanghai is an amazing cosmopolitan city. It is comfortable to live here. The city itself is very massive – I will constantly be a tourist and visit different places in Shanghai. I love the community of Shanghai American School Pudong. I think I was not welcomed before as I am welcomed in SASPD. I can feel the great energy from the school and it is great to work with great teachers.
Q3. What made you move to Shanghai American School Pudong, not the other international schools in the world?
I came to this school because of the leadership at this school. I worked with Dr. Lee and Dr. Rose before. I wanted to have a new experience and international experiences. Therefore, everything tapped in together and I decided to come to SASPD.
Q4. Although you haven’t been here for long, what do you think about the students at our school?
The students at SASPD are very respectful. I am very grateful and appreciative of the time I spent with students at SASPD. If I provide any feedback for their essay, they thank me for the comments. Meeting with SASPD students is a nice change for me to have. The students are bright and well driven.
Q5. Any other messages you would like to give to the students?
My door is always open unless it is literally ‘closed.’ I welcome people to come by and introduce themselves. Do not let college to rule your lives!
Mr. Crachiolo
Asian History, EAL, English
Q1. Which school are you moving from?
I am from Affiliated High School of South China Normal University International Department in Guangzhou, China.
Q2. How do you feel about moving to Shanghai and our school?
I like everything so far. Shanghai seems less densely populated than Guangzhou. I am surprised that I personally feel Shanghai is less convenient than Guangzhou – because the stores are located with some distance. SASPD is an amazing school in terms of the resources – they provide everything and anything teachers want. I was worried about the student quality (since my former school was highly competitive with an only 10% entrance rate) but the students have a good attitude for education and are extremely strong in learning. It is great news for me, since it makes my teaching experience more exciting.
Q3. What made you move to Shanghai American School Pudong, not the other international schools in the world?
SASPD has a reputation for education development and its community among the teachers. I applied to SASPD ten years ago, but the school wanted me to have more experience. At the other schools, I found there are ceilings for personal development, and thus, with more experience gained, I decided to come to SASPD.
The co-teaching program, introduced this year, is different and new to me. It is not common to have this experience. I am excited to learn new things about teaching from this experience.
Q4. Although you haven’t been here for long, what do you think about the students at our school?
9th grade students are shockingly bright. Students have great study habits compared to other students that I’ve seen before.
I am also participating as one of MUN directors – I am learning about the MUN program. It is impressive the level of what MUN students are doing (almost as if they have a professional degree in the fields). Especially the organization skills, knowledge and leadership skills impressed me more than other things that I’ve seen.
Q5. Any other messages you would like to give to the students?
If students are interested in public speaking or participating in public forum, I have a plan to create a debate team and work with the students throughout the year. There is also interesting English debate competitions in China that students can participate in.
Don’t be overly involved in too many extracurricular activities!
Mr. Mank
Emotional/Social Counseling
Q1. Which school are you moving from?
I am coming from the International School of Brussels.
Q2. How do you feel about moving to Shanghai and our school?
I am very excited about coming to China. I’ve heard good things about China and Shanghai. It is an interesting country. It is great for me to move to the Asia Pacific region and learn about different cultures.
Q3. What made you move to Shanghai American School Pudong, not the other international schools in the world?
When I met Dr. Lee, we had a great conversation; the school wants to grow potentials to have a better school.
Q4. Although you haven’t been here for long, what do you think about the students at our school?
Everyone works very hard and they manage to do it with a good attitude. Both students and teachers seem to enjoy what they are doing.
Q5. Any other messages you would like to give to the students?
I am excited to meet everyone. A lot of students drop by the office today to say hi. My goal is to work with the students to find out how to best support them both outside and inside the classroom.
Dr. A
Grade 10 Biology Lab Science/IB Biology Year 1
Q1. Which school are you moving from?
I was working at the American International School Chennai. Chennai is in Southeast India, formerly known as Madras. I worked there for the last five years.
Q2. How do you feel about moving to Shanghai and our school?
I’ve been here for a month now in Shanghai, and I feel pretty comfortable. I knew the city since I’ve visited the city a few times on holiday. I was more concerned with the language since most people don’t speak English, but I come from Barcelona, a big city that has a similar vibe, so I knew I would like living here. I’m looking forward to learning Mandarin as well!
Q3. What made you move to Shanghai American School Pudong, not the other international schools in the world?
