昆明世青国际学校校长专访之不惧挑战，我们是全新的开拓者

2019年8月正式接任昆明世青国际学校学术校长职位的Mr. John Stephens来自阳光明媚的美国加州，拥有英语教育学学士学位，心理学及行政管理学硕士学位，并持有加州政府颁发的校长资质证书。早年任教于加州中学，先后在IB、剑桥、美基等教育系统进行过教学实践。他经验丰富，极富想法，充满活力，将热情与奋进加入到昆明世青文化之中。

近日，我们采访了Mr. John Stephens，详细地了解了他将为昆明世青带来的变化。

Q欢迎加入昆明世青国际学校。我了解到您有16年的教学经验，是一名资深的教育人士。请向我们介绍一下您的从教经历。

John：那就从我在加州的教育生涯说起吧。在那里，我教授6年级和7年级的英语和ESL。之后我到了高中，教授11年级和12年级的英语课程。我在洛杉矶的学校工作了10年，然后我决定到海外发展我的事业。我先后在几所不同类型的学校工作过。包括IB学校，剑桥学校和美基学校。

Q在您的职业生涯中，最让您骄傲的成就是什么？

John：16年的教育生涯中，有很多让我自豪的时刻，比如看到孩子们身上的巨大变化，看见他们在我的帮助下变得越来越有学习动力；比如与员工，家庭和父母之间的良好关系。但作为一名教育工作者，最令我骄傲的时刻是： 在洛杉矶工作时，我获得学校优秀教师提名那一次。对我来说，那是一个非常值得骄傲的时刻。

Q您将为KWYA带来哪些变化？

John：说到新的变化，有三件事特别重要。首先是开设了ESL课程，我们非常愿意为需要进一步加强英语语言能力的学生提供课外服务，这些（ESL课程）都将在课后进行；今年，我们还开设了计算机科学课，学生们每周会有一小时的时间学习计算机科学；另外，我们进一步加强了大学申请咨询服务。接下来，每年都会邀请来自北美，欧洲和其他地区的大学招生官到我们学校（现场招生）。今年，我们的中外教还为住宿学生开展了每周两次的晚间俱乐部活动，以丰富他们课余生活。

Q这些新的课程（如ESL）有什么特别之处？

John：ESL是针对英语为第二语言的学生所开始的语言强化课程。我们根据学生的MAP测试中反映出来的语言应用能力进行分班，设置专门的课程，有的放矢地帮助他们提高英语水平。我们还会把IT技术和ESL课程结合起来，让ESL教师都会使用MAP系统。这样一来，可以随时对学生进行在线语法、写作、阅读以及研究能力监测，根据学生的学习进展，调整课程计划。在计算机科学方面，我们IT老师Mr. Perkusic有着丰富的计算机科学实践经验，他对编程以及所有人工智能背后的运行原理非常熟悉。在教学过程中，他将深入观察、了解学生，找出、激发他们的科技天赋，并对他们给予帮助。我们希望，凡是对计算机科学感兴趣的同学都可以上这门课；在不远的将来，向DP阶段的同学提供这个课程。

Q这意味着以后我们的学生将会有他们的人工智能吗？

John：嗯…..这是你说的，我没这么说（笑）。但是，当然，如果他们为之付出努力，他们会创造出（自己的人工智能）。

Q您认为KWYA在未来的发展中将面临哪些挑战？KWYA将如何应对这些挑战？

John：我们面临的重大挑战之一就是如何最有效地把学校特色课程与义务教育阶段课程很好地结合，给我们的学生提供均衡教育，培养成为具有国际情怀、富有成就的社会成员；对于大学预科（DP）阶段的教学，学校管理层会为DP课程提供源源不断的支持，不断增加新的课程。此外，我们将继续共同努力为学生提供安全有趣的学习环境。当然，学生家长参与到学校活动中，尤其是参与到大学申请咨询中来也是挑战之一。 我们希望能尽快和所有G10-G12家长见面，讨论他们孩子的大学申请事宜，希望他们能更积极地参与到孩子的大学申请计划中。

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.