Stephen Davies and Aisling Ni Cheallaigh have been teaching for 15 and 13 years respectively, supporting second language acquisition in their students over all those years. Having taught for many years in countries such as Japan, France, Spain, and the UK, they know well the struggles non-native speakers can have when learning a second language or learning a subject such as Global Perspectives through a second language. They firmly believe that education is an essential tool that should be available to all children everywhere. As avid travellers themselves, they know that both language and education open the world up to students and allow them to achieve goals, travel, meet new people and generally feel good about themselves.
Aisling completed her degree in English Language and Linguistics while living and working in Lyon, France. Doing this gave her valuable first-hand experience with the challenges that come with studying in another language. This experience taught her to be much more patient and understanding in the classroom. Steve’s time at the University of Swansea, first as a student and then later teaching pre-sessional courses to Chinese students planning to study in the UK, gave him his first experiences of China during trips to teach at the University of Wuhan.
It was his desire to learn more about China that first sparked this couple’s interest in moving here while they were living and teaching at the same school in Cardiff, Wales. They moved to China in 2019 and have been teaching here ever since.
Joining SUIS Qingpu in August 2022, Aisling and Steve have brought their own teaching philosophies to our classrooms. Both believe in a student-driven, dynamic classroom atmosphere. To them, creating an environment where learning is a process of discovery and mistakes are just stepping stones to progress is very important. Both come from countries whose native language is taught as both a first and second language in schools, and both have experienced first-hand teachers who shared no love for the language they teach. These experiences drove them to create lessons designed to intrigue and motivate, and to bring the English language to life as much as possible for their students.
Both Aisling and Steve have taken on new roles this semester. For Steve, as a Cambridge homeroom teacher, pastoral care is of upmost importance. He works hard to ensure that all students feel safe and comfortable not only in the homeroom but also in the school. Pastoral care, of course, is not limited to just ensuring the safety of students on a Monday to Friday basis, but also making sure that the students feel comfortable speaking to their homeroom teacher about any outside issues they may be experiencing as well as any problems in school they may have. Steve believes that a happy student is far more likely to be able to deal with the rigours of studying and the demands of school life.
Aisling has taken on the role of Head of English this semester. In pursuit of furthering her own education, she completed a master’s degree in human resource management and development from the University of Manchester in 2022. Juggling a full-time master’s programme alongside working full time gave her invaluable time management skills, which she puts to good use as a Head of Subject. She hopes to use this knowledge, alongside her years of experience, to be a positive addition and support for her colleagues, the English department, and the school as a whole.
——Andrew Watt
Deputy-Head of Middle School