I wanted to stay in Asia since I liked the lifestyle, culture, and food. China was not one of my priorities since I thought it wouldn’t be easy to find a job. But when I saw the opening for bio at SAS, I knew I had to apply there. SAS is really well-known in the international school world, and I had friends who worked here that said it would be a good fit. SAS had this great reputation and was lucky to get one that I could get hired to.
Q4. Although haven’t been here for long, what do you think about the students at our school?
In comparison with students from other international schools, what I heard about SAS students is true. They’re really good students, really polite and kind, and they also really love the school. I just feel like most of them are really motivated and really want to learn due to their curiosity. Now that I’ve gotten to know the students a little better over the three weeks, I just feel like they’re great kids.
Q5. Any other messages you would like to give to the students?
My door is always open to anyone, even if I don’t teach them. If they want to ask questions about biology or animals, my doors are literally always open. I would also like to get to know students that aren’t in my classes. If you have any questions or concerns about your pet, I used to be a veterinarian, so feel free to ask me
Mr. Hayes
IB Coordinator/IB Environmental System and Societies Year
Q1. Which school are you moving from?
I was at the Metropolitan School of Panama, and I was there for four years. I was IB Coordinator there, and also taught Geography and Theory of Knowledge as well. I think there’s a big difference from the students in my previous school and SAS. My previous students were more playful while SAS students are a lot more serious.
Q2. How do you feel about moving to Shanghai and our school?
My main worry is language. When I moved to Panama, I had some Spanish. Here in China, I didn’t have any Chinese when I arrived. I have my first lesson on Thursday so I will try my best to learn some conversational Chinese.
Q3. What made you move to Shanghai American School Pudong, not the other international schools in the world?
The school has a very good reputation, so I knew other teachers that worked in the same region. They spoke highly of the school, and how good the student and staff are as well as the professional development. I was excited to move to Asia, so I wanted to be in a place where I have not traveled. It gives me the chance to see a lot of new places.
Q4. Although you haven’t been here for long, what do you think about the students at our school?
So far, they seem very focused and motivated. They want to succeed and do well in their exams.
Q5. Any other messages you would like to give to the students?
My door is always open!
Mr. Finch
9th Grade Asian History, US History, AP US History
Q1. Which school are you moving from?
I was working at Nido de Aguilas which is a school in Santiago, Chile.
Q2. How do you feel about moving to Shanghai and our school?
I’ve lived in Shanghai before, and I really love China and the city. I knew the school was good, and I was a little worried about the cultural change. The culture was different down in Chile, but I’m not really worried about it anymore. I’m happy here. I also speak some Mandarin, so that also made it easier.
Q3. What made you move to Shanghai American School Pudong, not the other international schools in the world?
I used to work at SCIS from 2007-2013. I met my girlfriend here in Shanghai, and she’s from Chongqing. We were living in Chile for the last 5 years, and we both really loved it there. My girlfriend felt a little homesick, so we started to apply for jobs in East Asia. We didn’t really target China or even Shanghai, but SAS is a good school.
Q4. Although you’ve only been here for about two/three weeks, what do you think about the students at our school?
The students are great! Everyone’s really hard working and friendly, and willing to be engaged with a lot of things. I think the standard for the students here is super high. Sometimes I feel like you guys need to chill out, but, on the whole, I’ve been really happy with the students.
Q5. Any other messages you would like to give to the students?
May for the force be with you! Just kidding! I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone here, and I hope people stop by and say hi.
Mr. Miladinovski
Swimming
Q1. Which school are you moving from?
I was at Wellington for four years. Previously, I was also in Dubai for seven years at another international school.
Q2. How do you feel about moving to Shanghai and our school?
As I’m getting to know the whole school, I’m confident I made the right decision. I don’t really have any worries at all.
Q3. What made you move to Shanghai American School Pudong, not the other international schools in the world?
Since we’ve been here for four years, and becoming familiar with the school system, SAS is obviously one of the best schools in Asia. The school has a lot of resources, and it was a real honor to get chosen to work for the school.
Q4. Although you’ve only been here for about two/three weeks, what do you think about the students at our school?
They are positive and a good bunch to be around. They’re very open and honest, and always very happy, which is a big factor when deciding where to work. There’s a great environment and looks like they’re loving their school life, which is extremely positive. It definitely makes my life and job easier.
Q5. Any other messages you would like to give to the students?
Just to pursue their dreams and try to follow their natural instincts. Try to be their best selves, and work hard and enjoy life!
Interviews have been edited for conciseness and clarity.