Gardeners’ Portrait: Scott Hockley

Scott Hockley

Greetings valued colleagues, parents, students and readers. My name is D. Scott Hockley, and I teach Grade 4 at SUIS Qingpu. I have been a teacher for almost 16 years, and I began my career teaching students in France. 2021 marks my 14th year in China and my 8th year as a teacher in SUIS, a milestone I feel very grateful for. Working in SUIS has taught me a great deal about pedagogy, instruction, leadership and rigorous assessment, I am very fortunate to work as the Deputy Head of Primary and remain committed to learning as an educator, growing as best I can for the benefit of the students and teachers under my care.

 

When I think about Scott Hockley the first word that comes to mind is; ambassador. I met Scott several months before starting as a new teacher at SUIS Qingpu. Our first interaction was during my interview process. As a prospective teacher looking to join a new school, one indicator you look for in potential school being a well-suited match is the interviewer.  You can infer a lot about a school by assessing the interviewer. After the interview, it is good practice to ask yourself: Is this a person you can learn from and a person who can help you to become better?  Directly following the initial meeting with Scott, the answer to this question was a definitive, “yes!”.

During the interview it quickly became clear that Scott was a professional of excellent quality.  He led the interview confidently and effortlessly while showing a deep knowledge and understanding of a variety of pedagogies. Scott did this while also creating a comfortable space for the interviewee to showcase our command of pedagogy through a simple learning conversation. The interview ended with an invitation to come visit the school, which I graciously accepted.

The next day Scott led me around SUIS Qingpu, showing off the incredible campus.  The facilities can speak for themselves, but it was an absolute pleasure to hear Scott passionately speak about each and every place while he guided me along. Two quality that make a leader stand out are kindness and giving recognition where recognition is due. A small detail that made a huge impact on me during the campus tour was Scott’s kindness and recognition of the schools cleaning staff, a group a people who often get overlooked.  It is an image that continues to stick with me as I walk in the hallways every day.

As the new school year approached Scott made a point to gather together with all of the new teachers to welcome us, make himself available to answer any questions, and to just make that first day of a new job a little bit easier. Our trainings with Scott before the students arrived in September were incredibly informative and practical.  As any good training does, we were able to walk out of the session with a tool bag full of new ideas and inspiration to bring into the classroom.

With school underway, I continuously see and meet with him as he makes his rounds through the teaching offices checking up on his team. He makes himself available and is open to hearing thoughts and concerns. Scott offers an abundance of support and knowledge for teachers and is always open to help when he can. He is a team leader that leads by example and cares deeply about the professional growth of his team.

It is a great pleasure to work alongside and learn from Scott at SUIS Qingpu. He is a tremendously passionate teacher, team leader, and an example for anyone looking to become better. As an incoming teacher at a new school, I am more than pleased to have Scott helping out along the way.

Scott – Team work

I have worked with Scott for a period of two and half years.  During this time, I have come to understand that Scott genuinely cares about his team.  He is constantly checking in with people to see how they are and offering them support where necessary.  He readily listens to staff concerns and looks for ways in which identified gaps can be closed.  He is encouraging and has a positive mindset towards team growth.  He is proactive in helping his team grow professionally.  He has an open-door policy and is very approachable.  Staff members feel that they can go to him when there is need.